In yet another sign of the growing alliance between Google and Samsung, today both companies announced that they are essentially combining Wear OS — Google’s operating system — and the Tizen-based software platform that has been foundational to Samsung’s wearables for many years. The resulting platform is currently being referred to simply as “Wear,” though that might not be the final name. Benefits of the joint effort include significant improvements to battery life, 30 percent faster loading times for apps, and smoother animations. It also simplifies life for developers and will create one central smartwatch OS for the Android platform. Google is also promising a greater selection of apps and watch faces than ever before. “All device makers will be able to add a customized user experience on top of the platform, and developers will be able to use the Android tools they already know and love to build for one platform and ecosystem,” Google’s Bjorn Kilburn wrote in a blog post. Wired has more details on what’s to come, including the tidbit that Samsung will stick with its popular rotating bezel on future devices — but it’s finished making Tizen-only smartwatches. There will also be a version of Google Maps that works standalone (meaning without your phone nearby) and a YouTube Music app that supports offline downloads. Oh, and Spotify will support offline downloads on Wear smartwatches, as well. Wear will make it easier to multitask across smartwatch widgets and apps. Image: Google Samsung confirmed that its next Galaxy Watch will run on this unified platform. And future “premium” Fitbit devices will also run the software. Aside from merging the technologies of both platforms, the new Wear OS will include improvements that make it easier to multitask between wrist apps. And some of Fitbit’s “most popular” fitness tracking features will also be included to help the platform evolve as a health tool. What about my current Samsung Galaxy smartwatch?Samsung will make good on its promise of three years of software updates for existing products, according to Wired, and it will also allow customers to export their health data so it can be used on future devices. More details will be shared in the months to come. Samsung is eager to get developers to build applications for its Tizen smartphones. In an effort to drive up interest, the company has created the Tizen Mobile App Incentive Program, which will offer $9 million in cash prizes from February through October of 2017. According to Samsung, devs with apps that end up in the top 100 chart can earn $10,000 per app -- definitely not a bad way to lure people in. Those who want to participate in the program can register starting in "early" January. While Samsung obviously wouldn't admit to it, it's easy to wonder whether the company is doing this as a reaction to Google making its own phones. Because let's face it, without the Note 7 around, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the Android handsets to beat. Sure, Google's never said it plans to leave mobile partners behind, but it still makes sense for Samsung to want to further invest on its own ecosystem. Either way, if you're a developer who wants to give it a shot, the tech giant says target devices are the Samsung Z1, Samsung Z2 and Samsung Z3, as well as other undisclosed Tizen smartphones expected to launch next year. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing. November 11, 2016 5:17 AM  Z2, with Tizen Check out all the on-demand sessions from the Intelligent Security Summit here. Samsung has revealed one of the ways it plans to entice developers to port apps over to Tizen — by giving out cash prizes for the top apps each month. With the Tizen Mobile App Incentive Program, Samsung is offering developers a substantial $10,000 prize if they can edge their app(s) into the top 100 most-downloaded apps from the Tizen Store. This is a sizable investment by Samsung, amounting to $1 million each month from February through October, 2017. But it’s indicative of the current state-of-play with Tizen as a platform. The “Android-alternative” open-source, Linux-based operating system (OS) has been a core part of Samsung’s smartwatches, TVs, cameras, and the company’s push into the internet of things (IoT). But in terms of smartphones, Tizen has been limited to just a handful of devices, with India a key market for the OS. Back in August, Samsung announced the Z2, a $68 device and the first Tizen-powered 4G smartphone, but a high-end flagship device has yet to make it to market. Though rumors abound that a flagship is in the works, in an interview with GamesBeat back in May, Mihai Pohontu, vice president of emerging platforms at Samsung, said that Android would remain its OS of choice for high-end devices. “Tizen is becoming more important for us — it’s one of the ways we can sell smartphones at very low cost in emerging markets,” he said. “Also, Tizen powers our TVs. It powers our wearables and IoT. It even powers our security solution, KNOX. We’re very serious about Tizen. It’s a wonderful operating system. We’re committed to Android, though. Our high-end handsets will run Android for the foreseeable future.” For Tizen to flourish on mobile phones, it needs a strong ecosystem, one that developers embrace. Offering $10,000 cash prizes is certainly a huge incentive, but whether a nine-month push is enough for Tizen to achieve scale in the long term remains to be seen. “As a committed leader of the Tizen platform, we strive to further benefit, expand upon and evolve the Tizen ecosystem,” said Woncheol Chai, VP of global product management, at Samsung. “We’re excited to launch this new incentive program to help develop and bring the best of mobile apps to the Tizen community as well as provide customers with a better mobile experience.” Today’s news comes less than a month after Samsung announced the Tizen App Challenge, a reward program that offers Unity game developers $185,000 in cash prizes for porting their apps over to Tizen from Android and iOS. The latest program is open to new apps, as well as those already available in the Tizen Store, but all developers must first register their apps in the program here. 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