Galaxy Watch 5 series joins the One UI 8 Watch beta program

Samsung has added the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to the One UI 8 Watch beta program, allowing owners to take the next big software update for a spin before its official release.

Like other Galaxy Watch models, the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro should get the One UI 8 Watch beta in the US and South Korea.

This beta launch may seem like good news, but for many Galaxy Watch 5 owners, especially outside the USA and Korea, it only gives the impression that Samsung will take even longer to release the stable One UI 8 Watch update globally.

Previously, Samsung said it would release the stable One UI 8 Watch update for more Watches before the end of the year. Technically speaking, we're still on track, but progress has been particularly slow this time around.

Rather than what could become another lengthy beta testing period, we suspect that many Galaxy Watch 5 users would have preferred jumping straight to the stable One UI 8 Watch update earlier.

But things aren't looking that great for the Watch series. The Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra (2024) are the only models to have received stable One UI 8 Watch so far, while the Galaxy Watch 6 series has lingered in the beta program for five builds now. The Watch 6 has only recently received its fifth beta build.

Things are certainly moving more slowly than most Watch users have hoped for. But at least progress is being made, and if you are in the USA or Korea, you can test the firmware on your Watch 5 starting today.

As for Watch 4 owners, that's a whole other problem which only time will shed some light on. Will Watch 4 users also be invited to participate in an even later beta program? Only Samsung knows.