Samsung could pair the Galaxy Watch 7 with a cheaper Galaxy Watch FE this year
What you need to know
Two prominent leakers have hinted that Samsung will launch a Galaxy Watch FE in 2024.
This Fan Edition device will allegedly fall "somewhere in between the Galaxy Watch5 & Watch4" in specs.
Samsung may also launch a Galaxy Tab S9 Lite, a mid-range follow-up to the Tab S6 Lite.
Samsung may begin reselling the 2021 Galaxy Watch 4 with a new Exynos processor, some other minor upgrades, and a new name: the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE. Allegedly, it will launch later this year.
Leakers @rquandt and @TheGalox_ both posted this rumor on X, though they disagreed on the name. Roland Quandt labeled it "Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (2024)," while Anthony used the "FE" label and said it would be "somewhere in-between the Galaxy Watch5 & Watch4" in hardware.
If true, this rumor would make 2024 even more wearable-packed for Samsung. It will launch the Galaxy Watch 7 this summer — plus the Galaxy Watch 7 Pro, most likely — and the Galaxy Ring later in the year. Plus, we expect the Galaxy Fit 3 fitness tracker/ watch hybrid to arrive soon.
After selling Fan Edition phones, tablets, and earbuds, it's perhaps overdue that Samsung would release a Galaxy Watch FE. Like the Apple Watch SE, it'll offer a more affordable entry point for Android smartwatch fans who don't need all the high-end features or the fastest Exynos performance.
Samsung also likes to rerelease old devices with a revamped chip and a refreshed update calendar with the same name. One example is the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022), which had the same design as the S6 Lite (2019) but a new Snapdragon chip. So, in theory, this watch could be called the Galaxy Watch 4 (2024), but we think the name "Galaxy Watch FE" is less likely to confuse new buyers.
The leakers don't offer specifics on pricing or specs. If you compare the Galaxy Watch 5 vs. 4, the newer watch added an extra battery, sapphire glass, skin temperature readings, and faster charging but largely kept the same design.
It was the Galaxy Watch 6 update that brought a new chip with extra RAM, larger and brighter displays, and a thinner fit.
We can assume that the Galaxy Watch FE will reverse many of the recent upgrades in design and speed, but still come with a new chipset. We've heard for months about the Galaxy Watch 7 switching to a 3nm Exynos W940 chip, and perhaps the Galaxy Watch SE would get the same processor — only with less RAM.
Gadgets & Wearables, which first reported the tweets, speculated that the Galaxy Watch FE could launch before or alongside the Galaxy Watch 7. We've noticed, however, that Samsung often launches its Fan Edition devices after its mainline devices, so they don't undercut sales. The Galaxy S23 FE and Tab S9 FE launched well after their non-Fan Edition counterparts.
So perhaps we'll see the Galaxy Watch FE in the fall, after the Galaxy Watch 7 launches in August. We'll have to wait for more rumors to find out.
