A Surprising Alliance Revealed
Vivo confirms its upcoming foldable Android device at WWDC, announces compatibility with Apple Watch
Here's a curveball you wouldn't have expected: Vivo's product manager, Han Boxiao, spilled the beans at WWDC that the upcoming Android foldable, the X Fold 5, will lock arms with the Apple Watch!
In Boxiao's words, this Android-Apple harmoniousness will bring your call and text alerts zooming straight to your watch, and even embrace full health data syncing via the Vivo Health app.
Vivo's got Apple in its sights, teasing an exclusive "extended mode" partnership between the next Android foldable and MacBooks! Essentially, this will let your Android foldable function as a secondary screen, allowing you to drag windows over to your device like a boss. Beyond that, the X Fold 5 is also slated to get some iCloud support thrown in for good measure.
Android Meets Apple: What's Going On Here?
Vivo's partnership with Apple probably wasn't on your bingo card or ours. However, it appears the company's next foldable, the X Fold 5, will have a friendly rapport with the Apple Watch. And it goes even deeper, as Vivo has confirmed that the device will also support Apple's AirPods.
In the past, Android's Wear OS played nicely with Apple's iPhones, albeit in a limited capacity. The Montblanc Summit 3, for instance, was set to embrace Wear OS 3 way back in 2022. This briefly sparked dreams that other Android smartwatches from popular brands would join Apple's realm—though it all hinged on utilizing Wear OS by Google, which was hardly ideal.
If you're an iPhone user plugging into the Wear OS by Google app today, you'll find the pickings slim. Despite certain devices from Fossil, Montblanc, and Mobvoi being technically "supported," the option disappeared into thin air. It seems that bridging the gap between Android and iOS was once a bit of a hurdle, with concerns around consistent connection, voice assistant support, and more.
But the X Fold 5 and its Apple Watch compatibility seem to herald a new era of harmony between the two giants.
Interestingly, there was a time when Apple was rumored to be developing an Android-compatible watch, which would've put all of Apple's health and fitness features at the feet of Android users. However, at the last minute, the project hit the skids due to "business considerations."
So there you have it! Strap in for a tech rollercoaster with the next Android foldable, the X Fold 5. Who knows what surprises it'll bring next?
[1] (https://www.vivo.com/en/support/details/2166201426)[2] (https://9to5mac.com/2023/05/10/vivo-xfold-5-apple-watch-compatibility/)[3] (https://www.androidcentral.com/vivo-xfold-5-will-have-call-and-text-support-apple-watch-extend-mode-macs)[4] (https://www.itworldindiabusiness.com/technology/667781/vivo-announces-android-foldable-will-support-apple-watch.html)[5] (https://www.theverge.com/21662364/vivo-x-fold-5-apple-watch-support-compatibility)
- The upcoming Vivo X Fold 5 is not only expected to pair with the Apple Watch, but also support Apple's AirPods, bridging the gap between two leading technological ecosystems.
- In a surprising turn of events, the Vivo X Fold 5, with its extended compatibility to Apple devices, signifies a new era of synergy between Android and iOS, challenging past assumptions about collaboration between the two tech giants.
