Google has received widespread praise for its industry-leading software support for Pixel phones. The newly announced Pixel 9 series promises an impressive seven years of guaranteed OS and security updates—a commitment unmatched by any other major manufacturer, except Samsung.
However, this generous policy doesn’t apply equally across Google’s hardware lineup. For Pixel Watch owners, the software support situation is far less favorable.
Both the original Pixel Watch and its successor, the Pixel Watch 2, received only three years of software updates. Unfortunately, this trend continues with the recently launched Pixel Watch 3.
Google has committed to providing software updates for the Pixel Watch 3 until October 2027. While the company hasn’t ruled out the possibility of updates beyond that date, there’s no guarantee they will continue.
Note that, unlike smartphones, where Google explicitly mentions Android and security patch updates, the company bundles WearOS updates under “Guaranteed software updates.” It includes “Google Pixel Watch security updates and may include feature drops and other software updates.”
The reason for the shorter update timeline for smartwatches might be that Google expects users to upgrade their watches more often than smartphones.
Alternatively, a more skeptical view is that this decision could be cost-driven. Since smartwatches are generally less expensive than phones, the level of support might be influenced by financial considerations.
Whatever the reason is, users interested in the Pixel Watch lineup as a whole should be aware of this significant difference in software support compared to Pixel phones. Sure, the Pixel Watch 3 offers the latest Wear OS and a strong feature set, but its longevity in receiving software updates falls far short of its smartphone counterparts.
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