GoKawiilThere are several popular smartwatches that are going to reach end-of-life in 2026, from the Pixel Watch 2 to Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, as well as a whole slew of Apple Watch models. These devices won't stop working, but they'll stop receiving new features and, in some cases, security patches.
A lot can change in three years. The smartwatch on your wrist may have felt cutting-edge when you first strapped it on, but for a growing number of popular models, 2026 marks the final year of guaranteed software support. That's true among all three major platforms: Apple, Google and Samsung.
What does that actually mean? Your older watch model won't suddenly stop working, but it will stop moving forward. They'll work just fine tracking steps and delivering notifications, but if you're using the watch for contactless payments or storing sensitive health data, the lack of ongoing security updates should fire up some alarms.
It's also worth noting the scale of this year's changes. Apple alone is dropping five models with a single watchOS update — an absolutely massive cut. Add in Google's three-year support window expiring and Samsung's Wear OS cutoffs for the Watch 5 lineup, and 2026 shapes up as a significant moment for smartwatch owners to take stock of where their device stands.