Samsung may stop delivering major system updates to some older Galaxy Watch models and continue with security patches only, according to tipster @kro_roe. Samsung has not confirmed the claim, and the rumor does not identify the watches affected.
The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 are the most likely candidates. Samsung committed to four major system upgrades for several recent Galaxy Watch generations. The Watch 4 lineup has already received all four promised upgrades, while the Watch 5 series is expected to receive One UI 9 Watch as its fourth and final major update under that commitment.
- Galaxy Watch 4: four promised major system upgrades already delivered.
- Galaxy Watch 5: One UI 9 Watch is expected to be its fourth and final promised major upgrade.
- Galaxy Watch 6: still within its four-upgrade commitment.
- Galaxy Watch 7: still within its four-upgrade commitment.
- Galaxy Watch 8: still within its four-upgrade commitment.
- First-generation Galaxy Watch Ultra: still within its four-upgrade commitment.
Moving the Watch 4 and Watch 5 to security-only maintenance after those milestones would therefore be consistent with Samsung's stated support policy. It would be a different situation for newer models if major upgrades ended before their respective commitments had been fulfilled.
Samsung has reportedly expanded support for the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, promising five major system upgrades and five years of security updates for those models. For now, the key unresolved detail is whether Samsung will formally announce a security-only phase for earlier watches once their major-update entitlement expires.
