- Samsung has launched the Galaxy Watch FE, a Wear OS smartwatch for budget users.
- It features specifications similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 - a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display, Exynos W920 chipset and Wear OS-based One UI 5 software.
- The Watch FE will be available for a price of $199 for the Bluetooth-only model and $249.99 for the LTE version.
Samsung’s Wear OS Galaxy Watches have made quite the name for themselves by offering a great Wear OS experience. With the Galaxy Watch 7 series just weeks away from launch, Samsung has now announced the Galaxy Watch FE. It’s a budget Wear OS smartwatch and the first “FE” (Fan Edition) device in the Galaxy Watch lineup. Here’s everything you need to know.
Galaxy Watch FE: Specifications
The Galaxy Watch FE looks like a rebranded Galaxy Watch 4. We say this because, the Watch FE comes in one size, i.e., 40mm, and features a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 396 x 396 pixels resolution. The casing is aluminum and the watch will be available in four colors — Black, Gold, Silver, and Pink.
The watch is powered by the Exynos W920, the SoC that powered the Galaxy Watch 4. The storage and RAM are also the same 1.5 GB and 16 GB, and the same goes for the battery (247 mAh with WPC. No Qi charging still). Even the dimensions are almost identical, i.e., 39.4 x 40.4 x 9.8 mm.
One of the changes on the front is the inclusion of Sapphire Crystal glass which was not present in the Galaxy Watch4. Like the Watch 4, the Galaxy Watch FE is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance.
In terms of connectivity, there’s LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and NFC. The watch will run on Wear OS-based One UI 5 Watch out of the box. The watch will be available in both LTE and Bluetooth-only variants.
Besides, the Watch FE has Samsung’s BioActiove Sensor that can track Optical Heart Rate, Electrical Heart, and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Other sensors include Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic, and Light sensors.
Availability and Pricing
As for the price, the Galaxy Watch FE’s Bluetooth-only version will be available at $199 (INR 16,630 approx.) from June 24. The LTE version is priced at $249.99 (INR 20,890 approx.) and will arrive later this year (possibly in October).
Samsung is definitely aiming this at the budget-conscious audience, and it will be interesting to see if this stirs up the budget Wear OS market, something that we do not have at the moment. The Wear OS smartwatch market should see many smartwatch launches in the coming months, including the Galaxy Watch 7 series and the Pixel Watch 3 and 3 XL. What are your thoughts on the Galaxy Watch FE? What should Samsung price it in India? Let us know in the comments below.
