With Galaxy Unpacked arriving on July 10, prospective Galaxy Watch 7 buyers only have a few days to wait until Samsung confirms (or refutes) all the Watch 7 leaks we've seen over the past six months—and whether or not we'll see a Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, Classic, or Pro, as different leakers have claimed.
The most recent leaks have given us clear information on the standard Galaxy Watch 7 and the first-ever Galaxy Watch Ultra, leaving behind the Classic and Pro designs. But we'll have to wait and see whether Samsung has a surprise in store.
Samsung has officially hinted at health, fitness, and Galaxy AI features coming to the latest Wear OS update, but there's plenty left to learn. We'll break down everything we suspect about the Galaxy Watch 7, including how it'll compare to the Galaxy Watch 6.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Availability
Samsung shipped the Galaxy Watch 4 on August 27, the Watch 5 on August 26, and the Watch 6 on August 11. Typically, it reaches customers a couple of weeks after the summer Unpacked announcement.
Since this year's Unpacked is on July 10, we expect the Galaxy Watch 7 to ship anywhere from mid-July to early August. Samsung stated in recent legal filings that the Galaxy Ring should ship "in or around August," and since Samsung should announce both its Ring and Watches at the same time, perhaps the Galaxy Watch 7 will take longer than usual to arrive post-announcement.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Models
Like its predecessors, the main Galaxy Watch 7 should ship in two case sizes, most likely 40mm (1.3 inches) and 44mm (1.5 inches). Samsung also sells an LTE version of each if you want a more standalone experience with your smartwatch.
FCC filings for the Galaxy Watch 7 show these four models, plus one more: the long-rumored Galaxy Watch Fan Edition with new hardware and an older Galaxy Watch 4-esque design. We won't dwell on the Galaxy Watch FE here since that's an entirely different watch and has already been unveiled.
We heard early rumors that Samsung would alternate between Pro and Classic watches, returning to the Watch 7 Pro after the Watch 6 Classic and Watch 5 Pro. One rumor even suggested Samsung would release a Watch 7 Classic and Pro. But the lack of more recent rumors renders, or FCC info makes us skeptical that they exist.
Instead, we recently spotted Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra renders with a brand-new, more squarish design and the 6 Classic's rotating bezel. So it's possible that Samsung has left both the Classic and Pro behind, pivoting to an Ultra watch to compete with the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Price
The last three generations of Galaxy Watches started at $250, $280, and $300, respectively. Size upgrades ($30 extra) and LTE upgrades ($50 extra) have remained unchanged in cost across all models.
Whether due to inflation or because rivals like the Apple Watch ($400) and Pixel Watch 2 ($350) charge more for comparable devices, Samsung could easily continue this slow creep up in price with the Galaxy Watch 7 in 2024.
One leaked Galaxy Watch 7 Amazon listing showed a price tag of CAD 358 (~$268), suggesting a price drop. A more recent leak indicated it would cost €319 (~$342) and €349 (~$374) for the 40mm and 44mm models, which would track with Samsung's pricing creep in recent years. We'll see if either turns out to be correct.
As for the alleged Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, we have no precedent to guess. Apple charges $800 for its Ultra watches, while Samsung's previous premium watches cost closer to $450. You should probably prepare for a higher price tag than ever before.
You can reserve a Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra from Samsung.com prior to Unpacked to get $50 off the price (whatever it ends up being).
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Design and display
After Samsung shrunk the Galaxy Watch 6 display border compared to the Galaxy Watch 5 to maximize the display size, we doubt it can find room to make the Galaxy Watch 7 display any bigger without making the watch itself overly heavy. In other words, you can expect a 1.3- or 1.5-inch AMOLED display, plus a digital bezel along the edge for sliding through menus.
The aforementioned Galaxy Watch 7 specs leak matches our expectations: allegedly, the Watch 7 will have 1.3- and 1.5-inch display options, while the Watch 7 Ultra would also have a single 1.5-inch display with matching 480x480 resolution.
Samsung doubled the Watch 6 display brightness to 2,000 nits. So far, we expect the Galaxy Watch 7 to match this standard. In theory, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could hit 3,000 nits to match the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but current leaks make no mention of this.
We also expect the same protective standard on the Watch 7 as past generations: Sapphire Crystal glass displays, a MIL-STD-810H rating against shock damage, and IP68 dust and water resistance. Intriguingly, the leaked Galaxy Watch Ultra could have 10ATM water resistance, double the depth of past Galaxy Watches.
As for the overall design, we'd expect the Galaxy Watch 7 to retain its flat, machine-cut look. A leaked Galaxy Watch 7 render, quickly taken down by Samsung's legal team, seemingly confirmed this, showing a look nearly identical to the Watch 6 except for pops of color embedded into the silicone strap.
The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra—according to the leakers who revealed the renders above—will have a rotating bezel, three side buttons, a 1.5-inch display, and 47 x 47.14 x 16.4mm dimensions. That would make it slightly larger than the 46mm Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. However, Dealabs claims the Ultra will ship in Titanium Gray, Titanium White, and Titanium Silver; generally, titanium is considered lighter than stainless steel.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Performance
Samsung used the Exynos 9110 with the first three Galaxy Watches, then the Exynos W920 for two watches, and finally, the Exynos W930 with the Watch 6. We initially assumed that Samsung would follow its usual trend and keep the Exynos W930 for the Watch 7, but signs now point to a rare, immediate upgrade.
A Korean news outlet reported back in October that the Galaxy Watch 7 would use the Exynos W940, a 3nm chip that allegedly "improves power consumption by 50%, performance by more than 30%, and reduces area by 35%."
