I recently looked back on my 2025 predictions for Android smartwatch brands like Google, Samsung, and OnePlus. I was more right than wrong, but now I’ll try to better predict how Android smartwatches will change in 2026.
It doesn’t take Nostradamus to say that the Pixel Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 9 will launch in 2026. But aside from guessing what Google and Samsung have planned, I’ll talk about my expectations for Gemini, Fitbit, and Samsung Health, and the Wear OS platform more broadly, which has shown some warning signs this year.
Samsung could relaunch Samsung Health with a Galaxy AI subscription
This summer, I spotted warning signs that Samsung might start charging us for Galaxy AI health features. Two weeks later, Samsung SVP Hon Pak admitted in an interview that they are “exploring” premium subscription models for “advanced coaching features,” as well as helping users spot “preventable” conditions like cancer.
Galaxy AI features like Energy Score, Vascular Load, and Antioxidant Index typically have fine print saying they’re free through 2025. That doesn’t mean Samsung will start invoicing us on January 1. Instead, anytime from Samsung’s CES 2026 “First Look” presentation to the Galaxy Watch 9 reveal next summer, it could announce an “optional” $10/month Samsung Health subscription and start cramming previously free features into it.
Samsung will want a flashy, AI-driven alternative to Fitbit Personal Health Coach; don’t be surprised if they charge us for it.
Google and Samsung will escalate their health war with Apple
Almost every major smartwatch brand is in a wellness arms race to pack as many “life-saving” or doctor-replacing features into their watches as possible, from Apple’s hypertension alerts and Google’s Loss of Pulse detection to Huawei’s blood pressure-tracking D2 watch. It should only ramp up in 2026.
Samsung has already confirmed plans to use Galaxy Watches to detect heart failure, a “World-First” feature, very soon. Google launched its six-month hypertension study with Fitbit Labs for Pixel Watch 3 owners, so in theory, it could use that data to develop its own predictive feature for high blood pressure warnings.
Google’s clinical lead for cardiology told me she wants Pixel Watch users to have more access to “personalized risk” data, tying your stats and medical records to clinical studies. And Google’s clinical sleep lead says he hopes smartwatches can one day detect signs of sleepwalking or Restless Leg Syndrome.
I’m not saying we’ll see these in 2026, just showcasing the doctors behind these Android watch brands with ambitious goals for personalized health. Samsung clearly has the same medical aspirations, too.
Wear OS will continue to shed its “open platform” label
In 2024, Fossil stopped making smartwatches after struggling with Wear OS updates. In 2025, Mobvoi hasn’t announced anything official, but it seems to have stopped selling TicWatches and pivoted to AI devices, while Tag Heuer quietly left the platform with its new Calibre E5. And OnePlus has fallen months behind its pledge to update its 2024 watches to Wear OS 5.
By my count, Wear OS has four active brands remaining: Google, Samsung, OnePlus/OPPO, and Xiaomi. I’d guess that Xiaomi or OnePlus will be the next to quietly distance itself from Wear OS, releasing more watches with proprietary software, such as the OnePlus Watch Lite running an RTOS.
Whether by design or neglect, Google’s non-Samsung partners can’t keep up on Wear OS version updates, falling a year behind on average, and that makes their watches seem deficient compared to Pixel and Galaxy Watches. I’m still expecting a OnePlus Watch 4 until I’m told otherwise, but we’re trending toward Google and Samsung hoarding Gemini on smartwatches for themselves.
Gemini upgrades will be the Wear OS 7 highlight
Wear OS 6 was a much more dramatic, system-level update than Wear OS 5 and Wear OS 4, with Material 3 Expressive as the highlight. I’d expect Wear OS 7 to optimize this new UI rather than change it again, with improved battery efficiency and further upgrades to Watch Face Format like 3D Faces.
Instead, I think Wear OS 7 will focus on AI upgrades. Wear OS 6’s on-watch smart replies — recently enhanced on Wear OS 6.1 — are the template. The idea is to shift more work away from your phone, so the AI assistant can answer questions more quickly without relying on the cloud.
I wonder if we’ll get an official Gemini Live tool on Wear OS, for situations where it’s not convenient to have your phone on hand. I could also see Google creating a Gemini equivalent to Apple’s Workout Buddy, synced to your Fitbit training plan; it would give you real-time, personalized feedback and advice during an activity.
