There are a handful of reliable smartwatch brands, including Apple, Google, Garmin, and Samsung, but while each can impress you with their unique design, features, and apps, the only trait that truly differentiates these brands is software support. If support for your current watch is ending soon, that’s definitely one of many signs that you should replace your smartwatch, and in this regard, Samsung wins on the technical side by actually guaranteeing a full five years of support, where many of its competitors guarantee nothing.
For example, Apple is known to offer around three to six years of support for smartwatches, but it does not guarantee this in writing. Google announces support but limits it to three years, while Garming excludes software updates for older devices. Worse still, the current RAM and storage crisis means prices will continue to rise, which is why now is the best time to buy.
Since you have to spend more these days, why not look for a smartwatch that will offer the longest possible support to ensure your money stretches as far as possible? So if a software support guarantee is a feature you want for your next smartwatch, you’ll be happy to know that Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch line is expected to receive updates until 2031.
Samsung is the clear winner with its latest Galaxy Watch devices
Keep in mind that not all Samsung smartwatches offer a full five years of support – only the newer Galaxy Watch devices get this amount of time. Specifically, the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will get five years of guaranteed software and security updates, but older devices, such as the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Ultra (one of the few smartwatches with longer battery life than the Apple Watch Series 11), will only get four years of support.
However, even though Apple doesn’t offer a warranty, it tends to offer similar support, which is where price becomes a factor, and Samsung easily beats Apple on this front. The Galaxy Watch 9 starts at a fairly affordable $380 at 40mm, with two color choices, cream and graphite. Apple, by comparison, sells its Watch Series 11 starting at $400 for the 42mm model, but offers four color choices. That’s a difference of $20, ensuring that the Galaxy Watch is one of the cheapest Android smartwatch alternatives to the Apple Watch. So even though Apple is the closest competitor when it comes to long-term support, you still end up paying more for less than the new Galaxy Watch 9.
