Although the Galaxy Watch 8 series is the first to ship with One UI 8 Watch out of the box, it looks like the original Galaxy Watch Ultra from 2024 has beaten the latest 2025 models to the punch. Today, Samsung announced the release of the the One UI 8 Watch update for the Galaxy Watch Ultra. It's live!

In fact, the update went live earlier today before Samsung issued the announcement. Either way, testing is officially over, following a few weeks in the beta program for the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra in South Korea and the USA. One UI 8 Watch will progressively roll out to previous Galaxy Watch models, as per Samsung's announcement.

Interestingly, Samsung mentions the One UI 8 Watch update for the Galaxy Watch Ultra specifically without ever naming the Galaxy Watch 7. However, since both smartwatches participated in the beta program, it stands to reason that both are getting One UI 8 Watch today.

Then again, it's also possible that Samsung may have prioritized the Ultra model while leaving the Watch 7 for later.

Every Galaxy Watch model that is eligible for the One UI 8 Watch update will enjoy a refreshed UI with improved multi-info tiles, extra customization options, Now Bar integration, and Gemini. Eligible models include the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer.

Some of the latest Health features that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy Watch 8 smartwatch lineup at Unpacked 2025 will be retroactively added only to the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 7 — but not the earlier models. Features exclusive to the newer models from 2024 and beyond are:

These new tools won't come to earlier Galaxy Watches because, according to Samsung, they require the improved BioActive sensor, which debuted last year.

Furthermore, it looks like Samsung doesn't mention Bedtime Guidance and High Stress Alert for this new Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) update, which could mean that these two new One UI 8 Watch features might remain exclusive to the 2025 smartwatch models. We will keep you posted once we find out more.

It may take a while for every Ultra in every market to receive the update, so if you want one of the latest Samsung smartwatches and the guarantee that it will run One UI 8 Watch out of the box, check out Samsung's pre-order offers before they expire later this week.