Samsung, being a creature of habit, likes routine. July is usually reserved for the Korean outfit’s second Unpacked event of the year and we expect 2024 will be no different. It helps that SamMobile reported an Unpacked date of 10 July way back in early February. Products, too, are thus far an open secret. But, according to a new leak(s), we’ve finally received word of the Galaxy Watch 7 Series and its specs.
In a departure from tradition, Samsung is expected to unveil three new watches this year, unlike previous Unpacked events where only two got to walk the red carpet. According to a new report from Android Headlines, we know about at least two of those — the aptly- and predictably-named Galaxy Watch 7, and a new entry said to rival Apple’s Watch Ultra. Three guesses as to what it’ll be called. Ding ding ding!
There are also leaked renders and specs (via The Verge) foreseeing a cheaper Galaxy Watch permeating the range. It’s most likely to be a Fan Edition Watch, a first in Samsung’s wearable lineup. But we’ll get there in a minute.
Run-of-the-mill Watch 7
Despite being the middle child of the range, the Galaxy Watch 7 is receiving its biggest upgrade in the form of a new chipset. It’ll use a new penta-core 3nm chip going by the name Exynos W1000 according to SamMobile. Its body gets a new coating of Armour Aluminium 2 — a newer version of the materials used throughout the Galaxy S24 Series.
Also included is a new Sapphire Crystal display and double the storage, taking it up to 32GB. If you were hoping for a brightness boost, Samsung hasn’t answered your prayers, opting to stick with the 2,000 peak nit brightness we saw last time around.
No big changes have been made to the range’s battery life, which is touted as being fairly similar to that of the last generation. Considering it’s stuck using the same 300mAh battery efforts in the 40mm, and 425mAh in the 44mm we’re not that surprised. There are grounds for the new chipset to extend it beyond the roughly 40 hours we saw last time, but not by much. IP68 and 5ATM ratings return, too, so we don’t expect any complaints there.
Taking on Apple
Samsung missed out on releasing a ‘Pro’ last year, but it’s not entirely against the idea. The Watch 5 brought out the worst of Samsung, which lacked a rotating bezel (we’ll never get over that) and foregoing the ‘Classic’ moniker in favour of a more expensive ‘Pro’ moniker. It’s returning to the ‘Pro’ mindset this year with a renamed Watch Ultra set to take on Apple. Again.
It’s bigger, coming in at 47mm, and carries with it a titanium build — just like another Ultra watch we know of. That affords it an IP68 and 10ATM durability rating, meaning it’ll survive pretty much anything you throw its way. Battery life is longer, too, with a 590mAh battery lodged somewhere in there. It matches the Watch 7 where the 3nm chipset and 32GB of storage are concerned but edges its cheaper siblings out with 3,000 nit peak brightness.
He a fan, he a fan, he a Fan (Edition)
Samsung’s first budget-friendly Watch is expected to debut alongside the Watch 7 and Ultra — possibly with a cheaper price tag nearer the €199 (R4,100-ish) mark according to leaker @MysteryLupin on X. It’s bringing with it a 40mm shell that’s got a 1.2in Super AMOLED display and dual-core Exynos W920 chipset inside with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage to bot.
Durability is comparable to the Watch 7 with IP68 and 5ATM ratings, though battery life has taken a hit to accommodate the reduced pricing. It packs a 247mAh battery, which should provide roughly 30 hours of battery life.