A smartwatch is a fashion accessory, but also an aid to a healthy lifestyle. Everyone in my neighbourhood has one, and I am of course no exception. Fortunately, I’ve only had my watch for a short time, so I’m not one of the owners of the older Galaxy Watch generations. But I have friends who fall into that group. Unfortunately, it’s this watch that’s running out of support for access to the Galaxy Store and Galaxy Wearables as of January 1.

Users of some older smartwatch models unfortunately can’t access new apps for that watch as of this year, but neither can they access updates to existing ones. Some apps may stop running altogether over time because they will become outdated.

But in addition, support for the app that pairs the watch with the phone is also ending. So I already hear from friends that they can’t, for example, set a new face on their watch using their phone. While this is seemingly the biggest blow for many of them, I think the removal of the ability to set an alarm or update contacts on the watch via the phone, for example, is a complication.

Which models are affected?

The smartwatch market continues to grow. In 2024, about 180 million of them were put on sale globally. A year later, the number had risen to 258 million units. Every year the numbers are growing, for comparison in 2016 the statistics indicated only 37 million units. Unfortunately, as technology moves forward, some watches are losing support.

Older watch models affected by the complication include:

  • Galaxy Watch3
  • Galaxy Watch Active
  • Galaxy Watch Active2
  • Samsung Galaxy Gear
  • Samsung Gear2
  • Samsung Gear3
  • Samsung Gear Fit2
  • Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
  • Samsung Gear Sport
Watches whose support ends will continue to work. However, their usefulness will be very limited. ━━ Watches whose support ends will continue to work. However, their usefulness will be very limited. ( Source: Luke Chesser /  Unsplash+ )

The new model makes sure of that

It’s clear what the watchmakers are trying to achieve. Older watches will have limited features and users will be forced to buy newer models. But from what I hear around me, that’s not such a problem. Most of my friends say that “they were planning to get a new watch anyway”. On the other hand , they are bothered by the principle of manufacturers trying to extract money from people.

However, in today’s fast-paced world where everything is evolving, this is to be expected. With most electronics, users will sooner or later replace an older model with a new one. Manufacturer support ensures not only updates to old features and new features, but also the protection of user data. This is very important nowadays. So if you also own one of the above-mentioned models, don’t delay too long in replacing it with a new one.