What you need to know
- Google released Wear OS 6 on the Pixel Watch 2 and 3 for its October 2025 update, but not the Pixel Watch 1.
- A Google spokesperson indicated that the October update will not be coming to the first-gen smartwatch.
- The Pixel Watch 1’s official support ends in October 2025, but it will continue to receive “security and bug fixes.”
Google released Wear OS 6 to the Pixel Watch 3 and 2 earlier this week alongside the Pixel Watch 4. The Pixel Watch 1 wasn’t included, but there was reason to hope its update would come later in October. But Google has told Android Central not to expect the update.
Google promised “at least three years” of software updates for its Pixel Watches, but it wasn’t clear if that included three version updates or not. The Pixel Watch 1 launched in October 2022 with Wear OS 3.5 and is currently running the April 2025 Wear OS 5.1 update.
Google initially told us it had no comment about Wear OS 6 coming to Pixel Watch 1, but a Google spokesperson sent us a statement on Friday that clarified its update strategy:
We’re committed to providing a great experience across the entire Pixel Watch portfolio to make your devices get better over time, which includes three years of essential support to deliver new features, enhancements, and security updates. Pixel Watch 1 did not get Wear OS 6 with the October update and will continue to run on Wear OS 5.1. Please be on the lookout for any future security and bug fixes for Pixel Watch 1.
The quote included a link to the official Pixel Watch update page, which confirms the October 2025 deadline for Pixel Watch 1 updates.
While the spokesperson didn’t definitively say, “No,” the statement suggests there won’t be a second October update for the Watch 1 with Wear OS 6, and that any updates after October will be limited to security patches.
We had reason to hope that the first Pixel Watch would receive a third major update. Samsung promises four years of software updates, and it has apparently confirmed plans to bring One UI 8 Watch to the Galaxy Watch 4 in late 2025, which will be its fourth major update.
Instead, it appears that Pixel Watches will stick to two version updates and three years of security updates, with occasional security patches after the three-year window.
The Pixel Watch 1 uses an outdated Exynos 9110 chip originally used in Tizen OS Galaxy Watches. Perhaps Google didn’t think Wear OS 6 could run smoothly on older hardware, even with 2GB of RAM. But when the Pixel Watch 5 launches next year, the Watch 2 may not receive Wear OS 7 even though it shares the Watch 3’s Snapdragon hardware.
Wear OS 6 has impressed us so far with its stylish scrolling animations, revamped Tiles, dynamic color theming, custom watch faces, and other functional fixes. It’s arguably the best smartwatch update Google has released, which makes it a shame that Pixel Watch 1 owners may never see it.
The Pixel Watch 4 launched on October 9 with Wear OS 6; based on Google’s update strategy, it seems we can expect it to receive Wear OS 8 in 2027, but not Wear OS 9 in 2028.
