Wear OS continues to shape the high-end Android smartwatch experience, pairing with Samsung’s excellent hardware for some of today’s most refined wearables. The upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 is just the latest in a lineup that began to seriously mature about four years ago.
Unfortunately, some older Galaxy Watches could be looking at their last major software update soon. With Wear OS 6 on its way and set to incorporate the One UI 8 Watch interface, the Galaxy Watch 4 series appears to be approaching the final chapter of its update journey (Source: 9to5Google).
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Fingers crossed for Galaxy Watch 4 owners
Set to debut alongside One UI 8 sometime in July, One UI 8 Watch is expected to roll out with Wear OS 6, bringing a slew of additions and refinements. Google Assistant’s getting evicted and Gemini’s moving in, for starters. Expect a host of Samsung-specific updates, too, like expanded Samsung Health functionality and the highly streamlined look and configuration One Ui is known for. We might even see the Now Bar on watch faces.
As promising as the update is, legacy models Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are left hanging in the balance somewhat. Initially launched in 2021 as Samsung’s first Wear OS-powered smartwatches after ditching the Tizen software, the Galaxy Watch 4 series shipped with a four-year update guarantee. With that window closing in August 2025, Wear OS 6 could mark the end of the road. Samsung tends to stick to those update timelines, and rarely offers surprise extensions as a model ages out. If the Galaxy Watch 4 does receive Wear OS 6, it’ll probably be the final major update it ever sees.
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Now, for the scary part
The large-and-in-charge Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
However, there’s a very real chance it might not get the update at all, depending on the timing of One UI 8 Watch’s release. Samsung typically prioritizes its latest hardware, and the new interface’s rollout will likely begin with the Galaxy Watch 8 series. Support will trickle down from there to devices like the Watch 7 and Watch Ultra.
That leaves the Watch 4 duo at the bottom of the priority list. Given the extended rollout schedules of previous updates, it’s possible that by the time Samsung gets around to older models, the support window for the Watch 4 could already be closed.
As of now, there’s no official confirmation from Samsung on which devices will be included in the Wear OS 6 update cycle. But for Galaxy Watch 4 owners, the message is clear: the best-case scenario is one final update, and the worst-case is no update at all.
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