Breaking: Samsung is limiting access to new features within its One UI 8 Watch update based on Galaxy Watch model, sparking debate among users about software support longevity.
SamsungS rollout of One UI 8 Watch introduces a tiered system for feature availability, reserving advanced health and fitness tracking capabilities for its latest wearables. This means older Galaxy Watch models will not receive all the benefits of the update, even if they share similar hardware components.
Specifically, the new antioxidant index and vascular age measurement features will be exclusive to the Galaxy Watch 8, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and Galaxy Watch Ultra. Despite potentially sharing the same processor and sensors as the Galaxy Watch 7, that model will not gain access to these health metrics. This decision highlights Samsung’s strategy of incentivizing purchases of its newest devices with exclusive software features.
The new “running coach” functionality, designed to enhance running workouts, will also be unavailable on the Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 5, and Galaxy Watch 6. These models will receive the updated graphical interface and bedtime tips as part of the One UI 8 Watch update, but will miss out on the more advanced features.
To go further
One UI 8 Watch: Samsung is launching its update for the Galaxy Watch, here are all the new features
Notably, Samsung is decoupling the Gemini AI assistant from the One UI 8 Watch update. Gemini, replacing Google Assistant, is being deployed via a separate update through the Google Play Store and will be accessible on a wider range of Wear OS devices, even those not updated to One UI 8 Watch. This allows users on older Galaxy Watch models to benefit from the improved voice assistant functionality independently of the broader software update.