Galaxy Watch 3 versus the Apple Watch 5: the highest smartwatches

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Apple Watch 5

(Image credit: Samsung / Apple)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is that the long-awaited successor to at least one of our favorite wearables, the first Galaxy Watch, and we’re enjoying all the new perks and features. But how does it pile up to the market-leading competitor, the Apple Watch 5?

While both watches sit on either side of the OS divide – the Apple Watch 5 works seamlessly with iPhones, while the Galaxy Watch 3 integrates with Android phones much better than iOS devices – so choosing between the 2 may come right down to which ecosystem serves you better. Apple Watches the only link to iPhones, while the Samsung Watch 3 won’t be ready to reply to messages or transfer much health data unless linked to Android phones

That aside, both are all-around watches that will suit your fashion and your fitness needs – which is to be expected with their high prices relative to other smartwatches. These are the top-tier devices in their field, and you’d be hard-pressed to seek out wearables that outperform them.

The Apple Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 3 do differ substantially in features, OS, and functionality, but it’s tough to summarize their appeal. Instead, we’ve broken them down section-by-section, so read on for our deep dives into how they compare by category.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 5 price and release date


Samsung Galaxy Watch 3(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 was officially announced at Samsung Unpacked on August 5, 2020, and released each day afterward Transfiguration, 2020. Yes, it’s the direct successor to the first Samsung Galaxy Watch – we’re unsure why the corporate skipped the ‘Galaxy Watch 2’ name, but there was a two-year gap between the 2 watches.

The Galaxy Watch 3 starts at $399 / £419 / AU$649 for the smaller 41mm Galaxy Watch 3, and $329 / £429 / AU$699 for the larger 45mm version, both in chrome steel – and there’s a titanium version in 45mm coming later in 2020 at an undisclosed cost. the worth is even higher for the LTE-connecting models: $449 / £439 / AU$799 for the 41mm version, and $479 / £459 / AU$849 for the 46mm version.

The Galaxy Watch 3’s chrome steel cases are available three colors total, split between sizes: 41mm exclusively has Mystic Bronze, 45mm has Mystic Black, and both are available Mystic Silver. They’re shipped with a color-coordinating leather band, and therefore the titanium version will have a corresponding metal link band.

The Apple Watch 5 launched alongside the iPhone 11 lineup on September 10, 2020. Costs for the cheaper GPS-only model start at $399 / £399 / AU$649 for the smaller 40mm size, rising to $429 / £429 / AU$699 for the 44mm size. LTE versions of the watch start at $499 / £499 / AU$799 for 40mm and go up to $529 / £529 / AU$849 for the 44mm version.

Those baseline prices are for the aluminum case, which comes in three finishes: Gold, Space Black, and Silver. The chrome steel casing costs more supported band choice: $699 with a sport loop or sport band, $749 with a Milanese loop, or $799 with a leather loop. The titanium casing, in light and dark finishes, starts at $799 with a sport loop and goes up to $899 with a leather loop. Finally, a Ceramic finish will push the value to a whopping $1,299 with a sport loop and rising to $1,399 with a leather loop.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 5 design


Apple Watch 5(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 may be a refinement of the first Galaxy Watch and inherits much of its design. While the new watch is 14% slimmer and 15% lighter than the old, with some visibly streamlined elements, it’s still an outsized smartwatch.

Most importantly, the Watch 3 retains a physical rotating dial, which was one among our favorite features of the first Galaxy Watch that made it a pleasure to navigate the interface with precision and tactile clicking. Visually, the dial has lost its triangular pips that marked time, which overall contributes to a more minimal look. The lugs connecting the case to the strap are smaller, the buttons are distinct and rounded, and therefore the leather band rather than rubber all contribute to an aesthetic watch that takes cues from traditional timepieces.

The Galaxy Watch 3 features a suite of sensors on rock bottom that face the wrist: an ECG sensor also as an SPO2 sensor to trace blood oxygen levels, also as sensors to watch vital signs.

