Samsung’s Fan Edition (FE) line of devices offers cheaper versions of its flagship models. These have so far been limited to the Galaxy S range of smartphones and tablets, but new rumors suggest the Korean giant could be about to introduce a budget version of its smartwatch series.
It’s not yet clear whether this is an FE model or just a 2024 edition of the cheaper Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatch, but it looks like a new one is on the way.
So, what should you expect from the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE or Galaxy Watch 4 (2024) smartwatch and when can you get one on your wrist? Here’s everything we know so far.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE be released?
Samsung has not yet officially announced the arrival of a cheaper version of its Galaxy Watch. There are some rumors that it will arrive in 2024, but no specifics on the month.
Max Jambor, journalist and Samsung specialist, posted on his Twitter/X account that we would see a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (2024), which was one of the main sources of the expected release.
There were no more details than that, other than responding to a comment, in which he said the FE nickname would not be revealed. This would match the naming system of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024), which was initially launched in 2020 and saw a refresh in 2022 as well as the most recent edition.
Samsung normally presents its new smartwatch models in August, as you can see in this list of previous launch dates:
With that in mind, it would seem likely that we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE (or whatever it’s called) in August 2024, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.
However, several sources (but not Samsung) have confirmed to SamMobile that the summer Unpacked event will take place on July 10. It will be held in Paris to coincide with the Olympic Games of which Samsung is one of the major sponsors.
This could also see the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold FE and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE, which would further expand the FE range.
It’s worth noting that SamMobile doesn’t list this cheaper Galaxy Watch as an expected device for the July event.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE cost?
Again, there’s no word on how much the new budget Galaxy Watch will cost, but we can look at prices for the latest generations of watches as a guide.
Here’s how they lined up:
Galaxy Watch 6
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, Bluetooth) – $299.99/£289
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, LTE) – $349.99/£339
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm, Bluetooth) – $329.99/£319
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm, LTE) – $379.99/£369
Galaxy Watch 6 Classic
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, Bluetooth) – $399.99/£369
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, LTE) – $449.99/£429
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm, Bluetooth) – $429.99/£399
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm, LTE) – $479.99 £459
Galaxy Watch 5
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm, Bluetooth): $279.99/£269
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm, LTE): $329.99/£319
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (44mm, Bluetooth): $309.99/£289
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (44mm, LTE): $359.99/£339
Galaxy Watch 4
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 40mm (Bluetooth only) – $249/£249
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 40mm (4G) – $299/£289
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 44mm (Bluetooth only) – $279/£269
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 44mm (4G) – $329/£309
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm (Bluetooth only) – $349/£349
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm (4G) – $399.99/£389
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm (Bluetooth only) – $379/£369
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm (4G) – $429.99/£409
Obviously, the price should be a little lower than the current model if it is an economical FE version. We imagine that between £199/$199 and £249/$249 could be considered, but we’ll have to wait and see.
What new features will the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE include?
Details of the features we’ll see in the Galaxy Watch FE, or Galaxy Watch 4 (2024) as some are calling it, are pretty thin on the ground. Here’s everything we’ve gathered so far from the latest leaks and rumors.
Design
One theory that seems popular is that Samsung will simply take its 2021 Galaxy Watch 4 and repackage it into a more streamlined offering for 2024.
This model had dimensions of 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8 mm (40 mm variant) or 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8 mm (44 mm variant) and weighed 26 g (40 mm) or 30g (44mm).
It had two buttons on the edges of the aluminum casing and came with an IP68 rating for dust and waterproofing. At the time, our review praised the “cutting-edge hardware,” so if Samsung resurrects it for the 2024 model, we think customers will be happy with what they find.
Display
Again, using the Galaxy Watch 4 as a reference, this would mean two size variants: 40mm and 44mm. The smaller 40mm model comes with a 1.2-inch circular AMOLED panel running at 396×396, while the larger version has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display running at 450×450.
All of these were protected by Gorilla Glass DX+, although we don’t know if reducing this specification could be one of the cuts Samsung used to lower the price.
That said, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 6 both have sapphire crystal displays, so Gorilla Glass DX+ may still appear on the FE/4 (2024) model.
Performance
The Galaxy Watch 4 was powered by an Exynos W920 chipset, with 1.5 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage. These specs were also featured on the Galaxy Watch 5, replaced only by the new Exynos W930 on the Galaxy Watch 6, along with an upgrade to 2GB of RAM.
It would seem reasonable that Samsung would plunder its spare parts and re-use an older chipset, probably the W930, for the FE/4 (2024) model.
Battery charging
The Galaxy Watch 4 came with a rather small 361 mAh battery, which was later upgraded to a 410 mAh cell in the Watch 5 and 425 mAh in the Watch 6. In our review, we found that the Watch 4 lasted about two days on a single battery. charging, which is acceptable and easily as good as any of the Apple Watch equivalents.
Wireless charging was also supported, so it could be that Samsung resurrects the entire power section and places it in the Watch FE/4 (2024).
Fitness and follow-up
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 came with a comprehensive set of health tracking features, including heart rate monitoring, SpO2, sleep, stress, as well as a body composition measurement that attempted to ‘assess the levels of fat, muscle and water in your system.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
In the Watch 5 and Watch 6, Samsung introduced a skin temperature sensor, and we think it’s unlikely that this will make it to the FE/4 (2024) model, as it would cost more to implement and give less difference between the two. premium and budget options.
Software
All current Samsung Galaxy Watch models now run WearOS 4 and One UI Watch 5. We see no reason why the new FE/4 (2024) model would be any different.
Sure, it might not get as many updates as the premium models, but for now it will be up to date and running the latest software.
That’s everything we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE/4 (2024), but we’ll continue to update this article as more details are revealed. Until then, you can see which rivals the new model will have to defeat by reading our articles on the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers.
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