Here’s why Google highlighting KakaoTalk on Wear OS 3 matters

Screenshot: The Verge

There was a moment that stood out to me that may have been lost on a lot of people. While giving examples of new apps featured on Wear OS 3, Google took the time to call out one of them. I will not lie. I stood up, pointed my finger at my computer monitor, and made a loud noise. I was correct.

If you already know what KakaoTalk is, you're probably a Korean American, love K-pop and K-dramas, or have lived in Korea. You can see where I'm going. There is a messaging app in Korea. The easiest way to describe it is that it is a Korean version of a messaging service. More than 47 million South Koreans were active on the app in the last quarter of the year. The population of South Korea is over 50 million.

The only people in my family who text each other are the people on the phone. The rest of the time, it's KakaoTalk. The family group chat is there. I call and text my aunt. If I call my aunt normal, she is less likely to pick up than if I call her over the phone. My parents used to use the main app to communicate, send pictures, and share videos. Sometimes I hear a song in my dreams.

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

While Tizen had its strengths, it didn't have a good selection of third-party apps. The third-party apps it had were not updated often. Apple and Wear OS watches had more robust app ecosystems. The main reason for the switch to Wear OS was fixing this weakness.

I don't think it will ever happen, but my theory is that if it wanted to grow its business, it would have to abandon the platform. The company with the most power in the country is Samsung. It accounts for 20 percent of South Korea's GDP and it couldn't get a dedicated Tizen app for its most popular messaging and social media app. According to reports, the reason KakaoTalk gave up was because of the market reach of Tizen. To make up for lost time, KakaoTalk had created versions of its app for all three operating systems. In essence, it was getting disrespected at home.

It's not the first time that KakaoTalk has been featured in Wear OS promotional materials. At last year's I/O, the app was thrown up on the screen when it was announced that the app was collaborating with the company. I think this was a way for Google to help out with the Korean market, where 72 percent of the population uses a mobile device and 67 percent use a phone. You cannot underestimate Korean national pride when it comes to things like multisearch near me.

This is a sign that the Asian market is getting the apps they want. There are some apps that have been on the Apple Watch for a long time. One of the featured Wear OS 3 apps was LINE, a popular chat app in Japan. The addition of the Pixel Watch to the Asian market may not be a priority for the company, but it does help the company in its most important market.

It feels like this is one of those times where the selling point of a product isn't meant for American or European markets. I would say it was effective.