These Samsung Galaxy Watches won't be getting the new One UI update

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In August, Samsung released the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, which came with its latest One UI 9 Watch operating system. The company has also been releasing beta versions of the OS for the Galaxy Watch 7 and 8 lineups, with the sixth One UI 9 Watch beta update launching in late October for Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Owners in South Korea. Most previous devices will also eventually get the update, but some are now too old to get the latest OS.

While Samsung has bumped up the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2's software support to five major OS upgrades, their predecessors in the Watch lineup only get four. That might mean it's time for an upgrade if you're rocking an especially old Samsung watch. While the lack of One UI 9 Watch won't affect performance, it does mean your watch won't get bug fixes, new features or security updates. Future app compatibility is another question mark. Thankfully, only a couple of products won't get One UI 9 Watch.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch devices that won't receive the One UI 9 Watch update are the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Released in 2021, Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 lineup has already received four major OS upgrades: One UI Watch 4.5, One UI 5 Watch, One UI 6 Watch and finally One UI 8 Watch. Naturally, this includes limited editions like the Galaxy Watch 4 Golf Edition and the pricey Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Thom Browne Edition. The lineup losing support also marks the end of an era, as the Galaxy Watch 4 heralded the transition from Tizen OS to a custom-skinned Wear OS, Google's smartwatch operating system.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and up will receive One UI 9 Watch by the end of 2026. New features include a refined visual interface, the ability to raise your wrist to activate an AI assistant and health metrics like Daily Cardio Load and a Heart Health Score.

If you're still rocking a Galaxy Watch 4 or a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, it's worth upgrading to a newer device to get the latest OS upgrades. The Galaxy Watch 9 debuted in August and, alongside improved hardware and enhanced features like sleep apnea detection and skin temperature tracking, also promises five years of upgrades. This makes it a good long-term proposition, especially compared to the Pixel Watch 5, which only gets three years of guaranteed updates. And if you absolutely need the physical rotating bezel of the Watch 4 Classic, give the Watch 8 Classic a long, hard look.

Selling, recycling or trading in your legacy Galaxy Watch isn't your only option. You can also repurpose it into a dedicated sleep tracker, smart home dashboard, media remote or just hand it down to someone else. Overall, the One UI 9 Watch update isn't exactly life-changing, but it's a good time to think about that device on your wrist and replace it if it's starting to get long in the tooth.