October 4th is the date when Google will unveil the next iteration of its flagship Pixel phone line, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, along with the Pixel Watch 2. Last year’s Pixel Watch featured the Exynos 9110 chip, which was already outdated. However, the Pixel Watch 2 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, promising snappier performance and better battery life.

The original Pixel Watch came with Wear OS 3 and required an Android phone running Android 8 or higher for pairing. According to the latest Android distribution data, 92% of active Android phones would meet this requirement. However, things are changing.

Google recently published a landing page for the Pixel 8 line and Pixel Watch 2, stating that the Pixel Watch 2 “Works with most phones running Android 9.0 or newer and requires a Google Account, Google Pixel Watch app, and internet access.” This means that you will need an Android phone running Android 9.0 or higher to pair with the Pixel Watch 2, reducing the percentage of compatible Android handsets to about 84% of active models. The Pixel Watch 2 will come pre-installed with Wear OS 4, while the original Pixel Watch could potentially be updated to Wear OS 3.

It seems highly unlikely that any Pixel Watch owner, whether using the original model or the sequel, would have an Android phone so outdated that it doesn’t meet the pairing requirements. So, even though you need a phone running Android 8 or 9 for pairing with the Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2, respectively, this shouldn’t be a concern.