Yesterday, Samsung launched the much anticipated Galaxy Watch at the Galaxy Unpacked event in New York. The successor to the famed “Gear S” series of Samsung smartwatches, the new watch bears a different name than its predecessors. However, it’s not just the name that has changed. With the introduction of the Galaxy Watch, we have a lot news regarding Samsung smartwatches to talk about. Let’s get them one-by-one.
Two different sizes
For the first time ever, Samsung is offering its smartwatch in two different sizes. The Galaxy Watch will be available in 46mm and 42mm sizes with an Always-On 1.3-inch and 1.2-inch Circular Super AMOLED display respectively. That basically means the Galaxy Watch will be available in both Gear S3 and Gear Sport sizes. This is a sensible move, considering how the Gear S3 looks comically large on smaller wrists, whereas the Gear Sport doesn’t look good on larger wrists. With Galaxy Watch, Samsung’s catering to people of all wrist sizes with one single product.
Powerful new processor
The Galaxy Watch is powered by a new Exynos 9110 Dual core 1.15GHz processor, supported by 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The LTE variant of the watch features 1.5GB of RAM. The watch is compatible with both Android (5.0 or later) and iOS (9.0 or later) smartphones. However, Samsung Pay will not work if you’re using the Galaxy Watch with an iPhone.
Bigger battery
The new Galaxy Watch houses a big 472mAh battery (46mm model), capable of running the watch for 80+ hours on typical usage. The smaller, 42mm Galaxy Watch, however, features a much less powerful 270mA battery, which, Samsung claims, would give 45+ hours of typical usage. The actual battery life will obviously vary, depending on factors like network connection, signal strength, etc. Apart from battery power, you’ll still get the same design and features with the two Galaxy Watch models.
Added fitness features
With Galaxy Watch, Samsung has continued its tradition of a heap of fitness goodies on its smartwatches. Along with all of the regular suspects, Samsung has added new health and fitness features to the Galaxy Watch. This time, you get a stress management tracker, capable of automatically detecting high levels of stress, and offers breathing exercises to keep users focused. There’s also a new and advanced sleep tracker which monitors all levels of sleep including REM cycles, allowing users to properly adjust their sleeping cycles.
In total, the Samsung Health app on the Galaxy Watch can be used to track up to 40 different workouts, which includes 21 new indoor exercises. The watch can automatically detect six of the most common exercises and has a built-in GPS to keep you connected while out on a run.
Tizen 4.0 out of the box
As we reported some three weeks ago, the Samsung Galaxy Watch runs Tizen 4.0 out of the box. The watch was long rumored to be running Google’s Wear OS, however, turned out it’s not the case. Galaxy Watch is, of course, the first Samsung smartwatch to run Tizen 4.0, so expect some improvements in operating of watch as well. Samsung’s last two watches, Gear S3 and the Gear Sport, both run Tizen 3.0.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Watch will be available in the US August 24 onwards, with pre-orders beginning today. Samsung has priced the 42mm model, which will be available in Midnight Black and Rose Gold color options, at $329.99. The 46mm model will be available in Silver and will cost $349.99.
Following US, South Korea will get the watch on August 31, followed by a worldwide release on September 14.