The Apple Watch 5 continues its own tradition of the rounded rectangle that began all the way back with the first Apple Watch. The oval button that summons recent apps and rotating crown are relatively unchanged, while the ECG sensors on the watch’s bottom remain virtually an equivalent from their introduction within the Apple Watch 4.

Design-wise, the Apple Watch 5 has more in common with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 – an overall ‘sporty’ look that contrasts with the more traditional appearance of the Galaxy Watch 3. The baseline aluminum versions Apple Watch 5 weighs 40.6 g for the 40mm model and 47.8 g for 44mm, which is notably lighter than the 48.2 g of the 41mm Galaxy Watch 3 and well under the 53.8 g of the 45mm Samsung watch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 5 display


Samsung Galaxy Watch 3(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 features a 1.2-inch (41mm) or 1.3-inch (45mm) circular AMOLED display, with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels, that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass DX. It inherits an always-on display from its predecessor, which shows a minimal version of the watch face for, say, checking time without draining much battery.

The Apple Watch 5 features a 1.57-inch (40mm) or 1.73-inch (44mm) rectangular OLED sapphire crystal display, with a resolution of 448 x 368 pixels. Apple introduced an always-on display with this model, beating Samsung to the punch by nearly a year.

While both watches have sharp displays with nearly an equivalent pixel density, the most important difference is the form factor. The Galaxy Watch 3 screen is circular, while the Apple Watch 5 display is more rectangular – and this defines each one’s experience. While modern app content is arguably better fitted to rectangular screens, the Watch 3’s rotating physical dial is simpler to scroll with than the Apple Watch 5’s crown.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 5 fitness




Apple Watch 5 review(Image credit: TechRadar)

The Galaxy Watch 3 builds on its predecessor’s fitness modes and offerings, which were acceptable but not impressive. It can track a complete of 40 different workouts, seven of which (running, walking, swimming, cycling, rowing, elliptical, and aerobically dynamic) the watch can detect and begin tracking automatically. Whether it’s actually a pleasure to exercise with the large watch will need to wait until we’ve done more testing – the first Galaxy Watch was notably top-heavy.

The other features are supplementary but helpful, sort of a VO2 Max reading that calculates the utmost amount of oxygen your body can absorb while exercising. Watch 3 also gets fall detection, which has been in Apple’s wearables since the Apple Watch 4. And in fact, Watch 3 has SPO2 blood oxygen tracking and vital sign monitoring.

We haven’t fully tested the Galaxy Watch 3’s sleep tracking yet, but it’s encouraging that Samsung partnered with the US National Sleep Institute to assist develop the feature. It automatically tracks sleep cycles and provides a morning report detailing sleep quality and recommendations on recuperating sleep.

The Apple Watch 5 doesn’t have sleep tracking, though it’s rumored to be coming within the watchOS 7 updates arriving later in 2020. albeit it does, the Apple smartwatch has such limited less-than-a-day battery life that it’s hard to imagine it being a helpful feature; a minimum of the Galaxy Watch 3 can last overnight (or even two) to watch sleep habits.

The Apple Watch 5 shines in its fitness offerings, though, albeit little has changed since the Apple Watch 4. The watch accurately tracks and auto-detects workouts, steps, pulse, and elevation because of the new internal compass, and automatically feeds the info into the iOS Fitness and Health apps, if the watch is connected to an iPhone. This makes the Apple Watch 5 a far better fitness partner for those that have an iOS device.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs. Apple Watch 5 performance and battery


Samsung Galaxy Watch 3(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 packs the Exynos 9110 chipset, an equivalent as within the original Galaxy Watch, and therefore the Galaxy Watch Active 2. it's a flat 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage for apps and media.

The Galaxy Watch 3 runs on Samsung’s Tizen wearable OS 5.5, which is that the company’s proprietary wearable OS it uses rather than Wear OS. this enables Samsung to fine-tune how the rotating dial works within the interface, but it also potentially means fewer apps that need to release a separate version for the OS.

