Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 models are still relatively new but brought stellar hardware to the table. Even its Classic counterpart, with its physical bezel, is one of our favorite smartwatches. However, the Galaxy Watch 6’s success hasn’t stopped the Galaxy Watch 7 leaks and rumors from flowing in.
There’s a lot riding on the Galaxy Watch 7 series. Almost all Galaxy Watch models that have come out over the last couple of years have only featured minor upgrades, including the Galaxy Watch 6 series. We’ve yet to see a significant improvement or change in the Galaxy Watch lineup that shakes up the industry. So, along with all the information we know so far about the upcoming watch, we have a list of some improvements Samsung could make.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Price and availability
There’s no way to tell when Samsung’s next smartwatches will land on the market, considering it’s too early to predict the company’s product roadmap for 2024. But since the last three generations have shipped in August, albeit with different dates, it’s safe to say Samsung will debut its next smartwatches then. We could see it a bit earlier or at a slightly later date, but there’s still plenty of waiting to be done.
As far as the pricing is concerned, I expect Samsung to retain the same $300 starting price for the base models, with larger size variants and connectivity upgrades costing slightly more. I don’t mind paying a slight premium if Samsung delivers some bigger upgrades, but I’m keeping my expectations in check until we hear more.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specifications
The only rumor we’ve heard so far regarding the Galaxy Watch 7 series is that the new watches will come equipped with a 3nm Exynos chipset produced by Samsung, according to Korean outlet New Daily (via SamMobile). We don’t know much about this particular chipset just yet, but you can expect it to be more power-efficient compared to the 5nm W930 chip found inside the Galaxy Watch 6 models. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a performance and battery life gains the new chipset will bring to the table, but I suggest taking this piece of information with a pinch of salt.
There’s hardly anything else in the name of leaks or rumors on the Galaxy Watch 7, considering we just got the Galaxy Watch 6 models, but we hope to learn more about the Galaxy Watch 7 series in the coming months.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Wishlist
Now that we’ve taken a look at all the leaks and rumors of the Galaxy Watch 7, it’s time to jump into a few ways Samsung can make its upcoming smartwatches stand out from previous models.
Include a better band with the watch
Replacement watch bands for the Galaxy Watches are readily available on the market since they all use standard 20mm bands, but that’s no reason to include a mediocre band with the watch out of the box. Even the one included with the Galaxy Watch 6 that’s made out of what Samsung calls ecological leather isn’t that great. It’s stiff and not very comfortable to use, as mentioned in our Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review, so I hope Samsung includes a better band next year.
A better quality band has been on our Galaxy Watch wishlists for some time now, and we hope Samsung finally delivers next year. It doesn’t have to be sophisticated or add to the overall cost of the watch. Just a better-quality silicone band that won’t make me want to immediately replace it with something else would do. I’d also like to see more styles and color options to choose from, as the current selection is quite limited. Google came up with some great first-party bands for its Pixel Watch 2 this year, and I don’t see why Galaxy Watch users have to go hunting for a third-party option.
Double down on fitness with Galaxy Watch 7 Pro
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro landed as a perfect option for those who wanted a reliable fitness-centric watch, but it left a lot to be desired on that front. I doubt it’s on the priority list for Samsung, but it would be nice to see a Galaxy Watch 7 Pro model with a bigger and better emphasis on fitness so that it could compete directly against the Apple Watch Ultra 2, complete with a bigger battery, titanium build, and other fitness-specific features.
Going this route could make a tempting option for those using Samsung Galaxy phones or just any Android phone who find the regular Galaxy Watch 6 and the Classic too limiting. They do lack a lot of advanced features offered by something like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, with better water resistance, greater overall durability, advanced maps for bikers, and more. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro was definitely not “Pro” enough, but the 7 series could move the needle if Samsung wants it to.
A bigger battery
Even if there isn’t a Pro Galaxy Watch model this year, I hope Samsung packs a bigger battery inside its next Galaxy Watch models. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro came with a 590mAh battery, whereas the Galaxy Watch 6 series pack a considerably smaller 425mAh battery. The current-gen models have decent battery life thanks to newer software and a more power-efficient chip, but think of all the battery life gains you can get if the company added a bigger battery inside its next-gen watches with the level of battery optimization.
It’s also worth highlighting that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro model is both thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic despite packing a bigger battery. Better battery life is definitely an improvement I can get behind, and I wouldn’t mind trading the thinner and lighter design if it comes to that.
Closing thoughts
The last few entries in Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line up have all been iterative upgrades, so I hope we get bigger, more meaningful changes this time around. It’ll be interesting to see the new watches take their final form over the next few months leading up to the final release in August next year, so stay tuned. Don’t forget to stop by our Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Galaxy Watch 6 Classic comparison in case if you’re in the market to buy a new smartwatch right now and are split between the two Galaxy Watch 6 models.