Samsung’s Wear OS watches are some of the best out there, but even with frequent sales, they’re not exactly cheap; if you’re not paying full price, the Galaxy Watch 6 is still likely to cost you $250 or more on sale. Samsung has a habit of releasing lesser versions of existing products under the Fan Edition banner, though, and if a recent leak is to be believed, that strategy is making its way to the company’s wearable offerings. We’ve heard that there’s a Samsung Galaxy Watch FE in the works, and if history is anything to go on, it should be considerably more affordable than Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartwatch offerings. Here’s what we know about the Watch FE, plus what we hope it’ll be like.
Rumors and what we know so far
The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE rumors are slim pickings
To date, there’s only been a single leak about the Galaxy Watch FE, but it’s a fairly substantial one. In early April, Android Headlines caught wind of three new model numbers for Samsung wearables: SM-R866F, SM-R866U, and SM-R866N. As the Galaxy Watch 4’s model numbers all started with a similar SM-R860, AH has interpreted these model numbers as three variants of a refreshed and rebranded version of that wearable, each meant for a different market. The one ending in F is meant to be a US model, and we’re really hoping that’s the case: the recent Galaxy Fit 3 isn’t sold stateside.
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What we’d like to see in the Galaxy Watch FE
Make it good, make it cheap
So while we don’t know much about this upcoming wearable yet, the idea of a less-premium Wear OS watch from Samsung has our minds buzzing with possibilities. Here’s what we hope the new device will be line.
A starting price of $200 or less
Samsung’s FE series isn’t quite budget — the Galaxy S23 FE retails for $600 — but Fan Edition products do exist to undercut Samsung’s premium products enough to reach other segments of consumers. Given the Galaxy Watch 6 starts at $300 for the 40mm version and is regularly on sale for $250 and occasionally even less, the Galaxy Watch 6 will need to come in at a starting price of $200 or less to feel meaningfully less expensive than Samsung’s explicitly higher-end option.
Two sizes
Samsung’s existing Wear OS devices have all been offered in two sizes: the Watch 6 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, the Watch 6 Classic and 43 and 47. Not every smartwatch comes in multiple sizes — the Pixel Watch is a notable example there, available only in a single 41mm size — but only offering a single size will naturally alienate a large portion of the watch-wearing population. Possibly more to the point, the Watch FE’s across-the-aisle competition, the Apple Watch SE, does come in two sizes.
US availability
The recent Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 isn’t available at retail in the US, so this one’s pretty obvious: we hope you’ll be able to buy the Galaxy Watch FE stateside. Samsung’s existing Galaxy Watch wearables are already among the more affordable, up-to-date Wear OS options in the US (again, you can get a Watch 6 for $250 or less), but it’d be nice to see the Watch FE bring a similar experience downstream for American shoppers.
Part of the initial leak that hinted at the Watch FE’s existence in the first place does suggest that the wearable will be available in three variants: one for the Korean market, one for the US market, and a third for the rest of the world. Still, it might be a little early to take that as gospel. Until we hear more on this, we’re counting it as a wish.
Fun colors
The Watch 6 Classic is available in black and silver colorways; the less expensive Watch 6 comes in gray, silver, or gold. At the very least, we’d like to see a Watch FE in those same three color options, and ideally even more. The Galaxy S23 FE comes in a deep purple and a lively green color, and while I wouldn’t expect anything quite that in a smartwatch, a blue or rose gold option would be nice.
Long update support
The Galaxy Watch 6 series is guaranteed four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. Given Samsung’s recent commitment to long update timelines — the Galaxy S24 series has been promised seven years of updates, and Samsung recently surprised us by extending its update timeline for some older devices. In light of all that, it’d be a shame to see the Galaxy Watch FE stumble on updates. The same five-year lifespan as the Galaxy Watch 6 would be great to see.
When can we expect to see the Galaxy Watch FE?
Given we’ve only just learned of the Galaxy Watch FE’s existence, we don’t have much to go on when it comes to a potential release date. We’ve heard that Samsung’s upcoming foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, could be announced in July; it’s possible we’ll get a full unveil of the Watch FE at the same time. Whenever it happens, we’re looking forward to it: Wear OS sorely needs some more affordable options.
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