That's the typical Samsung update deployment method: BT first, then LTE.
I just read an article from How-to-Geek that was published on Friday that pretty much confirmed that Samsung is also releasing the update to the GW5 line first, then the GW4s in "the next few weeks." I hope that the report is incorrect.
I have also read that some GW4s, BT models, have been updated, but no reports of LTE Watch5s or Watch4s being updated.
All of this is kind of a buzz-kill to say the least.
Another possible reason is that LTE version need to go through individual carriers, which cause additional delay.
This is based on my experience in my unlocked phone on a T-Mobile, where they usually delay the update for their own validation (and they usually put the carrier locked phone in front of unlocked user)
That is precisely why Samsung defers update to LTE devices for a period of time. However, that's a bit of a "cop out". Many people, myself included, choose to buy unlocked LTE watches, and do not sign up with a carrier right away. Samsung can tell if this is true because if there is no esimm allocated for the watch, there is no carrier, and no impediment to installing the update. So those devices should be treated as the BT watches are. Since the BT condition is the only one active in both types of watches - there is no esimm or carrier to interfere with the update in either case!
Samsung most likely have to do additional testing on LTE version of the software, but some carriers also delaying the update. If I remember correctly, Samsung will release the unlocked software to the carriers. For those carriers that doesn't require additional validation, it get release right away (in country outside of US most of the time). But for those, like T-Mobile, they will delay the release until they validated it (or add their own "twist").
I remember reading something where someone got an update (not this one, but a previous one for a phone) by switching to a different carrier sim, download their profile, update, and switch back. So the software is released from Samsung (if other part of the world with unlock phone, or in this case, LTE watch) got the production release.
I don't know if anyone with LTE watch got the update yet. But once Samsung releases it, those on US carrier will most likely get additional delays (not always) before receiving the update.
Well here's the thing. When we were invited to participate in the beta the only LTE carrier not invited was Verizon. My understanding is that the other major LTE carriers play nicely with stock Samsung updates, whereas Verizon does its own thing (customizes) with the updates. Given that, I would expect that Samsung anticipated beta participants would be able to and used stock LTE software. That being the case we should have Wear OS4 stable release installed at this on our watches NOW. If not they should have been upfront about it, and stated that all LTE updates would be delayed for a time certain.
