Why I Skipped Five Generations of Samsung Galaxy Watches—And Realized I’m Not Missing Anything

Tech companies release something new almost every month, creating a relentless cycle of updates, flashy launch events, and marketing campaigns designed to make consumers feel perpetually behind. For years, consumer technology journalist Ali Salman Zia fell right into that routine. Like many tech enthusiasts and everyday consumers alike, he used to buy a handful of gadgets each year without really questioning the underlying motivation.

That cycle of routine consumption changed in 2023 when he purchased the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. At the time, he expected to replace it within a year or two, following the exact same upgrade pattern he had applied to smartphones and smartwatches for most of his adult life. Year after year, the tech industry introduces iterative hardware improvements, and millions of users participate in the same yearly upgrade ritual without pausing to ask whether the changes truly impact their daily lives.

This time, however, things played out differently. Zia did not upgrade, and the decision was not born out of some dramatic protest or financial hardship. He simply never got around to replacing the device. Somewhere along the way, that accidental omission turned into a genuine realization about modern hardware, diminishing returns, and the shifting landscape of consumer technology.

I’ve now skipped five Galaxy Watch generations

Since the launch of the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung has pushed a rapid succession of new wearables onto the market. Over the subsequent product cycles, the company released the Galaxy Watch 7 and the original Watch Ultra, followed later by the Watch 8, and more recently, the Watch 9 and the Watch Ultra 2.

That means Zia has watched five distinct models come and go. Each iteration arrived with its own dedicated launch event, glossy marketing materials, and extensive review cycles across the tech media landscape. Yet, despite the steady stream of new options, he never felt any real attraction toward the newer models.

Reflecting on the timeline, it is striking to realize how much hardware can pass by without a user feeling like they are missing anything of substance in their day-to-day routine. Each new model came with its typical set of reviews declaring it an upgrade worth considering, but none of them ever made a strong enough case to prompt actual action. The yearly upgrades had simply stopped offering a compelling reason to spend money.

Diminishing returns, not price, made the decision easy for me

While cost can certainly be a factor in consumer decisions, price was not the primary driver behind Zia’s decision to stop upgrading. Instead, it was the undeniable reality of diminishing returns.

Every time a new model saw daylight, he would ask himself a fundamental question: What would I actually gain by switching from my current device to the latest one? No matter how persuasive the announcement or how slick the promotional videos were, the answer kept coming up short.

Hardware improvements used to feel obvious and transformative from one generation to the next. In the early days of smartphones and smartwatches, each annual release brought massive performance gains, vastly superior displays, and entirely new capabilities that fundamentally changed how people interacted with their devices. Today, however, that dynamic has largely inverted. That broader technological shift applies equally to wearables as it does to phones and tablets.

A slightly faster processor, minor tweaks to internal software, or marginally better sensors no longer serve as compelling reasons to upgrade—especially when an existing device like the Galaxy Watch 6 continues to handle every required task without breaking a sweat.

My Galaxy Watch 6 doesn’t feel outdated

More than two years after its initial purchase, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 continues to perform remarkably well. The device remains fast, responsive, and entirely free of the frustrating lag or stutter that often plagues older electronics. The display remains surprisingly crisp and bright, offering a visual experience that holds up remarkably well against newer hardware sitting on retail shelves.

In daily use, the watch effortlessly handles all the core responsibilities expected of a modern wearable. It processes incoming notifications seamlessly, tracks workouts accurately, monitors vital health metrics, manages phone calls, and performs everyday smartwatch tasks without a hint of strain. It consistently resists the temptation of whatever is currently being marketed in stores.

Zia admits he never expected to make a technology purchase that would last this many years without hassle or performance degradation. Standard consumer expectations dictate that electronics begin to show visible signs of aging after a couple of years, yet the Watch 6 has exhibited none. It still looks virtually brand-new, frequently prompts curious questions from people who see it on his wrist, and tackles daily demands like a charm. Barring an unforeseen hardware failure or the introduction of a genuinely exclusive, highly relevant feature tailored to his specific workflow, there is no practical reason to replace it.

It’s still getting updates, but maybe not for much longer

Longevity in the wearable market is notoriously difficult to come by, as manufacturers often phase out software support for older devices relatively quickly. However, the Galaxy Watch 6 has defied typical industry trends by continuing to receive software updates three years after its release.

Samsung’s historical track record indicates that software support for older hardware eventually winds down, but the Watch 6 appears to have plenty of life left before reaching that point. Industry precedent offers a useful comparison: the older Galaxy Watch 4 recently lost official support after spanning four major Wear OS generations. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 6 is currently navigating its own fourth major software evolution with One UI 9.

This sustained software backing reinforces the idea that hardware can remain viable and secure long past its initial commercial lifespan, provided the manufacturer commits to maintaining the underlying operating system.

Obsolescence isn’t automatic just because something newer exists

The broader takeaway from this multi-year experience is simple: a smartwatch does not automatically stop being good just because a newer model arrives on store shelves. It is remarkably easy to fall into the trap of perceived obsolescence, particularly when annual advertising campaigns create a manufactured sense of urgency.

The Galaxy Watch 6 proved that a reliable device can offer far more reasons to stick around than newer models offer to justify an upgrade. There is a profound functional difference between a piece of technology that is genuinely struggling to keep up with modern demands and one that simply happens to no longer be the newest option available. That same logic applies just as easily to smartphones and other personal electronics.

Moving forward, the criteria for upgrading have shifted fundamentally. Deteriorating battery health, the eventual complete termination of software support, or the introduction of a genuinely useful, productivity-enhancing feature would be the only catalysts to prompt a new purchase—not simply the passive option of buying the latest model because it exists.

A smartwatch is inherently a companion device rather than a primary computing hub, which makes the constant pressure to upgrade to the latest iteration increasingly illogical. For now, the Galaxy Watch 6 continues to fulfill every requirement, even as generations of new hardware pass it by. An eventual upgrade will happen when the watch itself begins to fall short, rather than when manufacturers dictate the schedule.

Ultimately, this shift in perspective has transformed how Zia approaches technology upgrades across the board, proving that true value lies in holding onto functional tools until they genuinely reach the end of their useful life.