If you're in the market for a more affordable smartwatch that doesn't cut too many corners, Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy Watch FE, which is slated for release later this month.
FE is Samsung's "Fan Edition" line, which are pared-down versions of the company's flagship devices. In this case, it's the Galaxy Watch FE. Until now, the FE line has focused on phones, tablets, and earbuds, like the Galaxy S23 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE+; the latter earned a PCMag Editors' Choice award. But this is the first FE version of a Galaxy Watch.
The Galaxy Watch FE has a 1.2-inch, 396-by-396 Super AMOLED display, and runs a 1.18GHZ Dual Core Exynos W920 processor, similar to the Galaxy Watch 5. There's 1.5GB of memory and 16GB of storage.
It features Samsung’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification and ECG monitoring to detect Afib, while HR Alert can monitor abnormally high or low heart rates. There's also an array of fitness features, including the ability to track 100 different workouts, running analysis, and a personalized heart rate zone. The watch also supports Samsung Wallet, Find My Phone, and a Camera Controller that lets you control the camera on a connected Samsung smartphone.
The Galaxy Watch FE connects to devices running Android 6.0 and above. Get a Bluetooth version starting June 24 in black, pink, gold, or silver with a 40mm watch face for $199.99. An LTE model is coming later this year for $249.99, putting it in line with the lower-cost Apple Watch SE, which starts at $249.
This comes ahead of a rumored Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris on July 10, where we'll likely see a Galaxy Watch 7, more about the Galaxy Ring, and new Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip smartphones. An FE version of the Galaxy S24, meanwhile, is expected later this year.