Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will not be updated to One UI 9 Watch, according to Telset.id. The two smartwatches, which launched in 2021, have reached the end of a four-major-version software cycle and are no longer on Samsung's list of devices slated for the newest watch software.
The confirmation follows Samsung's August 2026 launch of the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, both of which shipped with One UI 9 Watch out of the box. Telset.id also reports that Samsung is running a One UI 9 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 lines, with the sixth beta build going out in late October 2026 for the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic in South Korea.
Why it matters
For people still wearing a Watch 4, the exclusion is more than a missing version number. Telset.id notes that without One UI 9 Watch, these devices will stop receiving bug fixes, new features and security patches. How well future apps will run on the hardware is also an open question, the outlet reports.
The cutoff also closes a chapter in Samsung's wearable history. The Galaxy Watch 4 line was the first to move Samsung away from its own Tizen OS and onto a customized version of Google's Wear OS, a platform shift that reshaped the company's watch ecosystem into what it is today.
Four updates, then the end of the road
According to Telset.id, the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic received four major operating system upgrades over their lifetime: One UI Watch 4.5, One UI 5 Watch, One UI 6 Watch and, most recently, One UI 8 Watch. That policy covered special editions as well, including the Galaxy Watch 4 Golf Edition and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Thom Browne Edition, both of which sold at premium prices.
Samsung has since raised the bar for newer hardware. Telset.id reports that the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are promised up to five major OS updates, one more than their predecessors received. The outlet frames that difference as a factor for buyers weighing how long a watch will stay current.
What Watch 5 owners and later models can expect
One UI 9 Watch is due to arrive by the end of 2026 for the Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and later models, per Telset.id. The update brings a cleaner visual interface, the ability to raise your wrist to wake an AI assistant, and health metrics including Daily Cardio Load and Heart Health Score, the outlet reports.
For Watch 4 owners weighing a replacement, Telset.id points to the Galaxy Watch 9, which debuted in August 2026 with hardware upgrades such as sleep apnea detection and skin temperature tracking, alongside its five-year update commitment. The outlet contrasts that with the Pixel Watch 5, which it says carries only three years of guaranteed updates. Those who rely on the physical rotating bezel of the Watch 4 Classic may find the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic a closer fit, since the rotating bezel remains a signature design element of Samsung's Classic line.
Telset.id also notes that retiring the hardware is not the only option. An older watch can be repurposed as a dedicated sleep tracker, a smart home dashboard, a media remote or passed on to someone who needs one, extending its usefulness even without new software.
Watch for Samsung's full One UI 9 Watch rollout to the Watch 5 series and later models before the end of 2026.
