[ad_1]
- Samsung’s older Gear portable devices will not be supported by its 2021 smartphones.
- Affected devices include the Galaxy Gear, Gear 2, and Gear S.
If you own and still use an older Samsung Gear smartwatch, you might want to think twice before upgrading your smartphone in the New Year. A notification in the Samsung Members app (via Galaxyclub) warned users that the company’s first wearable devices would no longer be compatible with its 2021 smartphones.
“The existing quality of service of older Samsung Gear portable devices cannot be guaranteed and ensured by app updates alone,” reads the translated notification. “As a result, old Samsung Gear wearable devices can no longer be used with new Samsung smartphones (from the year of publication 2021).”
The update specifically lists five wearable devices that will be affected by the news, the main one being the Galaxy Gear from 2013. The Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, Gear S and Gear Fit are also included. Those who still rock the likes of the Galaxy Gear 3 Neo and Gear S2 remain unharmed.
It’s not all gloomy, however. If you still have an older smartphone, “released in 2020 or earlier,” that device will still support portable devices next year. The announcement will affect you, however, if you plan to buy a Galaxy S21, or any future smartphone from Samsung.
Interestingly, the notification doesn’t suggest that the reason for removing support is related to Android 11 and One UI 3.0, or hardware. We reached out to Samsung to find out if the smartphone’s year of release is really the only determining factor here.
Either way, if you are planning to upgrade to a 2021 series smartphone, you might also be considering an upgrade for wearable devices. That said, if you’re not looking for the latest in fitness technology, the company’s older smartwatches are still respectable everyday drivers. But all good things have to end at some point.
Samsung notes that users of these five smartwatches will be alerted to changes to the Galaxy Wearable app in the coming weeks, so you have a brief period to reconsider future purchases. If you’re now considering a new Samsung laptop, we’ve rounded up your potential options below.
Next: The best Samsung portable fitness devices and smartwatches
[ad_2]
Source link