Surprise! Galaxy Watch 4 starts getting One UI 8 Watch, likely its last update

Samsung has started rolling out the One UI 8 Watch update for the Galaxy Watch 4, marking what is very likely the smartwatch’s last major OS upgrade.

The update, first spotted by reliable tipster Tarun Vats on X, is currently live only in South Korea, carrying build numbers R87OXXU1JYK4/R870OXM1JYK4. Samsung can be expected to expand the rollout to more regions, including the US, in the coming weeks.

One UI 8 Watch is a significant update for the aging Galaxy Watch 4 because it launched all the way back in 2021. Samsung had promised four years of major OS updates covering both Wear OS and One UI Watch for the wearable. That means this is almost certainly the final platform upgrade for Samsung’s first smartwatches to run the new Wear OS, the one co-developed by Google and Samsung.

What One UI 8 Watch means for the Galaxy Watch 4

We don’t have a detailed changelog for the Galaxy Watch 4’s latest update yet, but One UI 8 Watch is Samsung’s smartwatch software layer built on top of Wear OS 6. While the Galaxy Watch 4 may not receive every feature available on newer devices like the Galaxy Watch 8 series, this update should still bring new features, meaningful refinements, and under-the-hood improvements compared to One UI 7 Watch.

More importantly, this rollout effectively closes the loop on Samsung’s update promise for the Galaxy Watch 4. After One UI 8 Watch, users should still receive security patches and minor fixes, but other major Wear OS or One UI Watch upgrades are unlikely.