The Apple Watch 5 is powered by the Apple S5 mobile chipset, which reportedly isn’t much changed from its predecessor’s silicon, but does have a magnetometer (for the compass) and better power efficiency – all of which seems to possess been counterbalanced by the always-on display, meaning the battery life is actually an equivalent because the Apple Watch 4. The new smartwatch does double its storage to a whopping 32GB for all the app and media you’d want to store locally.

Apple Watch 5 runs watchOS 6 out of the box, which notably has its own App Store for users to browse and download apps on the watch itself without having to route through a connected phone. The OS also has voice memos and basic versions of iOS apps (like the calculator), also as ambient noise monitoring.

Battery life is where these smartwatches seriously differ. The Apple Watch 5 claims 18 hours off its 296mAh of capacity, which makes daily recharging a necessity – since, well, it can’t even last a full day. We haven’t fully tested the Galaxy Watch 3, but given its predecessor managed to repeat last over three days, and even into the fifth day once in a while without recharging, we’re wanting to see how long it'll last. But the disparity in capacity between the smaller and bigger versions of the watch (247mAh and 340mAh, respectively) leads us to think it’ll be two days this point around.

Takeaway


(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Given the advantages of matching these smartwatches with phones of their operating systems, it’s likely best to select the wearable that works best with the smartphone you already own. But these wearables are different enough in form and features to think about on their own merits.

The Galaxy Watch 3 is big, little question about it, but it's classier and more broadly-appealing than its chunky predecessor, especially with its leather straps. Otherwise, its appeal is virtually an equivalent because of the original Galaxy Watch, albeit with more sensors for ECG and SPO2 to trace health conditions.

The extra battery and health features give the Galaxy Watch 3 a touch of a foothold on the Apple Watch 5 (where its SPO2 sensor is cleared by medical authorities, anyway), but the Apple-tuned wearable has polish befitting its brand. If you don’t mind recharging your smartwatch more often, the Apple touch and seamless integration with iPhones is simply easy.

Either way, these devices represent the highest picks of the simplest smartwatches on the market. If you would like all-around quality and are willing to pay the worth, both are great picks.





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Wearable: Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 / Watch 3 release date, price, news, and leaks

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 or Watch 3 - what is going to the company's next smartwatch be called

The original Samsung Galaxy Watch (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 is what we expected the company's next smartwatch to be called, but it's looking love it might actually be called the Galaxy Watch 3, likely to form the device seem better than the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

That's odd given it is a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but 2020 has been the year the corporate plays fast and loose with naming conventions, so it's no surprise.

We originally thought the device was called the Galaxy Watch 2, but a while after the Galaxy S20 range launch leaks began to suggest the new smartwatch was actually the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. For now, we do not know which is true.

The new smartwatch is overdue, especially once you consider that Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch Active 2 only six months after the first Watch Active arrived back in 2019.

The most recent leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, as they call it, could launch in July, but reports are everywhere the place and there is no definitive official stance.

Below you’ll find all the leaks and news that we’ve heard thus far about the wearable and further down there’s a list of all the items we would like from the Galaxy Watch 2 / Watch 3, to form it a worthy upgrade and a true rival to the Apple Watch 6 and therefore the other best smartwatches.

Update: Some hands-on pictures of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 have leaked from their certification tests. These pictures look far more like what the watch will look on your wrist, than other pictures we have seen before, so it is a far more honest check out the watch.

Cut to the chase

1. What is it? Samsung's next flagship smartwatch
2. When is it out? We're unsure yet, but likely 2020
3. What will it cost? Likely a minimum of $329 / £279 / AU$499

Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 release date and price

Originally we expected to ascertain the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 a year after the first device - round the same time because the Galaxy Note 10 launch in 2019 - but the device didn't appear. Nor did it land alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 family of phones in February 2020.

