Samsung is poised to bypass the One UI 7 Watch update for its Galaxy Watch devices this year, though it appears the move isn’t to cancel or delay the rollout of new software.
Instead, a new report from SamMobile suggests that the Korean giant will skip straight to One UI 8 Watch to align the Android smartwatch operating system’s version number with the upcoming One UI 8 for its smartphones and tablets.
Sources indicate that this skip is a deliberate effort to create a consistent software numbering scheme across Samsung’s device ecosystem. While skipping a major version number is a first for One UI Watch, Samsung has previously made similar adjustments with its smartphone branding, notably with the Galaxy Z Flip lineup.
The upcoming One UI 8 Watch update, expected to debut alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 announcement (alongside a potential Galaxy Watch 8 Classic model and Ultra 2), is anticipated to bring significant upgrades.
Samsung already confirmed a strong focus on AI and new health tracking features back in January, and latest rumors suggest the UI is set to become more colorful to mirror the design language of the latest One UI update for its other smart devices.
As in previous years, the update is also expected to be based on Wear OS 6, the next major software update for Android watches, which will be announced at Google I/O on 20-21 May.
We won’t know for sure until then, and Samsung’s official announcement will likely come this July. Stay tuned for more whispers and rumors in the meantime.
