Which Galaxy Watch is best for older Samsung phones?

Generally speaking, some people take good care of their phones and can enjoy them for years, even if the software is very outdated. Ignoring the fact that this could be dangerous, what if you’re using an older phone but want to pair it with a Galaxy Watch? Let’s say you have a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or Galaxy S9, stuck on Android 11 and Android 10 respectively (hey, users say Samsung phones can last a long time, so if it works, it works). Maybe you’re just looking for old Android phones that are still worth buying. Which watch should you get? Do Galaxy Watch models work with any Samsung phone?

Well, the compatibility offered by the manufacturer is generous to say the least. The problem is that for everything to work as expected, your phone needs the latest OS version to run the Galaxy Wearable app. So, if you are using an older version of Android, your best bet is to get a Galaxy Watch 6 or Watch 6 Classic as it will work on all phones running Android 10 and above. If you own something older that hasn’t received the Android 10 update, a Galaxy Watch 5 or Watch 5 Pro version will work like clockwork (pun intended) on Samsung phones with Android 8.0 or higher. With either of these two watches, you don’t have to worry, because they’ll pretty much cover most working Samsung phones – even if they’re so vintage they have their own radio show.

To get the obvious out of the way, older Galaxy wearables remain quite capable and relevant. For example, the Galaxy Watch 6 even received the Samsung One UI 9 Watch beta update. The 2GB of memory will come in handy for the smartwatch’s most useful activities, and you get all the usual sensors like heart rate, accelerometer, compass, skin temperature, altimeter, gyroscope, and SpO2. However, this is still a device from 2023, so you’ll have to accept some limitations.

Take the newer Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or the sleeker Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Besides the effortless Gemini integration (talk to Google’s AI chatbot even without your phone), massive additions make health tracking much more comprehensive. This is evident in the sensors department, as this watch does everything the older versions do, and more. The BioActive sensor alone is important and unlocks a whole range of Samsung Health features such as Antioxidant Index, the nifty Running Coach, Vascular Load which monitors your heart health and even tracking your circadian rhythm data.

If you opt for the older Galaxy Watch 5, you’ll also miss out on some of the features of the sixth-generation wearables, like the altimeter or compass. So, if you really want more mileage from the device and your phone can run Android 11, then the Galaxy Watch 7 may be the better option in terms of features. It has most of the features you’ll find on the Galaxy Watch 8, but it’s almost $100 cheaper – a winner if you’re focusing on pure monetary value.