The release of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 also makes us slightly question whether there'll be a Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 in the least, especially because the Active sequel is often bought with a leather strap, positioning it as a classier option than the first and a true alternative to the Galaxy Watch, and as we're now hearing about the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 3.

Either the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 or Galaxy Watch Active 3 could land soon though, as two model numbers for Samsung wearables, which have previously been linked to at least one or other of those ranges, have now appeared on official certification documents in China. Since then, something listed specifically as a 'Samsung Galaxy Watch' has been certified within the US.

That more or less proves that Samsung features a new smartwatch within the works, but certifications for brand spanking new devices normally appear on the brink of launch, so it also suggests the wearable might soon be announced.

As for price, there aren’t any rumors there, but the first Galaxy Watch started at $329 / £279 / AU$499 (for the smaller 42mm version), therefore the Galaxy Watch 2 will probably cost a minimum of that much.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 news and leaks

There aren’t many Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 rumors yet, but an FCC listing for an upcoming Galaxy Watch (which is presumably either this or the Galaxy Watch Active 3) includes a sketch with various specs and features written thereon.

As you'll see below, the wearable has GPS, LTE, a 5 ATM water resistance rating, a 45mm chrome steel case, military-standard durability, and uses Gorilla Glass DX.

According to the foremost recent reports, it seems that Samsung may skip variety and call this upcoming wearable the Galaxy Watch 3, partly to avoid confusion with the Galaxy Watch Active 2 (we hope you're maintaining at the back). We've heard quite a few leaks under this name at now, lending the rumor credence.

(Image credit: FCC / Samsung)

Beyond that, it's rumored that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 will have a physical rotating bezel. That's no surprise since the first Galaxy Watch had this feature, but we'd wish to see it return, as it is a good way to navigate the interface.

One source also suggests that the wearable will are available two different sizes – a 44mm one and a 40mm one.

The original Galaxy Watch also came in two sizes, but they were 46mm and 42mm, so if true then the Galaxy Watch 2 may need to be been shrunk down a touch, which is not any bad thing because the original was a hefty device within the larger size.

It's worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 has now launched in 44mm and 40mm sizes, so it's possible that this rumor was actually talking that, especially since the sketch above mentions a 45mm size. Equally though, it's extremely possible that Samsung will start offering those sizes across its smartwatch range, especially as that's in line with the Apple Watch.

The most recent size leak points to 41mm and 45mm though, so either way, it'll likely be smaller than its predecessor.

We've seen a leaked image of the smartwatch with the screen on, running a really similar build of Tizen (Samsung's own-brand operating system) to its
predecessor, suggesting the watches could function very similarly but the physical differences.

Another leak from the smartwatch's certification shows a more honest check out the device, not in press renders or promotion, and it shows the device you'd get within the box.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Via NCC certification pic.twitter.com/j0DUtgWkzx

— the_tech_guy (@_the_tech_guy) July 7, 2020

A leak from sources known to popular Samsung blog SamMobile has said that the smartwatch will accompany double the storage of previous editions so there'll be 8GB of space for apps and music.

The same blog has also reported that there'll be a titanium version of the watch, alongside the expected aluminum and chrome steel ones. Titanium is light, durable, and expensive, so this might be a premium option.

It has also been reported that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 is codenamed ‘Renaissance’. One definition of that's ‘rebirth’ or ‘revival’, which – while we'd be reading an excessive amount of into the name - could suggest big changes are coming to the planning or features of the watch.

Will the Galaxy Watch 2 sport a replacement design?Will the Galaxy Watch 2 sport a replacement design? (Image credit: Future)

Finally, within the realms of unlikely but possible features, there’s a patent (spotted by Patently Mobile) for a Samsung wearable with a body composition feature that might use electrodes built into the strap to live body fat percentage.

We doubt we’ll see this on the Galaxy Watch 2 though, as that isn’t specifically named within the patent, and patents often take an extended time to show into products – if they ever do.

