The One UI Watch 5 update will roll out for Galaxy smartwatches running Wear OS later this year. Samsung has already announced a few features that the upcoming release will include, and judging by the official information we got thus far, the company focused its energy on improving health features, first and foremost.
Samsung's first smartwatch series to ship with One UI Watch 5 out of the box will most likely be the Galaxy Watch 6. But some smartwatch users will have the opportunity to test the firmware ahead of the Watch 6 lineup's debut, which rumors say will take place on July 26 at COEX in South Korea.
The reason for this is Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 users should soon be invited to test the One UI Watch 5 firmware. How soon? Well, a few weeks ago, Samsung said it would open the One UI Watch 5 beta program for existing Wear OS Galaxy smartwatches before the end of May.
The One UI Watch 5 beta should be just around the corner
Needless to say, we're less than a week away from the end of the month, and we're here to remind you to keep your smartwatches ready if you want to participate in the upcoming beta. That is, as long as you're using the Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 5 in one of the participating countries.
Samsung will open the One UI Watch 5 beta program to Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 users in the USA and South Korea. Users willing to participate will have to apply to beta-test the firmware through the Samsung Members app.
Nevertheless, it's worth keeping in mind that beta launch windows are never set in stone. Even if Samsung said it wants to open the beta program in May, there's always the possibility of a delay. Last year, the first One UI Watch 4.5 beta firmware rolled out in early June.
Whether the beta program goes live this month or the next, Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 users will get access to better Sleep Insight features, improved Sleep Coaching with availability right on the watch, better connectivity with SmartThings-compatible devices, and improved fitness features, such as personalized heart rate monitoring.
Furthermore, One UI Watch 5 also improves safety through always-on fall detection and an updated SOS system. And Samsung made a separate announcement earlier this month to confirm that the ECG monitor in One UI Watch 5 will be FDA-approved. We'll keep you posted as soon as the beta program goes live.
