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Where, Oh Where, Was Wear OS 7 at Google I/O This Year?

Google's smartwatch software gets buried under a heap of AI health news at I/O 2026.

3 min read

Google's smartwatch operating system took a back seat at I/O this year, and its lack of prominence reveals where AI is heading next: your body.

Last year, Wear OS 6 debuted a redesigned interface, smoother animations, battery optimizations and, most importantly, Gemini on the wrist. The company framed smartwatches as the next major surface for AI, with Wear OS positioned as a central part of Android's future.

Turns out this may have marked the beginning of a larger shift.

This year, Wear OS 7 got little more than a passing mention. Instead, Google I/O focused heavily on AI health tools, Gemini integrations, XR glasses and supporting hardware like the screenless Fitbit Air, a $100 band with no display, designed primarily as a gateway into Google's health ecosystem. The redesigned...

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Where, Oh Where, Was Wear OS 7 at Google I/O This Year?

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