The Galaxy Watch 5 should be on the radar of anyone looking to pick up a flagship smartwatch, but should this also include those who use an iPhone? Apple is Samsung's biggest rival, and there are times that rivalry extends to the compatibility of their products. While some devices may sometimes work with each other, a common occurrence is that certain features are usually not available.
For example, the Galaxy Buds 2 will work with the iPhone, but it will only work as a regular pair of Bluetooth headphones. Features such as adjusting noise cancellation settings, modifying touch controls and changing the equalizer are only available when paired with an Android phone. AirPods also work the same way when connected to an Android device. Many of their best features are lost when connected to an Android smartphone.
The Galaxy Watch 5 is a refined version of the Galaxy Watch 4 that was announced in 2021, and among its handful of upgrades is an updated OS. Samsung's new smartwatch is the first to ship with One UI Watch 4.5 based on the new WearOS 3.5 out of the box. The new OS brings several new features and will be available to the Galaxy Watch 4 series later. However, like the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung is limiting the compatibility of its smartwatch to only Android devices.
It's A Samsung Thing
A Samsung infographic made for the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro says that its new watches are compatible with devices running "Android 8.0 and higher and with more than 1.5GB of RAM". It also adds a caveat that "device activation is only available after connecting to a smartphone that supports Google Mobile Services." This eliminates not only iPhones and iPads but also Android smartphones from other brands that do not have Google Mobile Services.
While this may seem like an issue with Wear OS, that isn't the case. The Montblanc Summit 3, the only other watch available for purchase right now with Wear OS 3, is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Montblanc also has a companion app for both platforms. Sadly, the Summit 3 will be out of the reach of many, thanks to its $1290 price tag, which is almost five times the cost of the Galaxy Watch 5 which starts at $279. Nevertheless, Apple users can wait for new Wear OS smartwatches, such as the Pixel Watch, which may have support for iPhones.
Surely, the Galaxy Watch 5's incompatibility with the iPhone will be disappointing news for anyone who has set their eyes on Samsung's new smartwatch. However, they are better off with an Apple Watch. Apple devices work better, which should make using one a much better experience than a smartwatch from another brand. Apple will be announcing the Apple Watch Series 8 soon, and it will be bringing some pretty interesting features.
Source: Samsung