10 Samsung Wearables That Can Still Work With Your iPhone

Owning devices that sit within the same ecosystem from a specific brand has its benefits. For example, having an Apple Watch means you can receive messages from an iPhone without the smartphone being near you. However, some people simply like having the best of both worlds, and just as it's possible to pair an Android phone to an Apple Watch, it's also possible to pair certain Samsung wearables to an iPhone.

There are 10 different Samsung watches that pair to an iPhone, though users expecting anything from Samsung's modern lineup are likely to be disappointed. Devices such as the Galaxy Watch 7 or Watch Ultra utilize the Google Play Store, making them incompatible with iOS. In fact, many of the devices that are on the compatible list are a number of years old at this point — if the wearable is running Samsung's wearOS, you're not going to be able to pair it with an iPhone.

Users are still able to use these older devices, including models from lineups like the Gear, Fit, Galaxy Watch, and Active series, though be aware that using these devices with an iPhone will require the Galaxy Wearable app. Fortunately, it's available in the Apple App Store for free. Users won't be able to take advantage of the newest features arriving to a Galaxy Watch, but using an old device can save it from a landfill. Hitting the minimum iPhone and iOS standards should also be pretty easy. Here's what to know.

For watches that are compatible with an Apple smartphone, the list is rather short. From the Galaxy Watch series, only the original Watch from 2018 is supported. However, both the Galaxy Watch Active and the Active 2 get the green light, though you will need to be running at least iOS 9 or newer with an iPhone 5 or later to get things going. If you're running iOS 10 or later, the first-generation Galaxy Fit is also an option.

There's also some select models from Samsung's Gear series, and they follow similar requirements. If you have an iPhone 5 or newer running iOS 9 or above, then you can pair a Gear Live, Gear S2, Gear Fit 2 Pro, Gear Sport, or Gear S3 to an iPhone. Of course, since you're out of the Samsung/Android ecosystem, be aware that not all features are going to function, especially receiving things like message and phone notifications from the Samsung wearable.

Bear in mind that Samsung does not support iPads or anything from the iPod touch lineup. Those with an iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S+ may also get an unstable connection. If you see an "Accessory not supported" error, we may know just what to do. This list may not be great news for those that love bleeding edge tech, but those that may have one of these smart wearables around may get a kick out of pairing it with an iPhone, or an old device can be good for young or elderly people needing one.