Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 owners poised to get Wear OS 5 soon – as Google Pixel Watch still struggles

(Image credit: Future)

As the best Android smartwatches battle to bring Android's Wear OS 5 update to older generations of devices, mixed fortunes mean a rollout for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 could be close at hand. Not so for older Pixel Watch owners, who could have a long wait in store.

This week, Samsung has rolled out its seventh One UI 6 Beta update to the Galaxy Watch 6. As noted by Android Police, it's the first update to the beta program in almost a month, but could signal that a stable One UI 6 watch build is almost ready for release on the older Samsung Galaxy Watch models.

It's great news for owners of the older Galaxy Watch model, who could get a taste of the new Android wearable software before to long, packaged in Samsung's own One UI, of course.

Wear OS 5 coming to older Pixel Watch models later this year

Google Pixel Watch 3 — (Image credit: Future)

Google rolled out its Wear OS 5 upgrade for the Pixel Watch 1 and 2 in late September, but users quickly reported big problems with their devices being bricked by the new software.

Google later confirmed to TechRadar it was aware of the issue and had paused the Wear OS 5 rollout. At the time, Google said it was "actively working on a resolution," but a new update reveals that could still be some ways off.

Overnight, Google told its support forum members "We plan to resume the WearOS 5 rollout to these devices later this year, once we’ve mitigated the observed issues, and will share additional updates with our community as they become available."

The timeline of "later this year" isn't a huge confidence boost, and certainly doesn't indicate that Wear OS 5 is coming anytime soon. With Samsung readying its own Wear OS 5 update imminently, Google's struggles are a shame for users, but longer term they could put Google on the back foot – especially if Samsung can demonstrate it has more reliable and consistent software support for its older devices going forward.

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Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.