Why most smartwatches have old Android versions?

General
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Why most smartwatches have old Android versions? For instance, most of them have Android 8.1.0, but the current version is 14. Is there any technical difficulty, or is it just planned obsolescence? Is there a way to update the Android version of such smartwatches when the manufactuer does not do it? Thanks.

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No . This is not possible

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I have the same question.
Mine runs A9 but is a 2021 watch (LEMP).
Should be unacceptable go back to A8 on 2023/2024, completely nonsense.

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Any that run Android 8x are not supported here at all.
The reason why the majority of supported devices are running Android 7,9 or 10 is because no newer versions of Android is available to the people who make them.
These are MTK chip devices.

The unisoc Android 11 Z40 is available for that chipset only. Not MTK
Unfortunately, this is just the reality of the situation.

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Thanks. Could you please elaborate? What is MTK? What is Z40? I mean, new standard smartphones have the latest Android version and can be upgraded to the newest one for years. Why not the smartwatches? The smartwatches that I mean are not really watches, but are actually truly standalone smartphones that can do absolutely all that can be done with a standard smartphone, albeit miniaturized with a smaller display the size of a watch. Thanks again.

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A simple google search will give you all the info you need on mediatek chipsets along with the Z40 smartwatch

The smartwatches we support are full android watches like you are discussing

At present A11 is the latest

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Thanks. Do you mean Z40 smartwatches like Lemfo http://www.lemfo.com and Lokmat https://www.lokmat.cn ?

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From what you said I understand that the chipsets allowing Android version installations in smartwatches are made by MediaTek https://www.mediatek.com and by UniSoC (formerly Spreadtrum Communications)
https://www.unisoc.com

Is that right? On the other hand, how to know which is the latest Android version supported by such chipsets in a particular date? You said Android 11, but maybe a newer version is supported next month, year or whatever. Just to know.

Here it says:

MediaTek-based devices

that Android 12 is supported.

And here it says
UNISOC Completes Android 15 Upgrade Across 4G and 5G Platforms

Does it mean that Android 12 and Android 15 are now supported in smartwaches?

Thanks.

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Android updates for existing watches are not expected. It’s a lot of work and it doesn’t pay off for watches that have already been sold.
But I can imagine that we will see watches with newer Android versions in the future.

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I’ve seen Android 13 for certain Android embedded SoC platform manufacturers (actually while I was hunting for one I come across this forum and community), however those formats were small but not as tiny as a watch. I hope Android 13 will come around.

So even though LineageOS provides updates for old phones based on AOSP, for these watch SoC the chipset is special enough that it cannot be done (due to drivers and other custom non public patches)?

I wish there was something like LineageOS for Flaws!

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Men, we have two years at least waiting for that.
And the news was… Android 8.1

:-1:t3:

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This is also important because Google security patch updates and Google Play Services are available only for the last three and nine years, respectively, for each Android release:

Android version history
Overview

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Are you sure that such “Android 13 for certain Android embedded SoC platform manufacturers” was not fake? As an example, the latests Android smartwatch version is Android 11 for manufacturers like Vwar:

And smartwatches like HK ULTRA ONE 4G AMOLED claiming Android 13.1 are fake (have Android 8.1.0 instead) as can be checked installing in them applications like Device Info HW (Andrey Efremov). Also fake are other claims of such smartwatch like RAM memory, Flash storage and Camera resolution. A full fake!

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The HK Ultra sellers claim fake Android versions. yes!
Here is one SoC manufacturer I thought of: Toradex

  • Kynetics (that’s the company I know) ported Android 13 for Toradex’s Verdin iMX8M Plus module Android 13 - Toradex Verdin i.MX8M Plus| Kynetics - Kynetics Technical Notes (don’t be scared of the size of that board, it’s a developer board, the actual SoC is on that memory module looking board, and in a custom production solution it’s even smaller.)
  • And the iMX8M Plus is relatively beefy, RAM can go all the way up to 8GB LPDDR4 (eMMC is “only” 32GB tho.). I’m not sure if the PCB design can shrink to a watch form factor though, and the consumption might be high, so what I can imagine is something like those S999 2.88" like watches. But maybe this burns too much battery even for that?
  • If it’s an S999 like device, it’s be cool to use Toradex iMX95, that can sport even 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB eMMC. But this has higher performance and consumption than the Verdin.
  • Kynetics even ported Android 14 to the Verdin AM62 Kynetics Android BSP Android 14 Verdin TI AM62 | Kynetics - Kynetics Technical Notes but that platform is somewhat anemic compared to better FAWs: 2GB LPDDR4 RAM max, 16GB eMMC max

I really want to experiment with my own FAW. Maybe I’ll create a prototype with a Raspberry Pi, some small compatible touch screen with it, put it into a Pip-Boy like (Fallout Series Pip-Boy Die-Cast OFFICIAL Replica In Hand Fast Shipping NEW | eBay except no knobs and fluff) wrist worn 3D printed case along with some batteries, and put Lineage OS or PrimeOS on it to have Android. Maybe after experiments it can be shrunk to an S999 form factor?

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Very interesting @tocsa :star_struck: I`d love to read more such insights here :pray:t6:

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The bottom line is that the Chinese OEM’s are not licensed to google apps.
So they use custom calendar and phone apps etc.

This is no longer acceptable in new versions of Android due to the permissions they need.

If people were willing to pay for the properly configured new Android and GMS integration needed, the OEM would make them.

Unfortunately, enthusiasts like us make up a tiny percentage of the market.
Most people who buy these watches just want cheap cheap solutions.

No one is willing to invest in a more expensive, up to date solution and risk it failing to sell.

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By the way, I’m talking about bulk buying customers and importers.
They won’t want to take the gamble.

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This resumes WHY full Android smartwatches are almost extincted today, unfortunately.

I just buyed a tic watch pro 3 ultra just for fun and to know a little more about that WearOS crap. My old lemp still works perfect after two years of use, only replaced battery once.

I really love all what we can do with those watches.
Starting by full use of WhatsApp :blush:

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you have to know that most FAWs nowadays are targeted towards the chinese market more than the international ones

take, for instance the SU series of “apple watch” shaped FAWs; they have a much better UI and stock apps compared to the “foreign market export” ones

they don’t like anything past oreo because it’s already ““light”” enough and still supports 80% of the chinese apps; which again, doesn’t use GMS

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Totally.

  1. The FAW community is miniscule compared to Android in general, and even compared to Wear OS. I like the tinkering allure of it.
  2. Even fewer people willing to buy “brand” FAWs. I even thought-dreamed if I pursued a modern FAW, maybe Kynetics could design me an S999 form factor, but then it would be cloned and undercut by price. I’m guilty too buying a no name Z40 unfortunately. (But my other watch is a Lemfo LEMP). So a $200K+ R&D investment would be -poof- lost.

I wish it was like a Klöckner-Möller PLC: that the firmware would be in a tamper resistant enclave. Unfortunately that would also be against an open DIY community approach for the same reason. So you need to chose where to sacrifice. I’m curious about your thoughts.