Tipster Roland Quandt reaffirmed this rumor in January, stating that it has an internal name of "Exynos 5535" but that it should be renamed W940 for the official launch.
More recently, the Dealabs leak indicated both the Ultra and Watch 7 would have an "Exynos W1000 chipset with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage." We can't be certain if this is the same chip leaked in the past with a new name, or something wholly new. Either way, 2GB of RAM matches the Galaxy Watch 6, so any performance boost would come from the CPU.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specs and sensors
As mentioned above, Samsung reportedly intends to double the Galaxy Watch 7 storage to 32GB, matching the standard of most Android watches and the Apple Watch.
Like the Galaxy Watch 6, the Watch 7 should have the same BioActive sensor for heart rate, ECG, and body composition readings, along with the return of blood oxygen and temperature readings for sleep tracking. The FDA approved Samsung's sleep apnea detection earlier this year, so expect that as well. And in non-U.S. territories, you'll be able to measure blood pressure.
Although we've heard rumors about blood glucose monitoring on the Watch 7, the technology probably won't be ready for consumer products for a few years.
Beyond that, the Galaxy Watch 7 will undoubtedly bring back Samsung's wireless charging puck with at least 10W charging speed, the latest Bluetooth standard, and all of the global navigational satellite systems like GPS and GLONASS. We'll hope for more accurate dual-band GPS tracking, but we haven't heard any rumors about it.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Software
The Galaxy Watch 7 will launch with One UI Watch 6 before receiving the full Wear OS 5 update later this fall. At that point, Google will add improvements like better battery life during workouts, better app scaling for different display sizes, better XML watch faces, new Android Health data fields, and more.
Samsung has already announced new Galaxy AI health and fitness tools coming to the Galaxy Watch 7. The most prominent is a daily Energy Score that analyzes "average sleep time, sleep time consistency, bed/wake time consistency, sleep timing, previous day activity, sleeping heart rate, and heart rate variability" to quantify the user's daily condition.
In addition, you'll get "motivational tips, insights, and guidance" in the Samsung Health app based on your Watch 7 data. In the example image below, you can see Samsung showing your progress towards sleeping consistently, losing body fat, or lowering your resting heart rate over time.
Samsung says that the Watch 7 will have "greater precision and accuracy" for its health metrics thanks to "enhanced health algorithms" based on its AI. You'll also have new fitness measurements like personalized aerobic and anaerobic threshold levels that help Samsung determine how hard you're working out based on your body's abilities.
Runners will have a new "Race activity" option to challenge previous times and routes, while indoor athletes will have the ability to "combine various exercises for a personalized workout and seamlessly transition to the next exercise without stopping."
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Wishlist
As an Android smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 6 was a top-of-the-line device. But in certain areas like fitness and battery life, it left plenty of room for improvement.
As the person who reviewed the Galaxy Watch 6, here's what I want from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, as well as a hypothetical Watch 7 Ultra, to see a more exciting release this time around.
Bounce back in battery life
The last three Galaxy Watches offered 40, 50, and 40 hours of estimated battery life, respectively. You'll notice that the Watch 6 fell back a pace, most likely because its higher clock speed and increased RAM draw more power than its small battery capacity can handle.
Even though this number is well above Apple's 18-hour battery life, the Galaxy Watch 6's real battery life falls to 30 hours or below once you start using more intensive features. Any battery leeway Samsung can squeeze out would be welcome.
Samsung managed to shrink the Watch 6 a millimeter to 12mm, making it among the skinniest Android watches. I suspect some Watch 7 buyers would accept a slightly thicker design in exchange for another 10–15 hours of battery life — though others would prefer a more petite design. It'll be interesting to see how Samsung proceeds.
Offer better GPS tracking
In my review, I explained how the Watch 6 couldn't properly track your GPS movements, even in areas with no tree cover that would explain signal problems. So when a Garmin watch says you've hit a certain distance, the Galaxy Watch 6 will still measure you further back, forcing you to run further or harder than you intended.
Unless Samsung can fix its tracking problems, the next solution is to offer All-Systems tracking — which uses GPS along with GLONASS, GALILEO, or other satellite systems simultaneously to triangulate a signal — or dual-frequency GPS. The latter uses both L1 and L5 satellite frequencies that target your position from multiple angles, bypassing any signal obstructions and giving the watch more location data.
These systems are really useful...but also draw more battery life. So ideally, Samsung will offer better battery life so that the Galaxy Watch 7 has the capacity for better tracking. Or, at the very least, the Galaxy Watch 7 Pro should have dual-frequency tracking to compete with the Apple Watch Ultra for accuracy.
Double its storage
Samsung has stuck to 16GB of storage for its watches for years, while the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch both offer 32GB. In fact, once you take the pre-downloaded software into account, the Galaxy Watch 6 actually has closer to 6GB of free space left for apps, watch faces, and music.
The leaked rumor that the Galaxy Watch 7 will receive 32GB of memory has us relieved and hopeful. It should give Samsung watch fans more leeway to stream onboard music or try out more apps without having to delete others first, putting it on par with the Pixel Watch 2.
Give the Ultra more ways to stand out
How is Samsung going to make its Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra live up to the name? It will probably have titanium materials and double the battery life of the mainline watch, but so did the Watch 5 Pro. Just as Apple gave the Ultra unique perks—better GPS accuracy, diving certifications, better brightness, a siren, and so on—Samsung should come up with some fun upgrades that make Ultra users feel special.
