[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong] Samsung will support Wear OS updates for five years on the Galaxy Watch9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra2.

On July 23 (local time), industry-related reports highlighted by foreign media including IT outlet Engadget said Samsung’s two newest smartwatches are the first lineup to be guaranteed five years of Wear OS updates.

The expanded support is seen as a rare long-term support policy for smartwatches. Smartphones have seen longer support periods as expensive devices intended for long-term use, but wearables often remain on relatively short support. Samsung narrowed that gap with the new models.

The Galaxy Watch9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 will receive operating system upgrades through 2031, starting with Wear OS 7. Samsung has matched its five-year security patch policy, which it had also applied to existing wearables, with the operating system support period. The outlet noted this year’s new models are supported for an additional year compared with the Galaxy Watch8. The Galaxy Watch8 had a four-year guarantee for operating system updates.

Google’s Pixel Watch, cited for comparison, currently provides three years of updates. As a result, Samsung has moved a step ahead in the competition over support periods for Wear OS-based smartwatches. Whether users will actually use a smartwatch for the full five years is separate, but as the outlet mentioned, users at least have that option.

Product changes were also disclosed. The Galaxy Watch9 has a battery capacity 20 percent larger than the previous model. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 raised its maximum display brightness to 5,000 nits from 3,000 nits. Both products added artificial intelligence (AI)-based health tracking features.

The announcement shows a shift in Samsung’s wearable strategy beyond a contest over new-product features. Along with hardware improvements such as battery and screen brightness, the longer support period makes its direction clearer toward extending the lifecycle of new products. In particular, with operating system upgrades provided through 2031, Samsung has effectively strengthened a move to position smartwatches as personal devices for long-term use rather than short-cycle replacement devices.

Separately, Samsung recently unveiled the two new smartwatch models at its Unpacked event. Along with performance and feature improvements, the new products also expand after-sales support periods, broadening the benchmark for product competitiveness in the wearable market from hardware to software support.