Samsung's Galaxy-brain play: leaving Tizen behind for Wear OS.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, one of the best Android smartwatches, may have only just launched in November 2020, but the latest rumors out of South Korea suggest the company may already be developing its replacement — with some big changes and upgrades in the works meant to topple Apple from its smartwatch throne.
There's no confirmation whether Samsung's 2021 smartwatch will be named the "Galaxy Watch 4" or adopt a new name entirely. However, we know that this new watch will run the new version of Wear OS, which would have a big impact on app support and Android phone connectivity. It could also feature a newer-faster chipset, which could put it leagues ahead of the best Wear OS watches.
Details are fairly scarce so far, but we've scrounged up every known leak about specs, design leaks, and pricing, along with everything else we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.
Samsung's best — so far
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
The Galaxy Watch 3 offers stunning hardware and various health-focused features, including an ECG and blood pressure sensor. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the widest third-party app support, but you'll get good battery life, a bright display, and Samsung's zippy Tizen OS software.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Availability
Before we can accurately predict the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 release date, we'll have to look at Samsung's previous launch windows. The Galaxy Watch 3 is only about half a year old at this point and launched in the second half of 2020, while the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is about 18 months old. Despite the relatively quick turnaround time from the latest model, everything has pointed to Samsung launching a pair of new smartwatches in a few month's time.
Recent leaks gave similar accounts to Samsung's plans: the company will unveil its new watch at Unpacked 2021, sometime in the late summer, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3. In the past, the Galaxy Watch 3 shipped just one day after its announcement, while the Galaxy Watch Active 2 took a little over a month. IF the most recent leak is to be believed, we'll see the Galaxy Watch 4 arrive on August 11.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Price
The Galaxy Watch 3 had a sky-high price for a smartwatch at launch, even for the smallest, non-LTE variant. While you'll regularly find it on sale nowadays, Samsung clearly expected shoppers to pay a premium in exchange for its steel or titanium casing, leather band, rotating bezel, and a heap of health-tracking sensors.
Launching in two sizes, the Galaxy Watch 3 41mm retailed for $400 MSRP or $450 with LTE Cellular included. At 45mm, it sold for $429, plus $50 more for LTE functionality.
If the Galaxy Watch 4 retains the same features as its predecessor while adding in more advanced ones like blood glucose monitoring, it could become even more of a high-priced luxury item. But to stay competitive with Apple — whose last three Series watches have sold at $399 at launch — we strongly suspect Samsung's newest watch will retail for $399, with higher prices for cellular data or a larger display.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Design
We're fairly certain that specs and software differences aside, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 design won't see a major change from past years. It should retain its circular AMOLED display and (hopefully), although the question remains if Samsung will keep the rotating bezel.
The last two Samsung Galaxy Watches had two different millimeter variants each. You can safely expect to see the same with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, though we'd love to see Samsung offer three sizes with a "mini" version. Even the smaller Galaxy Watch 3 can be a bit chonky on smaller wrists.
Leaks have pointed to slightly different case sizes on these newer models; 42mm/46mm and 40mm/42mm for the Watch 4 and Active 4, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 New Features and Specs
Details are still scarce on Samsung's newest watch, but we've heard some key rumors about it. The company was planning to add a non-invasive, reliable blood glucose monitor but apparently abandoned its plans.
As for the new operating system, we noted in our review of the Galaxy Watch 3 that the Tizen OS is very intuitive, even "zippy," but has terrible third-party app support. However, with a new Wear OS operating system being developed by both Google and Samsung, your Galaxy Watch 4 could get access to the best Wear OS apps, Google Pay support, and better integration with non-Samsung smartphones.
It is also said to come with a new 5nm Exynos chip, which could prove to exceed the performance of the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100, which is built on a 12nm process.
| Category | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Wear OS |
| Chipset | Unnamed 5nm Exynos chip |
| Display | AMOLED |
| Sensors | HRM, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light sensor, electrocardiogram |
| Rotating bezel | Unknown |
| Onboard GPS | ✔️ |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5, cellular (optional) |
| Blood pressure monitor | ✔️ (in most countries) |
| Electrocardiogram | ✔️ |
| Water Resistance | 5ATM |
As for what we hope to see in the Galaxy Watch 4, we would love to see slightly better battery life: the Galaxy Watch 3 barely lasts a day with an always-on display. Samsung and Google hyped up better battery life at Google I/O 2021, although there have been rumors that the Galaxy Watch 4 won't come with meaningful battery gains. The 3 also had just 8GB of storage versus 32GB on the Apple Watch Series 6, so hopefully, Samsung will make more room on its new watch.
Finally, we'd love to see blood pressure monitoring enabled in the US. While the Galaxy Watch app is supported in 32 different countries, Samsung has yet to get FDA approval here in the states.
Samsung's best — so far
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
The Galaxy Watch 3 offers stunning hardware and various health-focused features, including an ECG and blood pressure sensor. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the widest third-party app support, but you'll get good battery life, a bright display, and Samsung's zippy Tizen OS software.
Source: androidcentral