Samsung now has a true budget smartwatch in its lineup.
Samsung is introducing a new low-cost wearable to its smartwatch portfolio for the first time. The Galaxy Watch FE costs $200 and includes several capabilities with the $300 Galaxy Watch 6, such as sleep monitoring, workout tracking, and a body composition sensor.
The more affordable wristwatch comes in black, pink, or gold and features the same circular shape as the Galaxy Watch 6. It is IP68 rated and runs Wear OS with Samsung's One UI 5 Watch, similar to Samsung's more expensive watch. That implies the FE will offer the same software features as the Galaxy Watch 6, such as high and low heart rate warnings, irregular heart rhythm alarms, running analysis, and a customizable heart rate zone for exercises.
There is also an electrocardiogram app, which distinguishes Samsung's watch from competitors with similar prices, such as the $250 Apple Watch SE, which lacks an ECG app.
The battery and processor differ between the two Galaxy watches. The battery capacity of the Galaxy Watch FE is slightly smaller, at 247 mAh, than that of the 40-millimeter Galaxy Watch 6, which has 300 mAh. The FE also uses the older Exynos W920 chip, which was previously featured in the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5. Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 series, the Galaxy Watch FE is only available in a 40mm casing size. The Galaxy Watch 6 is available in 40mm or 44mm sizes, while the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic with rotating bezel is 43mm or 47mm.
The Galaxy Watch FE will be available in two variants: a $200 Bluetooth device on June 24 and a $250 LTE version later in October.
Samsung is likely to launch other wearables soon, including the new Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7. According to Korean news outlet ETNews and blog SamMobile, the next Unpacked event will take place in July, which is the same as previous year.
Later this year, Samsung will also release One UI 6 Watch, which will have a number of AI-powered health features. These include Energy Score, which uses indicators such as heart rate, activity, and sleep data to calculate your present status. It is still unclear whether the Galaxy Watch FE will also get This is an update. CNET has reached out to Samsung for confirmation and will update this article with more information.
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