Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 5 series is getting its first firmware update in the United States. It's rolling out for the 40mm and the 44mm Galaxy Watch 5, as well as the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It appears to be a relatively minor release designed to address one issue.
More specifically, this first Galaxy Watch 5 series firmware update is rolling out on Verizon's network for the LTE variants carrying model numbers SM-R905, SM-R915, and SM-R925. Verizon customers can identify the update by firmware version R9x5USQU1AVH2. But seeing how there are no other firmware updates available for the Watch 5 series yet, customers need not worry about which version they might be downloading.
First Galaxy Watch 5 update fixes Wireless Emergency Alert messages
According to the official changelog, the first update rolling out for Samsung's new smartwatch series resolves an issue that prevented customers from receiving Wireless Emergency Alert messages containing more than 255 characters. No additional changes or fixes were mentioned.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (or WEA, for short) is a public safety system that can distribute emergency messages to compatible smart devices (such as smartwatches and smartphones), informing users of imminent threats in their area.
It's unclear if this issue exists for the Galaxy Watch 5 series on other networks or whether or not customers in other countries are affected. In any case, the update is distributed through the Galaxy Wearable smartphone app. Samsung customers in the United States can launch the app on their connected smartphones, access “Watch Settings,” followed by “Watch software update,” and tap “Download and install.”
Verizon customers can buy the Galaxy Watch 5 or Galaxy Watch 5 Pro on a Device Payment plan that will set them back $9.16 or $13.88 a month. The new smartwatches run Wear OS 3.5 with One UI Watch 4.5 on top, and one of the most significant upgrades of this generation consists of bigger batteries with faster wireless charging capabilities. You can find more details in our video below.
SamsungGalaxy Watch 5 LTE
SamsungGalaxy Watch 5 44mm LTE
SamsungGalaxy Watch 5 Pro LTE
