Huawei could be shaking things up with its next smartwatch, as reports claim the company may switch from Google's Android Wear platform to the open-source Tizen operating system.
This information comes from JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean daily newspaper which claims Huawei is working with Samsung to find a more customization-friendly OS for its wearables, according to Tizen Experts.
While last year's Huawei Watch was met with a generally positive response, reviewers (ourselves included) noted the lack of customization available on the watch due to Google's UI restrictions on Android Wear.
Based on the open-source Linux, Tizen would allow Huawei's next line of smartwatches to have greater options for customization, among a few other potential bonuses that come with the unbound OS.
Time for Tizen
Samsung - another believer in Tizen - has already put itself behind the OS, installing it inside its Z1 phones and even some refrigerators.
In fact, Huawei and Samsung are both part of the Tizen Association - a group of companies that include the likes of Fujitsu, Panasonic, Sprint, and more - which collectively promotes and guides the development of Tizen.
Samsung even praised the software in its official blog, calling it a "lighter" OS that takes up less processing power, is more battery-efficient, and can juggle multitasking well - making it a smart pick for a small-yet-interconnected electronic like a smartwatch.
We reached out to Huawei, asking if it plans to use Tizen for its upcoming smartwatches. We will update the story as more details emerge.
