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Samsung will support the Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 with five years of updates
Samsung says its new Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will receive five years of Wear OS updates, extending support until 2031. The policy is notable because smartwatches typically receive shorter software support than phones, potentially making the devices more viable for longer-term ownership.
The watches launch with Wear OS 7 and gain an extra year of guaranteed operating-system updates compared with the Galaxy Watch 8’s four-year commitment; Google’s Pixel Watch line currently receives three years. Samsung already offers five years of security patches for its wearables, while the Watch 9 has a 20 per cent larger battery and the Ultra 2 reaches up to 5,000 nits of display brightness, versus 3,000 previously.
In short
- Samsung promises five years of Wear OS updates for its newest watches.
- Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are supported until 2031.
- The commitment exceeds recent smartwatch update policies.
Explained simply
Smartwatches are wrist-worn devices that run mobile operating systems and require regular software updates for security and new features. Without these updates, devices become vulnerable to security problems and may lose compatibility with other devices.
Smartwatches typically receive shorter software support than smartphones. Samsung's Galaxy Watch range has historically offered four years of updates, which is longer than rivals like Google's Pixel Watch, which provides three years.
Longer software support allows devices to remain secure and usable for more years. Since most people expect smartwatches to last several years, the duration of a manufacturer's support commitment is important to consumers.