Samsung’s streak of innovation fights an uphill battle with Android


Samsung Unpacked 2021 has offered a tantalizing assortment of cutting-edge gadgets, ranging from Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 to the Galaxy Watch 4. But in addition to showcasing state-of-the-art hardware, the launch underscored the importance of software in product differentiation and in supporting these very important new user experiences that Samsung was so keen to draw our attention to.

Marketing aside, Samsung has clearly put a tremendous amount of work into software development in order to bring its latest products to market. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, for example, are the company’s first Wear OS smartwatches to ditch Samsung’s internal Tizen operating system, for Wear OS 3 it helped design in collaboration with Google. . The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 look like the company’s best folds to date, precisely because of the mix of enhanced hardware and software features that allow things as simple as moving apps between screens.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 impressions

But what struck me most about Unpacked is that Samsung is practically alone in fighting an uphill battle with Android to make these innovative products a reality.

Bringing Wear OS into the modern era

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic with Watch 4

Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (left) with Galaxy Watch 4

It’s not controversial to say that Wear OS has gone through some pretty rough times under Google’s leadership. Even after years of development, the user experience has remained unrefined, undercooked, and missing key features found in the ecosystem’s biggest rival – the Apple watch. Poor battery life, questionable user interface, and lack of flagships and updates haven’t helped sell consumers on the ecosystem either. It’s no surprise that many manufacturers, including Samsung, have turned to other operating systems to create their portable devices. Android Authority called the previous generation Galaxy Watch 3 the best smartwatch for android users, despite the lack of third-party support you’ll find in the Wear OS and Apple Watch ecosystems.

Wear OS 3 is designed to solve long-lasting platform issues. It’s a dream team between Samsung’s arguably the best watch UI in the business, Google’s vast app ecosystem, and Fitbit’s fitness prowess. Together, it can finally give customers an Android watch ecosystem that offers everything they want. However, we’ll reserve our verdict until we’ve spent more time with the Galaxy Watch 4. Not to mention that the platform’s long-term success will depend on Google keeping up with future improvements and updates.

Further reading: The best Wear OS watches | The best Wear OS apps

Of course, this begs the question of why it took Google seven years to allow its partners to customize the look of Wear OS and tackle long-standing issues like battery life. and application performance. Wear OS has so often seemed like an afterthought for Google, bordering on a nuisance it perhaps wished it had never been involved with. It is therefore up to Samsung to have innovated in the field of wearables without the community of developers provided with the ecosystem of Google applications. But this journey would have been a lot smoother if Google had invested heavily in the development of Wear OS years ago.

Android must bring together exciting new devices

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 facing left

Eric Zeman / Android Authority

It’s hard not to draw a parallel between the journey of Samsung’s smartwatch and that of its foldable smartphones. Samsung’s Flip and Fold products are breaking new ground in the mainstream Android market and once again putting in extra software work. Software such as Multi-View, Seamless Immersive View, and Multitasking allow users to make the most of the Z Fold 3’s additional screen. But these are really necessary features to take foldables beyond traditional handsets and into. a category of products in its own right. Even so, Samsung is limited by what it can deliver with its own apps and those that third-party developers explicitly support for those devices.

Allowed, Android 10 support for resizable application windows, hinge aspects and the improved multi-window for three or more applications that are specifically suitable for these new products. Google has certainly made Android more user-friendly for devices with weird screen layouts, and even upgraded its own apps like YouTube and Google Duo to use multiple screens. But even here Samsung was driving The direction of Android development.

Google has long been happy that its partners are leading the way with features that it is finally integrating into Android.

Under Google’s leadership, there haven’t been any foldable key advances for the mobile operating system since then. Android 12 is primarily concerned with the UI overhaul, stronger notifications, and the addition of new privacy features. Barely avant-garde stuff.

This is not entirely surprising, however. Google has long been content to let its partners lead the way and incorporate successful features in Android at a later date. But wait and see is a riskier strategy to adopt with a revolutionary and potentially disruptive product segment.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 software features that maximize the screen

Samsung’s foldables do more than resize and stack apps to deliver the smooth experience that high-end consumers expect. For example, Samsung’s dash panel taskbar bridges the productivity gap between smartphones and tablets, while Flex Mode uses the newer aesthetic of the Galaxy Z Flip. These are key features that have taken Samsung’s foldables from concepts to full-fledged devices. Not to mention its proprietary messaging, camera, and other apps designed to maximize screen space.

The Android operating system can take care of the basics and give developers new tools to play with, but it’s custom software that fleshes out these products to really make them work. Unfortunately, Android’s basic support for foldable devices doesn’t push the boundaries, repeating the strategy that has failed to galvanize Android tablets and, until recently, portable devices.

Google can’t lead from behind

Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 in Silver with Watch

Eric Zeman / Android Authority

Of course, Samsung isn’t alone in making foldable smartphones. We like the Huawei mate xs experience too, although the lack of Google apps remains a glaring caveat. While multiple companies working on their own proprietary ideas may produce great individual products, that won’t lead to the diverse and competitive ecosystem we currently enjoy for Android smartphones. This can only happen if Google takes a step ahead and takes an active role in integrating cutting edge foldable features into its operating system. In addition to existing development tools to create foldable applications.

This is extremely important because third-party apps need to support common feature sets if we want them to work seamlessly on products from multiple brands. Without forgetting that Apple would have its own foldable iphone in the works. Apple won’t come into this product segment with half-armed software, and a wait-and-see approach could cost the Android foldables ecosystem its hard-earned lead.

Android’s basic support for foldable devices does not push the boundaries, repeating the strategy that has failed to galvanize tablets and portable devices.

The sooner Google brings more flexible and foldable software features and tools into Android, the more likely it is that foldable handsets will take off significantly for mainstream consumers. The rumor Google Pixel Fold suggests that the company might be on the verge of taking the product segment under its wing. While based on the company’s history with tablets, TVs, and portable devices, I can’t hold my breath that Google will lead forward. No, unless a company like Samsung pulls in again, but until then Samsung and others are fighting an uphill battle to innovate.

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