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 greatly impact 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, as well as the rumored Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
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.
$350 at Amazon $250 at Samsung $350 at Best Buy
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Availability
All signs point to the Galaxy Watch 4 releasing in August, just a month from now. According to various leaks and rumors, Samsung plans to announce the Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 during the Unpacked 2021 event in August.
According to tipster Max Winebach, the Galaxy Watch 4 announcement will be on August 3. Another tipster claimed that the Galaxy Watch 4 will then ship out on August 11, while the foldable Galaxy phones will ship at the end of August.
Considering Samsung's last two major smartwatches — the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 — both launched in early August, these rumors seem perfectly credible to us. The Galaxy Watch 4 will also be the first available Wear OS watch, making its arrival particularly noteworthy.
According to recent leaks, Samsung will also launch the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic at the same time. They will have a more traditional appearance but will run the new Wear OS as well. We're less certain whether Samsung will release a new Galaxy Watch Active watch in August.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Price
We've finally spotted the first Galaxy Watch 4 price rumor, and anyone hoping for a bargain-priced watch should prepare for disappointment. It will likely cost about the same as the expensive Galaxy Watch 3, while the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will empty your wallet.
Allegedly, the 40mm Galaxy Watch 4 will cost between EUR 350 (~$415) and EUR 370 (~$439), while the 44mm will sell for EUR 380 (~$450) and EUR 400 (~$475). If Samsung uses these converted prices, the Galaxy Watch 4 will cost more than the 3 did at launch ($399 for the base model). But Samsung may also start its watches at $350, matching the European price and saving American shoppers some money by comparison.
If Samsung also sells a cellular version of the Galaxy Watch 4, expect these prices to rise even higher. It costs $50 extra to add LTE functionality to the Galaxy Watch, regardless of which size watch you pick.
As for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, it could sell as high as EUR 500 (~$593) for the 46mm model and EUR 470 (~$558) for the 42mm model.
If the Galaxy Watch 4 retains the same features as its predecessor while adding more advanced ones like a BIA sensor for bodyweight monitoring and a brand new operating system, it makes sense that Samsung would price it like a luxury watch. We'll see if this potential high price will drive people away; for context, Apple, Samsung's main smartwatch rival, has sold its last three Series watches at $399 at launch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Design
We've seen several leaked renders of both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in the past week, giving us an unconfirmed but intriguing look at what the watch could look like.
If the above Galaxy Watch 4 leaked renders prove accurate, they suggest that Samsung has removed the Galaxy Watch 3's rotating bezel, which many will find disappointing.
Another possible leaked Galaxy Watch 4 design suggests the watch will ship in Black, Silver, Gold, and Green at launch; however, the other leaked renders show a Mystic Bronze color as well.
We've also received conflicting reports on the Galaxy Watch 4 case sizes. One leak suggests slightly larger case sizes than the Galaxy Watch 3 with 42mm/46mm, while the recent design leaks indicated a decrease at 40mm/44mm.
We've also seen a recent leak for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, pictured above. It could ship in three sizes (42mm/44mm/46mm), three colors (white, gray, and black), and two materials (stainless steel and aluminum).
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.
Moving on to the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, we believe it will also run Wear OS and have similar internals. The leaked information indicates the Classic will have Gorilla Glass DX or DX+, 5ATM protection, and MIL-STD-810G certification.
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.
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