Apple, Samsung, and Google Prepare to Sunset Software Support for Older Smartwatch Models

Major wearable manufacturers Apple, Samsung, and Google are preparing to phase out or scale down software maintenance for several smartwatch lineups over the coming months, as first reported by Fast Company Tech. While the physical hardware of these devices often remains fully functional, the termination of operating system patches and security updates creates potential exposure to newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Industry security experts note that software end-of-life milestones are typically governed by hardware lifecycles and manufacturer support policies rather than physical component failure. Judson Dressler, head of the risk operations center at cyber risk company Resilience, explained that manufacturers establish explicit support timelines upon product launch. As engineering costs for maintaining legacy hardware escalate, companies shift development resources toward current product lines while incentivizing consumer upgrades.

“Smartwatches are deemed end-of-life on a fixed schedule, not because the hardware fails, but because manufacturers pre-set a support window at launch and stop patching once it expires,” Dressler said. “Most of the time it stems from engineering costs associated with maintaining older models and incentivizing new purchases. … The watch should maintain most of its functionality after that date. What it stops doing is receiving fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities.”

Apple currently designates products as “vintage” once sales distribution ceased between five and seven years prior, a status currently applied to models through the Apple Watch Series 5. However, the upcoming deployment of watchOS 27—expected in September, though no firm release date has been given—will move several newer devices to unsupported status. The compatible device list excludes the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the second-generation Apple Watch SE, and the original Apple Watch Ultra. Because the Series 8 and first-generation Ultra remain within Apple's typical support timeframe, the software exclusion points to underlying hardware compatibility issues.

Samsung is adjusting its software commitment for the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, both released in 2022. While these models will no longer support Wear OS updates issued after the end of this year, security updates will continue for the foreseeable future, likely extending for at least another year.

Google is set to end guaranteed software support for the Pixel Watch 2, which launched in October 2023. According to Google’s support documentation, the device’s guaranteed window for security updates and feature drops ends in October of this year. The short support window contrasts with Google's policy for Pixel smartphones, which receive seven years of software support.

Security professionals caution that using unpatched wearables poses risks beyond the individual device. Dressler advised that users of unsupported smartwatches should avoid using them for tasks involving sensitive data, including contactless payments, account logins, and personal health metrics, which represent primary targets for attackers.

Network security presents an additional concern when legacy devices remain connected to enterprise or residential environments. “The bigger risk for anyone else on the network is that the watch stays paired to a phone and often auto-connects to home or office Wi-Fi,” Dressler said. “An unpatched watch on that network is an unmonitored device most endpoint security tools never scan, and it can serve as a foothold to reach other devices once it’s compromised.”