The Galaxy Watch 5 Finally Engages with One UI 8 Watch Beta, Yet Samsung’s Rollout Remains Slow
Owners of the Galaxy Watch 5 can be thrilled as Samsung has officially launched the One UI 8 Watch beta, based on Wear OS 6, for both the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro. First introduced in South Korea, this beta is set to launch in the U.S. shortly. This update brings enhanced gesture controls, a new Now Bar for real-time updates, and the option to combine two tiles into a single one.
The rollout commenced with an announcement on Samsung Korea’s community forum, and additional markets are expected to follow suit. Eligible users may register for early access to experiment with new features prior to the stable release. The update guarantees notable enhancements, such as gesture controls for tasks like answering calls or dismissing alarms, along with a consistently present Now Bar for live updates on the watch interface.
Additionally, users can merge two tiles for more convenient information retrieval. These functionalities have been vetted on the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic, currently on the fifth beta iteration of One UI 8 Watch.
Nonetheless, the stable variant of One UI 8 Watch is presently restricted to the Galaxy Watch 7 series and the latest Watch Ultra. Previous models, including the Watch 5 and Watch 6, continue in beta. Samsung aims to roll out the stable update for older models by year’s end, though advancements have been gradual. The broadened beta program implies that the final version is nearing.
At this moment, the beta is exclusively accessible in South Korea, with U.S. availability expected shortly. Galaxy Watch 5 users can register through the Samsung Members app if they satisfy the geographical and device criteria. As is the case with any beta software, users should anticipate possible bugs in return for early access to new functionalities.
