Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 may lose new features, leak says

Samsung is reportedly weighing an end to feature updates for its oldest Galaxy Watch models. According to a leak from the well-known tipster kro_roe, the company will no longer release new versions of Wear OS and One UI Watch for older smartwatches, leaving them with security patches only, much as Samsung handles aging phones.

The leak does not say which models would be affected or why Samsung is making the move. The most likely candidates are the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5, which are close to reaching the number of updates the manufacturer promised.

Which watches are in line

The Galaxy Watch 4 has already received four major operating system updates, so it has met Samsung's support commitment. The Galaxy Watch 5 is on the list of devices compatible with One UI 9 Watch, which would be its last major release before it moves out of the feature-update cycle.

Newer models are in a different position. The Galaxy Watch 8 and the first Galaxy Watch Ultra still have more update cycles guaranteed. For the recently launched Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Samsung introduced a more ambitious program offering up to five system updates and five years of security patches.

What it means for owners

Nothing would stop working overnight. If Samsung confirms the change, owners of a Galaxy Watch 4 or 5 can keep using them normally, as the devices would enter a maintenance phase. Downloads from that point would be limited to fixes for vulnerabilities and stability improvements, with no access to the latest operating system features.

End of support is not unusual: Samsung and other manufacturers offer a fixed number of years of OS updates and security patches. Owners who want newer features have an obvious option in buying a more recent watch. Some users are also turning to AI tools to strip features from or extend support on Samsung devices, independent of the company's plans. Samsung has not yet confirmed the report.