Samsung and Google announced in May 2021 that they are partnering to develop one unified wearable software platform based on Google’s Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen. The new OS will be used for Samsung’s future Galaxy smartwatches, as well as “premium” Fitbit devices. The move is certainly mutually beneficial from a software perspective, as long as both companies can differentiate their wearables in other ways to prevent loss of market share. Google finally completed its acquisition of Fitbit, the largest patent asset holder in Consumer Sleep, in January of 2021. Patent Forecast® predicted this move back in 2019. Google itself did not have many patent assets in the sector prior to the acquisition, although it was still pursuing its own sleep tech patents as recently as March of 2020 as highlighted by this Patent Forecast® insight. Samsung’s portfolio in data processing and sensors is smaller than Fitbit’s but still one of the largest in the sector. Notably, the partnership gives Google and Samsung a unified front against Apple, which has always been known for its strong branding and integrated software and hardware but which has a smaller Consumer Sleep patent portfolio than Samsung. Will the combined technology give Google and Samsung a boost in sales? What new R&D will come out of the partnership? Be the first to know the answer to these questions with insights and data from the Consumer Sleep Patent Forecast®.
