When Apple Once Tried to Make Apple Watch Compactible With Android

Apple tried to make the Apple Watch work with Android phones, but it never happened. This just shows how Apple is always trying to come up with new ideas and grow. The info came out when Apple was responding to an antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice. The lawsuit claimed that by only letting the Apple Watch work with iPhones, Apple was basically forcing people to stick with their products and making it hard to switch to a different phone brand.

Apple Watch: The Three-Year Exploration

Even though Apple is all about iPhones, they did think about making the Apple Watch work with Android phones. They spent three years looking into it, showing how serious they were about trying something new. But in the end, they couldn’t figure out how to make it work because of some tricky technical stuff, so it didn’t happen. In November 2023, a report from Bloomberg gave more details on what Apple thinks about this. Basically, they thought about making the Apple Watch work with Android, but they were worried it might make the watch less special for iPhone users. They didn’t want to mess up the whole Apple ecosystem they’ve worked so hard to build.

A Two-Way Street

This whole cross-compatibility thing isn’t just an Apple problem. Other big smartwatches like Google’s Pixel Watch can’t connect with Apple’s iOS either. It just shows that the smartwatch industry as a whole is struggling to make different brands work together.

Q&A

Q1: Why did Apple consider making the Apple Watch compatible with Android?
A1: Apple explored Android compatibility to potentially broaden the Apple Watch’s market reach and cater to users outside its traditional iOS ecosystem.

Q2: What were the primary reasons behind Apple’s decision to abandon the Android compatibility project?
A2: Technical limitations emerged as the primary deterrent, coupled with concerns about diluting the symbiotic relationship between the Apple Watch and iPhone.

Q3: How does the issue of compatibility extend beyond Apple in the smartwatch industry?
A3: Other manufacturers, such as Google with its Pixel Watch, also face challenges in achieving cross-platform compatibility, highlighting the broader industry-wide struggle in this regard.