Apple, Google and Samsung End 2026 Watch Support for 8 Major Models
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Aug 23
Apple, Google and Samsung End 2026 Watch Support for 8 Major Models
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Aug 23
Summary
2026 will be the last guaranteed update year for several mainstream smartwatches, including five Apple Watch models, Google’s Pixel Watch 2 and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 pair.
Apple’s watchOS 27, expected in mid-September, drops support for the Series 6, 7, 8, SE 2 and first-generation Ultra, leaving only Series 9 and newer models compatible.
Google’s Pixel Watch 2 loses both Wear OS updates and security patches after Oct. 1, 2026, reflecting the company’s three-year watch support policy despite offering seven years for Pixel phones.
Samsung splits support between OS and security updates: Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro keep Wear OS support until Dec. 31, 2026, while security patches continue beyond that.
These watches will still function for notifications, fitness tracking and basic tasks, but losing feature updates and, in some cases, security fixes raises risks for payments and sensitive health data.