That's it in terms of rumors, but we will take some educated guesses about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, especially now that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 has been announced because the two are likely to share some features.

A big new feature on the Watch Active 2 for instance is its ECG (electrocardiogram), a feature that can let it monitor your heart’s rhythm and provide you with a warning to possible fibrillation. In other words, it might be a life-saving feature. The Apple Watch 4 also offers this and we'd be very surprised if the quality Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 didn't.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 also features a digital rotating bezel. this is often in situ of the physical one on the Galaxy Watch and will be something Samsung will move to for the Galaxy Watch 2. It's arguably almost as slick, but also takes up less space, allowing a more compact design.

Of course, Samsung is additionally getting to want to stay the 2 wearables distinct, so maybe it won't ditch the physical bezel - especially as its return has now been rumored.

What we would like to ascertain

While we don’t know an enormous amount about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 yet, we do know what we would like from it.

1. More third-party apps

Tizen is sweet, but its app situation isn't. Tizen is sweet, but its app situation isn't. (Image credit: TechRadar)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch runs Tizen, instead of one among the big-name wearable operating systems, and one downside of that's that there are fewer apps available than you’ll find on Wear OS or watchOS.

So by the time Samsung launches the Galaxy Watch 2, we’d wish to have seen it work with developers to urge more apps on the platform, especially superstar ones.

2. Better stress tracking

The Samsung Galaxy Watch tracks tons of things and mostly does an honest job, but stress tracking is certainly a weak link.

While it’s available, it required us to manually measure our stress levels instead of tracking them automatically in our tests (despite claiming that it can roll in the hay automatically), and its accuracy might be questionable since the info seems mostly based just on the pulse. So we’d wish to see this feature overhauled for the subsequent model.

3. Group challenges

Competing with friends is often an enormous motivator to urge more active and handily the Samsung Galaxy Watch allows you to do that. Your friends don’t even need a Galaxy Watch of their own – a Gear watch or the Samsung Health app will do exactly fine.

However, you'll only challenge friends individually, instead of having a gaggle competition. It looks like this is able to be a clear and straightforward feature to feature, so hopefully, Samsung will.

4. Compatibility with more wireless chargers


There should not be a requirement for proprietary chargers. There should not be a requirement for proprietary chargers. (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch charges wirelessly, but not just any wireless charger will do, you would like a proprietary one that comes with it. this is often inconvenient and if you’re ever without your charger means you’re likely to soon have a dead watch (though the Galaxy Watch a minimum of has good battery life).

So for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, we would like it to figure with standard, everyday wireless chargers. That way if you’re at the office or a friend’s house without yours there’s a minimum of an opportunity someone will have one you'll borrow.

5. Big improvements to Bixby

Another downside of using Tizen instead of Wear OS is that the Samsung Galaxy Watch is reliant on Bixby instead of Google Assistant.

This is a drag, because Bixby is nowhere near nearly as good as Google Assistant (or Siri or Alexa for that matter), with one particular major issue being that it simply struggles to know us on the Galaxy Watch.

While you don’t need to use Bixby to interact with the Galaxy Watch, it's the potential to be a serious feature, but until it gets tons better it won’t be.

6. An ECG

The Apple Watch 4 already has an ECG. The Apple Watch 4 already has an ECG. (Image credit: Apple)

One of the large new features Apple added for the Apple Watch 4 was an ECG, a feature that lets it check for fibrillation.

It’s a serious upgrade and one we’d like to see Samsung match with its rival device. This now looks very likely though, as Samsung has brought the feature to the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

7. Wider LTE availability

There are versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch that support LTE, but only on select networks, which won’t suit everyone. For the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, we’d wish to see an LTE model available on more or less all networks, so it’s an option for everybody.





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Samsung's new wearables are here

After four months of its announcement, the new line of wearable from Samsung has made it to the Indian market. The company has finally launched the Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit E in the Indian market.

