After weeks of leaks, Samsung has unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, a 40mm smartwatch that offers some of the features of its recent premium models at a more affordable price.
The FE includes some of the features that made the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 a mainstay on our list of the best smartwatches. Although the FE appears to be based on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, it includes a sapphire crystal display, upgraded from the Watch 4's Corning Gorilla Glass, interchangeable straps with a 'one-click' system (the Watch FE features new watch designs straps) and some of Samsung's latest wellness tools.
Over 100 workouts, custom heart rate zones for improved activity tracking, and advanced running analysis are all present here, and welcome. According to Samsung, advanced running analysis (also present in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6) “analyzes the runner's posture for asymmetry and contact/flight time to improve efficiency and prevent injuries.”
The Watch FE also retains the Galaxy Watch 4's body composition tool, which allows the watch to scan your body and estimate how much fat, muscle, and bone you have. We tested the same body composition tool on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with a smart scale and found the results to be very accurate.
Non-wellness features include Find My Phone, camera controls, Samsung Wallet, and access to the Google Play Store; essentially everything you'd expect to see in a current Samsung watch.
Currently, the image above is our only official look at the device. The Galaxy Watch FE comes in three colors: silver, rose gold and black. The Bluetooth-only version will be available in the US starting June 24 and the LTE version will be available later this year. It will be priced at $199.99 in the US for the Bluetooth-only model and $249.99 in the US for LTE. It will be available globally in the coming weeks, but there is no information on international pricing yet.
Analysis: Samsung's entry-level watch breaks coverage early
Samsung's worst kept secret has now come to light! We knew an FE watch was coming, but it's a surprise to see it unveiled ahead of Samsung's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event next month.
The 'FE' moniker is Samsung's equivalent to Apple's 'SE', indicating that the watch is cheaper than other entries in the range, but will still keep up with Samsung's updated software, presumably running Wear OS 4 as part of Samsung's One UI. Look 5 operating system.
What does this mean for the rest of the watches that will be presented this year? With a cheaper smartwatch already revealed, Samsung may try to copy Apple's success by introducing the other rumored smartwatch, an Ultra or Pro model, so it could have three watches side by side simultaneously in the range.
Of course, the other big question mark is the Samsung Galaxy Ring. We know that Ring will work with at least some Samsung Galaxy Watches by offering additional metrics when worn during sleep and workouts, so presumably it will also interact with the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE in this way. Time will tell.
