Global smartwatch sales fell by 4% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to Counterpoint Research. It was the first decline in the smartwatch market in a year.

The main reason for the fall is that people are using their smartwatches for a longer time before buying new ones. Sales of basic and low-cost smartwatches also continued to fall because they offer fewer health and fitness features. Some premium smartwatch users are also waiting for new models before upgrading.

Huawei was the top smartwatch brand in the world in Q2 2026. It reached a record 22% share of global shipments. China was the biggest reason for Huawei’s growth, making up nearly 80% of its total shipments.

Image via Counterpoint

Apple also performed strongly. It recorded the fastest growth among the top five smartwatch brands. The Apple Watch Series 11 and Watch SE 3 made up more than 80% of Apple’s global smartwatch shipments. Samsung also remained an important player in the global smartwatch market, but the market is down.

China remained the world’s biggest smartwatch market, with a record 38% share of global shipments. Smartwatch shipments in China grew 7% year over year. Local brands such as Huawei and Imoo benefited from strong demand, while government subsidies also helped sales.

Counterpoint expects smartwatch shipments to grow only 1% in 2026. However, new features like AI, blood pressure tracking, and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring could encourage more people to upgrade. The market is expected to grow at 3% annually through 2030.

Samsung has officially stopped providing security updates for the Galaxy Watch 4. This means the smartwatch will no longer receive new security patches from the company.

The Galaxy Watch 4 was launched on August 11, 2021. It was an important product for Samsung because it was the first Galaxy Watch to use Google’s Wear OS instead of Samsung’s Tizen operating system. It also became one of the first smartwatches to run Wear OS 3.

This Galaxy Watch brought several new features to users. The main feature was the Samsung BioActive Sensor. This sensor allowed the watch to provide health-related functions such as body composition measurement, blood pressure monitoring, and ECG readings.

The watch was released with One UI 3.0 Watch and received several major software updates over the years. It was eventually updated to One UI 8.0 Watch.

However, Samsung has now removed the Galaxy Watch 4 from its list of smartwatches that receive security updates. This means users can continue to use their watches for basic functions, but Samsung will not guarantee any more security updates or new software improvements.

The Galaxy Watch 4 is now the first Galaxy Watch based on Wear OS to stop receiving security updates. Samsung’s older Galaxy Watch 3, which used Tizen, stopped receiving support in September 2025.

Users who want Samsung’s latest smartwatch features will need to consider upgrading to a newer model. Newer watches, such as the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, offer additional health and fitness features, including daily cardio load tracking.

Although the Galaxy Watch 4 is still usable, the end of security updates marks the end of its official software support. For users who want the latest features and continued updates, upgrading to a newer Galaxy Watch is the better option.

Samsung is rolling out the One UI 9 Watch Beta 2 update to the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic. The latest update brings a few improvements and bug fixes, along with the newest September 2026 security patch.

The update follows the initial One UI 9 Watch beta that Samsung opened for the Galaxy Watch 8 series in late August, giving owners an early look at the Wear OS 7-based software.

Galaxy Watch 8 gets One UI 9 Watch Beta 2

The second Beta carries firmware version ZZI1 and includes the September 2026 security patch. Unlike the first beta, this release is mainly focused on ironing out existing problems rather than introducing major new features.

Samsung has addressed an issue affecting watch faces, which should make switching between and using WatchFace options more reliable.

The update also fixes incorrect Always On Display (AOD) time data, an important correction for users who rely on the watch to display time continuously.

An error within the Samsung Health app has been resolved, along with stabilization code related to overall terminal operation. These changes should improve day-to-day reliability as Samsung continues testing One UI 9 Watch.

The Galaxy Watch 8 launched with Wear OS 6 and One UI Watch 8, while Samsung is now preparing its successor software through the Beta Program.

As this is still beta software, Galaxy Watch 8 owners should expect additional bug-fixing releases before Samsung considers One UI 9 Watch ready for wider stable distribution.

Samsung Galaxy Watch is among the smartwatch models that have been questioned when it comes to estimating calorie burned. This reiterates why a wearable should be preferred for estimates rather than data driven by professional equipment.

Researchers at Florida International University compared calorie estimates from four popular fitness watches against indirect calorimetry. The study involved 58 adults completing controlled cycling sessions at moderate and vigorous intensities.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 was one of the devices that showed a notable tendency to overestimate calories burned. Its results, along with those from the Garmin Forerunner 955, showed systematic deviations from the laboratory measurements.

Apple Watch Series 8 generally produced smaller differences. The Fitbit Sense 2 appeared relatively accurate after researchers removed several readings considered implausible.

The peer-reviewed research, published in PLOS One, also found that accuracy could vary with a participant’s body-fat percentage.

For Galaxy Watch owners, this does not mean Samsung’s health tracking features are useless. Rather, calorie figures should be treated as estimates, particularly when they are being used to decide how much someone should eat.

The researchers tested a relatively small group during a single structured cycling protocol, so the results cannot automatically be applied to activities such as walking, running, swimming or strength training. Wearing four watches simultaneously could also have affected fit and sensor contact.

In other words, your Galaxy Watch can still be useful for spotting activity trends, but its calorie number should not be treated as a laboratory measurement.

The latest Galaxy Watch models from Samsung reportedly come with Seamless Updates technology. This upgrade sounds minor, but you will experience the advancements with every new software installation on your smartwatch.

Samsung stayed away from Seamless Updates for years. Meanwhile, the company didn’t decline to adopt the next-gen software mechanism. Starting with phones, Seamless Updates tech finally landed on wearable devices.

X user Salian spotted that the Galaxy Watch 9 introduces Seamless Updates. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may also be featuring the latest software trick. However, older Samsung Watch models are unlikely to have this experience.

• Offline Gemini could arrive on Galaxy Watch 9, Ultra 2

Seamless Updates is a general term for an A/B Partition software system. The system features two virtual segments for software installation. The OTA installs on a portion while keeping the device functional throughout.

Most of the process happens without shutting down the device. Users then need to give the phone or smartwatch a quick restart to install the update. Seamless Updates are not just fast, but also safer than the conventional method.

Seamless updates on galaxy watch 9 series 😯 Thats interestin, we can use the watch while update is being installed in the background. Galaxy watch 9 series received August security patch. pic.twitter.com/MLdKuRvyNs

— Salian (@ThePhoneFuel) September 3, 2026

In case your device detects a software lockout, the firmware bans the installation process to keep your operating system in an optimal state. This means your device won’t install a broken firmware even if it is pushed by Samsung.

Over the past few days, the Korean tech giant has been rolling out August 2026 update to the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2. Samsung never mentioned Seamless Updates in the specs sheet, but users spotted them at first software.