The past few months have been challenging for Samsung, with ongoing delays surrounding the One UI 7 update. Although the company is now finally releasing it, these setbacks may have triggered a ripple effect impacting other devices, including Galaxy Watches. Currently, Galaxy Watch models run on One UI 6 based on Wear OS 5, but some reports indicate Samsung could bypass the next version number altogether.
X user IposDev discovered code strings hinting that Samsung may skip One UI 7 for Galaxy Watches. This move could be aimed at keeping version numbers aligned between their phones and watches. Recently, Samsung rolled out One UI 6 Watch based on Android 14 to all its Wear OS smartwatches, and the strings indicate that One UI 8 Watch will be built on Android 16.
Responding to a comment on the post, the user also speculated that One UI 8 Watch might be based on Wear OS 6. Since Google hasn’t officially announced the next Wear OS version yet, we could possibly get our first look at it during the upcoming Google I/O 2025 or the Android Show.
For those who might not know, Pixel Watches are currently running Android 15 built on Wear OS 5.1. According to a source speaking to SamMobile, just like One UI 7 brought significant UI changes to Samsung phones, the upcoming watch update could also feature many UI enhancements.
As with previous years, Samsung may kick off One UI 8 Watch Beta testing soon to help cut down delays. The first devices likely to join the Beta program are the latest Galaxy Watch 7 series. We’re also expecting One UI 8 Watch to launch alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 series later this year.
What are your hopes for One UI 8 Watch? Which features would you like to see in Wear OS 6? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
