I don’t need Samsung to significantly upgrade the Galaxy Watch 9 — just unlock it

Wearables have come a long way from just counting steps. These days, they’re feature-packed wellness companions, tracking us through everything from sweaty workouts to abbreviated REM cycles. For a lot of shoppers, the idea of a daily health hub is the whole point. It’s also exactly why Samsung’s approach feels increasingly self-defeating. It’s now 2026, and some of the brand’s headline smartwatch features still depend on what phone you’re using.

The Galaxy Watch lineup includes some of the most capable health wearables you can buy. Yet, despite the lineup getting better and better in the last few years (largely thanks to Wear OS), the fine print hasn’t changed much. All of the biggest limitations tie back to Samsung Health Monitor, which remains exclusive to Galaxy phones. That includes blood pressure tracking, ECG readings, irregular heart rhythm notifications, and sleep apnea detection. Put simply, if it runs through Samsung Health Monitor, it doesn’t fully work without a Galaxy phone. I can strap Samsung’s hardware to my wrist, but access to its best tools depends on my loyalty to the ecosystem. 

That isn’t to say the brand’s watches are bricked without a Galaxy phone. Most of the basics remain widely accessible, including heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, core sleep tracking, activity and workout metrics, and body composition measurements. All of these health fitness tracking tools work across Android phones through standard Samsung Health and Wear OS support. It’s just disappointing that Samsung’s most clinically meaningful features are the ones behind the wall.

Wear OS isn’t the fragmented platform it once was, and the expectation now is that your experience follows your hardware, not the logo on your phone. Google’s Pixel Watch line, for example, keeps its core health features broadly accessible across Android devices, not just Pixel phones. Sure, region-based limits come with the territory for advanced health tools, but that’s a separate issue (and one Samsung deals with too). As Wear OS siblings move away from brand-based restrictions, Samsung’s restrictions feel increasingly out of step.

Even outside of Wear OS, the contrast is hard to ignore. Garmin offers a platform-agnostic experience, while smart rings from companies like Oura and Ultrahuman pair with essentially any modern smartphone. Against that backdrop, Samsung’s phone-based gatekeeping feels outdated and, at this point, a little stubborn. I don’t expect my Wear OS watches to pair with iOS anytime soon, and I’m not complaining that my Apple Watch only works with an iPhone, but I do resent losing key features just for pairing a Galaxy Watch Ultra with a Pixel 10 instead of a Galaxy S26. 

Looking ahead, there hasn’t been much in the way of meaningful leaks so far regarding the upcoming Galaxy Watch 9. What has surfaced points to a pretty typical update, including familiar sizing, similar battery expectations, and likely a new chip, with the usual round of software and AI-driven health tweaks layered on top. So far, there’s nothing that has me clamoring to get to the brand’s summer Unpacked event, where the line will likely drop. 

It’s more than likely that Samsung will tout accuracy improvements and other health feature refinements. In reality, if Samsung wants the Galaxy Watch to keep leading as a health-focused wearable, it should expand access to the features it already has. Decoupling tools like ECG, blood pressure tracking, and sleep apnea detection from Samsung phones would go a lot further than another incremental spec bump. The Galaxy Watch doesn’t need more features, it just needs fewer restrictions.