Windows on your watch: This developer got Windows 7 running on Android Wear

By Kyle Wiggers May 12, 2016

windows 7 lg g watch android wear — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Some matches were never meant to be, but try telling that to YouTube user Hacking Jules. The impish Android developer installed Microsoft’s Windows 7 desktop operating system on an LG G Watch smartwatch. The predictable result? A Frankensteinian software/hardware mashup that’s as abominable as you might imagine.

Setting aside for a moment that Windows 7 really wasn’t designed for devices as small as the 1.8-inch G Watch (indeed, in Hacking Jules’ video, it’s almost impossible to make out shortcuts on the desktop), performance is objectively awful. Windows takes a whopping three hours to boot, and registers touches only seconds at a time. Given the G Watch’s low-end silicon — a single-core Snapdragon processor, 4GB of internal storage, and a measly 512 MB of RAM — that’s not exactly surprising.

For those who feel compelled (out of boredom? Pursuit for internet karma?) to follow Hacking Jules’ foolhardy footsteps, he’s posted a detailed tutorial on just how he achieved his impressive feat of Windows software engineering. Be forewarned, though, that many of the methods involved require at least some familiarity with Android’s development tools and the Windows command line.

The Windows 7 hack is only the latest in what’s become a bizarre tradition: shoehorning apps onto Android Wear devices. Just last month, an intrepid programmer ported competitive first-person shooter mod Counterstrike to the LG G Watch, following successful efforts by others to boot Minecraft Pocket Edition, Doom, and gaming console emulators for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Developers have gotten movies running on Android Wear devices too, and even full-fledged installations of Macintosh II OS and Windows 95.

Apple’s wearables aren’t immune to such shenanigans, either. In February, a crafty young developer ported iOS 4.2.1 to an Apple Watch, and more recently, developer Nick Lee managed to install the 20-year-old System 7. Neither, as you might expect, run particularly well.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…

Mobile

WatchOS 9 will make typing on your Apple Watch less terrible

Scribbling on the Apple Watch Series 7

Typing away a message on the Apple Watch's tiny screen is not a straightforward business. The scribble system isn't there yet for languages other than English, and voice-to-text can be a pain with punctuations. Apple brought a full-screen keyboard to the Apple Watch Series 7, but its small keycaps are a test of patience regarding accuracy. Thankfully, the upcoming WatchOS 9 update will bring some reprieve, thanks to the arrival of QuickType on Apple's smartwatch.

First spotted by graphics designer Brahm Shank. who shared his finding on Twitter, QuickType will be exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 7, given its larger display that can accommodate a full-size virtual keyboard. For the unaware, QuickType originally debuted on the iPhone with iOS 9. Based on a predictive engine, it analyzes the on-screen message and suggests words to continue your sentence.

Mobile

5 simple reasons the Apple Watch Series 7 stays on my wrist

Apple Watch Series 7 sitting on top of an iPhone 13 Pro.

I’m more than six months into Apple Watch Series 7 ownership. During this time, I have worn it on its own, with other smartwatches and fitness trackers, and even with traditional watches on the other wrist. I’ve tracked workouts, used its health-monitoring features, tried multiple different bands, used it to pay for things in shops, and enjoyed the seamless connection with my phone.

However, for all its technical ability, there are some core, simple, helpful everyday features and design elements that keep me wearing it. Here's what I find makes the Apple Watch so easy to live with on a daily basis.
Rich notifications on a great screen
The primary hardware upgrade on the Series 7 over the Series 6 was the screen. I’ve quickly got used to the 20% additional screen area, the smaller bezels, and its incredible brightness too. It’s always visible at home from almost any angle, and I haven’t had a problem seeing it in bright sunlight either.

Computing

This is how Android 13 looks on Windows 11

The under display fingerprint scanner of the Google Pixel 6.

Many tech brands are currently sharing previews of their upcoming software. Microsoft's Windows 11 is in its final stages of Windows Insider previews before the public build is released. Google recently shared the first developer preview of its Android 13 software. Now, developers are showing what it looks like when you blend the two.

Android web and app developer Danny Lin showcased his porting skills by running Windows 11 on his Google Pixel 6 via a virtual machine, after having updated the device to Android 13 Developer Preview 1.