This week’s tech announcements might have led with big Apple news at WWDC, but they’re closing on Samsung’s humblest smart product yet: the Galaxy Watch FE.
Starting at $199, the Galaxy Watch FE is the Android smartwatch leader’s first attempt to capture the success of the simple Apple Watch SE, rather than the more glitzy Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Pixel Watch 2. That means no rotating bezel, a smaller battery, only one size option, a smaller display, and a last-gen Exynos W920 chip. But with almost the same sensor loadout (minus temperature tracking) as the standard Galaxy Watch6, plus a $100 discount from the company’s current cheapest option, it finally gives Samsung’s wearables an entry-level pick.
It also has IP68 dust resistance and 5ATM water resistance, plus the same NFC (for contactless payments), GPS, Bluetooth, and wifi connectivity as Samsung’s more expensive watches. LTE connectivity can be added on for an extra $50, and you’ll boot up the watch to the familiar Wear OS 4 experience.
It’s unusual for Samsung to announce this now rather than wait for one of its Unpacked events, although it does give the company something to announce during its biggest mobile competitor’s biggest week.
If you’re like me and only use your smartwatch very casually, it’s worth waiting until the June 24 release date for this one, since it seems like it will provide an almost identical moment-to-moment experience as the now mid-range Galaxy Watch6, even with its compromises (you’ll have to wait for later this year if you want LTE, though).
Granted, even with its clear comparisons to the Apple Watch SE, it looks like Samsung is taking a slightly different approach here. The tradeoffs: being based on Samsung’s mid-range Galaxy Watch6 rather than its more premium Galaxy Watch6 Classic means the FE doesn’t have any kind of physical dial, whereas the Apple Watch SE has the same digital crown as the rest of Apple’s watch lineup. At the same time, the FE does have an always-on display, something Apple Watch owners can’t get without spending $400. It’s also $50 cheaper than the cheapest Apple Watch.