Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
TL; DR
- There is hope that the Pixel Watch can support iPhone connections.
- The Montblanc Summit 3 is powered by Wear OS 3, like the Pixel Watch, and it supports the iPhone.
- Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 can probably connect to iPhones, but Samsung has probably disabled this feature.
Wear OS 3 is the most recent version of Google’s portable operating system. However, it only officially appears on one device: the Galaxy Watch 4. Other watches will eventually get the update to Wear OS 3, but that hasn’t happened yet.
One of the interesting things about the Galaxy Watch 4 is that it is for Android only. Other Wear OS watches – such as the popular Fossil Gen 6 – run on Wear OS and support iPhone connections. At first we thought that this exclusivity was only due to Android due to Wear OS 3 itself, but it turns out that this is not the case.
See also: What you need to know about Wear OS
According to storable, the upcoming Montblanc Summit 3 – a Wear OS 3 watch – will support iPhone connections. This is good news and supports the idea that the Wear OS 3 powered Pixel Watch can also support the iPhone.
Clearly, most consumers interested in the Pixel Watch will not pair it with an iPhone. The option to be there, though, would be nice, especially if you think Android users can’t use the Apple Watch. If Google allows the Pixel Watch to pair with an iPhone, it will represent a good example of range across the aisle.
Now, the fact that the Montblanc Summit 3 supports iPhone connections implies that Samsung is artificially restricting the Galaxy Watch 4. Google may be doing the same. However, we think this is unlikely. Google probably wants as many people as possible to get a Pixel Watch. Even if only a small minority of users would pair it with an iPhone, it would probably be worth it for Google.
The Pixel Watch is likely to be launched in October 2022.