There's no formal explanation for the new badging at this point, but it's not hard to imagine why Google might use the Wear OS label. As with Google Pay, the company may want to avoid using the Android label on a product that isn't strictly limited to Android devices. You can use Android Wear watches with iPhones, after all.

And that declaration may be particularly important given the current state of the smartwatch market. IDC estimated that Android Wear was virtually non-existent among the top five wearable manufacturers in the fourth quarter of 2017 -- even Huawei got to fifth place primarily through its fitness trackers, not its Android wristwear. While new watches and updated software are ultimately the keys to growth, a name swap could reel in some of those buyers who previously thought they needed an Android phone.