Here’s Why You Still Can’t Connect Your Android Phone to an Apple Watch
Blame the iPhone
The latest Apple Watch, announced last week, is an iterative improvement over an already industry-leading smartwatch. It includes a blood oxygen sensor, on top of the host of other fitness sensors previous generations already included, and it pairs with a new Fitness+ service that aims to compete with Peloton’s popular memberships.
Google, meanwhile, may as well not exist in the wearables market. In terms of units shipped, watches running Google’s Wear OS are outpaced by Apple, Samsung, and even Garmin. The most widely recommended smartwatches for Android users carry the oft-maligned Samsung Bixby voice assistant instead of Google Assistant. And Google has stopped making its own watches entirely.
So, why can’t I, an Android user, just buy Apple’s watch instead?
While most non-Apple watches can work with iPhones with limited functionality, it is not possible to set up an Apple Watch without an iPhone. Even the LTE models of the Apple Watch — which can operate as standalone devices when you leave your phone behind — need an iPhone for initial setup. A complicated SIM swap workaround could let Android users set up the Apple Watch with a friend’s iPhone, but it will never pair directly with the Android phone. It doesn’t work…
