Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Incompatible with Android 16 Beta: Why You Should Hold Off

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic may not work with Android 16's redesign due to compatibility issues. The watches run on Wear OS 6 and have a new UI, but some users may experience problems pairing the devices with Android devices running the Android 16 QPR1 beta. The issue was first spotted with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2.1 on a Pixel 8a and has been confirmed on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Users are advised to use a public build of Android instead.

Samsung's latest smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, have been met with mixed reviews due to compatibility issues with the latest Android 16 redesign. These watches, running on Wear OS 6, have introduced a new UI with stacked tiles and a snappier interface, but some users are experiencing difficulties pairing the devices with Android devices running the Android 16 QPR1 beta [1].

The issue was first reported with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2.1 on a Pixel 8a, and similar problems have been confirmed with a Pixel 9 Pro Fold [1]. Users attempting to pair the watches with these Android devices encounter crashes in the Galaxy Wearable app, which restarts the pairing process and requires the watch to restart. This is not an unexpected issue, given the ongoing beta testing phase of Android 16 [1].

Samsung has not yet released a fix for this compatibility issue. However, users are advised to use a public build of Android to avoid these problems. While the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic may not work seamlessly with the beta version of Android 16, they are still significant upgrades on any device, offering improved design and performance over their predecessors [1].

In related news, Qualcomm is rumored to be developing a new wearable platform that could provide a much-needed performance boost to Wear OS smartwatches [2]. This new chipset, codenamed Aspen, is based on a TSMC process node and supports LPDDR5X RAM, which could offer a small battery boost and improved efficiency compared to previous Qualcomm platforms. The new chipset is expected to be announced at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in September [2].

References:
[1] https://9to5google.com/2025/07/16/samsung-galaxy-watch-8-android-16-redesign-compatibility/
[2] https://www.t3.com/tech/smartwatches/your-next-smartwatch-could-be-a-performance-powerhouse-thanks-to-new-wear-os-chip