Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series users in India have reportedly received the Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 update. The Watch 4 series includes the Galaxy Watch 4 in 40mm and 44mm variants, and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm and 46mm variants. In addition to new and updated widgets, the update, which was released in the US last week, comes with security patches dated July 2023. The update also introduced the NFC-based Samsung Pay feature for users in India, but it doesn’t seem to be working at all.
A report from Sammobile states that Samsung has started rolling out the Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 Watch update for Galaxy Watch 4 series users in India. The update comes with new watch faces and tiles, including a power tile that shows the battery level of all connected Samsung devices, a timer tile, and a tile for the Buds controller.
Users can activate or deactivate 360 Audio seemingly directly from their watches using the Galaxy Buds tile. Users also have the option to use the photo album as a wallpaper or background instead of just one particular photo. The update also makes it possible to use the Smart Switch app to keep watch data backups in Samsung Cloud. This update also allows users to pair the Galaxy Watch 4 with a new handset without performing a factory reset.
The One UI 5 Watch update generates individualized heart rate zones, improved sleep coaching and cycling training recordings. With this update it is also possible to adjust call volume, mute sound and press keyboard keys directly from the Galaxy Watch 4. According to the report, Samsung assistant Bixby can also read notifications.
Another Sammobile report adds that the update, which also expands the Samsung Pay feature for the Galaxy Watch 4 series, will not allow users to use the NFC-based ‘tap and pay’ option. The Samsung Pay app will reportedly appear in the smartwatch’s app drawer once installed. Users are then guided through the app’s tips and applications, after which the paired smartphone prompts them to update the watch to the most recent software version.
The catch is that the smartwatch has already been updated to the latest software (which introduced the feature to the device), and therefore the Samsung Pay app on the Galaxy Watch 4 has become unusable, locked in a vicious cycle of updates . The report adds that the issue could be related to the recent rebranding of the payment service. Samsung has updated Samsung Pay and rebranded it as Samsung Wallet. The One UI 5 Watch-powered Galaxy Watch is said to look for Samsung Pay instead of Samsung Wallet.
