Google celebrates 10 years of Android Auto, Android TV, and Wear OS with a trip down memory lane

Summary

• Google’s expansion into new industries like automotive, TV, and smartwatches has been fueled by Android Auto, Android TV, and Wear OS.
• Over 200 million vehicles worldwide use Android Auto – a testament to Google’s success in revolutionizing vehicle infotainment systems.
• Wear OS, launched in 2014, is now available in 160 countries and powers some of the best-selling wearables on the market.

As American director and producer Tim Burton says, “Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not necessarily in that order.” Google’s story began on September 4, 1998, when Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded a search engine company in Menlo Park, California. While search remains Google’s core business, its significant expansion into new areas, including hardware with Pixel-branded products, marks a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution. The developers laid the foundation for many Google services, while some other services were acquired to enrich the company’s portfolio.

Among other things, Android is arguably one of the most renewed Google products, and it can now be found on billions of devices around the world. Today, Android isn’t merely an operating system for smartphones and tablets. Instead, it’s become the foundation of many Google services. As Google highlighted in a recent blog post, around ten years ago, the company announced the launching of Android Auto, Android TV, and Wear OS as its services based on Android OS.

Android Auto, Android TV, and Wear OS are critical pillars in the company’s expansion into new industries

A decade later, the trio’s products are still alive and, fortunately, haven’t been sent to Google’s infamous graveyard. Starting with Android Auto, the operating system powers various vehicle infotainment systems globally, allowing drivers to access Android apps on the go, answer phone calls without distraction, and play music from playlists. As Google says, over 200 million vehicles worldwide offer Android Auto.

Additionally, Android TV was launched in 2014 to revolutionize how we interact with TVs. Before this, TVs installed in the living room were only destined to show some boring news and entertainment channels. With Android TV, however, users could stream content via apps directly available on their TVs.

To bring Android to your living room, Google had to develop an optimized version of Android that’s compatible with the TV’s restricted hardware. Today, over 220 million devices worldwide are powered by Android TV, with more devices added each year.

If Google could bring an Android inside your car and in your living room, why not get it on your wrist? When the idea of smartwatches was gaining traction among manufacturers, Google seized the opportunity and launched a trimmed-down version of Android for wearables called Wear OS.

While LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live were the first products to get Wear OS in 2014, the operating system is now available to customers across 160 countries and powers some of the best-selling wearables on the market.

Despite Tim Burton’s quote that every story needs to have an end, Google’s story with Android not only seems to have no end, but also promises new horizons to users.