Back in November, a report claimed that the OnePlus smartwatch would not run Wear OS, which came as a shock considering OnePlus’ solid relationship with Google. Well, OnePlus has finally set the record straight, suggesting its smartwatch may run Google’s wearable platform.

In an interview with Input, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said the reason why the company’s smartwatch has been on-again, off-again is due to Wear OS, which has floundered in recent years. But that’s where Lau sees an opportunity. OnePlus is working alongside Google to make Wear OS better, and we may see the results in the company’s upcoming smartwatch.

“Wear OS definitely has room to improve,” Lau told Input. “What we’re trying to do is work with Google to try to improve the connectivity between the Wear OS ecosystem, Android TV, and Android smartphones to create this ability for better device interoperability across the ecosystems. This has been something looked at very positively from Google's side as well, so this is the direction that we're trying to develop, but we don't have more than we can share on that right now.”

Even with Lau’s comments, it’s still unclear what would separate the OnePlus smartwatch from other Wear OS devices on the market. But seamless interoperability across device ecosystems is a start. OnePlus offers a strong lineup of devices that includes smartphones, TVs, earbuds, and more, and a wearable seems like the next logical step.

With Google recently gaining EU approval for its acquisition of Fitbit, the best days of Wear OS may be ahead. The search giant has already indicated it has plans to release exciting new wearable devices, and with Fitbit’s focus on fitness, there’s cause for optimism.

It’s nice to hear OnePlus is working with Google to provide consumers with a better product. OnePlus has been surgical with the new features it brings in major smartphone updates. Hopefully, we’ll see that level of precision when the OnePlus smartwatch is released, probably in 2021.