Samsung will finally pull the plug on its own Tizen OS that powers some of its smartwatches. Support will be fully discontinued next year, which will affect the Galaxy Watch 3. This is a shame, considering how the Galaxy Watch 3 is rendered obsolete in less than four years.
Samsung announced on Reddit that support will be gradually phased out. At the moment, developers cannot churn out new content for the affected smartwatches, but will be provided with tools to migrate from Galaxy Watch Studio for Tizen. They are highly encouraged to shift their content to the Google Play Store.
The long goodbye has begun
For users of the affected smartwatches, life becomes less rosy from September 30, 2024. Samsung will begin by discontinuing the sale of apps. By the time May 31, 2025, rolls around, there will be no more free applications available for download. September 30, 2025, will see the removal of all content for Tizen OS-based watches from the store. However, Samsung emphasized that you can still continue using the Tizen-powered smartwatches even without further support.
The end of this support does not just affect relatively old models, as the Galaxy Watch 3 is the most recent Tizen-powered timepiece. Samsung made the switch to Google’s Wear OS in its next generation of smartwatches, while remaining loyal to the operating system acquired from Intel. Until today, Tizen OS still powers some of their smart TVs.
The Galaxy Watch 3 is now obsolete
Galaxy Watch 3 owners will be upset with this development, considering how the timepiece was introduced as recently as August 2020. By announcing the end of its support, the Tizen-powered smartwatch will be downgraded to electronic waste after less than four years. If you want to do more than just access the basic functions in the future, please buy a new smartwatch. The Samsung smartwatch was anything but a cheap device, and even today, you can still find it for approximately $60 online.
However, Samsung is not alone with its stringent product policy. At the end of last month, Spotify announced the death of Car Thing, with the music streaming service provider offering refunds to its users. If you’re looking for a Samsung smartwatch, take a look at our guide to the best Samsung smartwatches.
Do you own a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3? How do you feel about this latest development? Will this put you off from buying a smartwatch in the future?
