Main points
- 2024 is expected to be the year of Samsung’s wearables, with new Galaxy Watch models and the first smart ring on the horizon.
- Samsung’s affordable Galaxy Watch FE should focus on extended battery life and unique design options to stand out in the market.
- Incorporating features like a skin temperature sensor could open up new health capabilities and make the Galaxy Watch FE a compelling choice.
It looks like 2024 will be the year of Samsung wearables. In addition to the Galaxy Ring, which will be released in January 2024, which will be the company’s first smart ring, Samsung is also reportedly developing up to three different versions of the Galaxy Watch smartwatch.
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One of the new watches could be the Galaxy Watch 7, the sequel to the Galaxy Watch 6. Another one could be the new Galaxy Watch Pro, a smartwatch with a larger screen and battery that Samsung first launched with the Galaxy Watch 5. , could be a new affordable Galaxy Watch FE.
They look and work like new phones, tablets, or wireless headphones from just a few months ago, but with tweaked specs to help lower overall costs.
Samsung’s Fan Edition (FE) branding is usually reserved for more affordable versions of flagship hardware the company releases after a splashy launch. Think of them like Google’s Pixel 7a, or the Galaxy Watch like the Apple Watch SE. They look and work similarly to new phones, tablets, or wireless headphones from just a few months ago, but with tweaked specs to help lower overall costs.
It’s not entirely clear what this means for smartwatches, but here’s what we know so far about Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Watch, and what I think it needs to be successful. Samsung’s fan edition versions aren’t always just cheaper flagship phones with cheaper internals, they often have design tweaks and, in some cases, better specs than the more premium phones they’re based on. The Galaxy Watch FE should strike an ideal balance between the two.
1 Battery life needs to be improved
Bigger batteries and longer life are a must
Battery life is crucial to a good smartwatch, and having a long battery life combined with a lower cost would be the easiest way to make the Galaxy Watch FE feel like a good deal. The current Galaxy Watch 6 battery capacity is 300mAh, and the battery life is expected to be up to 40 hours, which is similar to the battery life of Samsung’s first two smartwatches.
The Galaxy Watch FE would really stand out if it had a bigger battery, giving it closer to three days of battery life.
I’ll get over my aversion to big smartwatches because battery life lasts days
A big smartwatch isn’t convenient, but if it comes with super long battery life, the trade-off might be worth it.
Samsung has chosen to include larger batteries in its Fan Edition smartphones on more than one occasion, so there’s reason to believe its new smartwatch might achieve this. For example, the Galaxy S23 FE has a battery capacity of 4,500mAh, while the original Galaxy S23 had a battery capacity of 3,900mAh. Performance-wise, these may end up being closer than they seem due to the efficiency of the other components Samsung uses, but more importantly a larger battery could extend the overall lifespan of the device.
2 Updated watch styles, colors, and design options
New colors and finishes will go a long way
Most smartwatches look boring. The display is the star, so having interesting and useful watch faces seems to be a focus for most companies. The Galaxy Watch looks good by any means, but the graphite, silver, and gold options available with the Galaxy Watch 6 aren’t particularly exciting.
Why not a green, red or blue Galaxy Watch FE? Why not finish the aluminum body in anything other than matte?
Samsung likes to have exclusive colors that are only sold in its own stores, and it’s releasing new colors and finishes on its Fan Edition smartphones that weren’t available in the original versions. Make Galaxy Watch FE available in different colors.
Why not a green, red or blue Galaxy Watch FE? Why not finish the aluminum body in anything other than matte? The Apple Watch versions that have been released are a great example of the variety you can squeeze out of more or less the same smartwatch year after year. It doesn’t do much, but it might be attractive to those who can’t spend more than $300 on a fancy smartwatch.
3 Includes skin temperature sensor
More health features and functions will be added
Samsung has introduced a skin temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch 6, enabling features like cycle tracking for the first time and potentially being crucial for future health features. It seems unlikely that Samsung will offer the same sensors on its cheaper smartwatches as on its higher-end smartwatches just to cut costs.
But addressing potential health inequalities by offering a cheap watch that at least has reliable reproductive health features shouldn’t be ignored. Having more sensors opens the door to new software features that can also further extend the life of the smartwatch.
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FAQ
Q: What will the new affordable Samsung watch be called?
While it seems certain that Samsung plans to launch some kind of affordable smartwatch this year, there’s still disagreement over what it will ultimately be called. WinFuture writer and leaker Roland Quandt claims Samsung will call the new watch Galaxy Watch 4 (2024).
Samsung has a precedent for this. The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite was originally released in 2020, and Samsung has just released the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024), a 2020 tablet with an updated processor and Android 14. This affordable Galaxy Watch might just be the Galaxy Watch 4 with a new processor. internal structure.
However, Android Headlines claims that the new smartwatch will be branded FE, which suggests the watch may be a bit more rugged. Samsung is flexible when it comes to names, and in fact, the Galaxy Watch has changed very little visually since the Galaxy Watch 4, so buying one in 2024 won’t necessarily make you look dated.
Regardless of the name, the general direction of these rumors suggests that the smartwatch will look similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 or 5, with a round display, side buttons, and the ability to at least track data like exercise and heart rate. The details are where things get more interesting.
Q: When will Galaxy Watch FE be launched?
Samsung last released a smartwatch on July 26, 2023, along with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5. The Galaxy Watch FE is positioned as the budget option in a range of wearables and will launch at a similar price, which makes sense. This year’s event.