Is Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 compatible with iPhone?

Surprisingly, Samsung's latest smartwatch is no longer compatible with iOS. Although Samsung talked about iOS support during the Unpacked event, the official Galaxy Watch 4 page made no mention of Apple's ecosystem.

Unlike any wearable before, Galaxy Watch 4 is equipped with a completely new operating system, combining elements of the two ecosystems of Wear OS and Tizen OS. In fact, the Galaxy Watch 4 is the world's first smartwatch to run 'Wear OS powered by Samsung'. Previous versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch supported iPhones through the iOS Galaxy Gear app.

If you are planning to buy a Galaxy Watch 4 then you should first check if your smartphone is compatible with it. Samsung not only removed iOS from the compatibility list, but also Android smartphones running Android 5.0.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 4 is compatible with devices running Android 6.0 or higher and RAM 1.5GB or higher. Samsung also notes that 'branded smartphones and available features may vary by region, carrier and device'.

This will likely cause many iPhone users to automatically switch to the Apple Watch and lead to some revenue impact for Samsung.

Samuel Daniel

Update 12 August 2021