Samsung and Google are winning the wearable update war by doing nothing

At WWDC 2026, Apple announced that even the iPhone 11 from 2019 is getting iOS 27, granting it seven years of major software updates, and putting Google and Samsung to shame. One would presume Apple would continue its streak across other parts of its ecosystem, but, shockingly, watch OS 27’s compatibility list makes Galaxy Watches and even Pixel Watches look much better in comparison.

Apple says watch OS 27 is compatible only with the following smartwatches (when paired with an iPhone running iOS 27):

1. Apple Watch SE 3
2. Apple Watch Series 10
3. Apple Watch Series 11
4. Apple Watch Ultra 2
5. Apple Watch Ultra 3

For a company that released such an impressively long iOS 27 compatibility list, this watch OS 27 compatibility list is woefully short.

For context, the watch OS 26 (and watch OS 11) compatibility list included the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch SE 2, and the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. None of these watches will receive the latest platform update. Apple hasn’t explicitly labeled these watches as end-of-life, so there’s still hope you’ll receive security updates and bug fixes for watch OS 26. But their time as first-class feature citizens is officially done.

For newer watches like the Series 9 (2023, launched with watch OS 10), this news is quite a gut punch, as the accompanying Apple Watch Ultra 2 makes it to the list. The Series 9 just got two platform updates (watch OS 11 and watch OS 26) before being kicked off the list.

In a surprising turn of events, the historically fragmented Android ecosystem is now the one offering stability.

Google has consistently maintained a guaranteed three-year software update window for its wearable lineup. For instance, the Pixel Watch 2, which also debuted in late 2023 with Wear OS 4, remains cleanly on track to receive its final software update later this October. This update could hopefully be Wear OS 7, in which case Google would race ahead of Apple’s update commitment for the Apple Watch Series 9. If not, it still matches the Series 9’s lifespan, and while that’s praise for Google, it’s an incredibly odd look for Apple.

Meanwhile, Samsung is cleanly taking the crown here. Since the Galaxy Watch 4 generation, Samsung has committed to a rock-solid four years of major One UI Watch and Wear OS platform updates. The Galaxy Watch 6 from 2023 launched with Wear OS 4 and received Wear OS 5 and Wear OS 6, with two more major platform jumps on the cards.

So now, a Galaxy Watch user can buy a flagship wearable knowing exactly when their support window closes, something you can no longer say about the Apple Watch.