The new wearables, as the name suggests, are fitness trackers with different features on offer at different price points. The Watch Active is a smartwatch, while the other two are fitness bands that do not offer as much as the Active.

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The Galaxy Watch Active is a refined and improved version of Samsung's standard smartwatch in a smaller package. Because it is a lot cheaper, the watch also trims some of the top-end features of its existing smartwatch. That's because the Watch Active is made for dynamic usage without adding the bulk to your wrist. It can be worn while working out and also while sleeping.

The Galaxy Watch Active has a round dial, but it misses the beloved rotating bezel, which makes it lighter and slimmer. The watch has a 1.1-inch Super AMOLED (360x360) display with Gorilla Glass protection, it measures 39.5 x 39.5 x 10.5mm and weighs 25 grams without the straps.

Samsung's Exynos 9110 chipset runs at its heart and it comes with One UI 1.0 on based on Tizen OS. It comes with 0.75GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage.

Some of its many features include exercise, sleep, stress, and health tracking, and is also the company's first wearable to track blood pressure.

The Galaxy Watch Active is IP68 + 5ATM rated for water resistance up to 50 meters.

Samsung's ultra-affordable wearables for fitness freaks

The Gear Fit has a remarkably similar spec to the Fitbit Inspire HR with a waterproof design, automatic fitness tracking, and some notifications.

The Gear Fit E, however, is far less feature-packed missing out on a lot of that functionality, but it does still come with a heart rate monitor and a swim-proof design that can tackle a variety of exercises.

The Galaxy Fit has a 0.95-inch AMOLED (120X240) full-color display. It measures 45.1mm in height, 18.3mm in width and weighs 23 grams. The Galaxy Fit offers with 2MB RAM and 32MB storage.

What's the cost?

The Galaxy Watch Active is priced at Rs 19,999 and will be available offline via Samsung SmartCafe outlets and partner retail stores, and online via Samsung Shop and Amazon India. The Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e are priced at Rs 9,990 and Rs 2,590, respectively, and will also be available through similar offline channels. In addition to the Samsung online store, the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e will also be on sale on Flipkart and Myntra.





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Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active today

Samsung's announcement of its new Galaxy S10 phone wasn't the only new product information to drop. The tech retailer also announced its newest Galaxy smartwatch -  the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. The newest Samsung wearable is available now for purchase, so we've rounded up the best prices and deals from several retailers below.

As the name implies, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is focused on fitness, and its new design and features reflect that. The ultra-lightweight Galaxy Active comes in one size and features a 1.1-inch display. The fitness watch continually monitors your heart and will send alerts when an abnormal heart rate is detected. The Samsung watch can also help with your sleep and stress, analyzing your sleep patterns and sending you breathing exercises when high-stress levels are detected. The Galaxy Active will also help you keep on track with your health and fitness goals by tracking up to 39 exercises and displaying your health summary on the smartwatch display. The waterproof watch comes in four different colors and has a battery that lasts for days on a single charge.

The Samsung Galaxy Active Watch currently retails for $199.99/£229. The main reason the Active Watch is cheaper than the original Samsung Galaxy Watch ($329 / £279 for the 42mm model) is that the Active is missing the rotatable bezel, a core feature from the Samsung Galaxy Watch. So navigation of the menus and features is handled by the touchscreen and two side buttons. If you plan on using the Samsung watch just for fitness purposes, then the Galaxy Active is a great alternative at a lower price.

You'll find all of the prices from several retailers below. For a limited time, Walmart is even offering a free charging pad if you pre-order the Galaxy Watch Active before March 17. Amazon UK is also offering a free charging pad if you order before April 19. Samsung UK is not only offering a free charging pad (must order before March 20), but will also knock £80 off your order if you trade in your old watch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch prices


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You can also find out more about the Samsung smartwatch with our Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review.

If you're interested in Samsung's newest phone you can find the best Samsung Galaxy S10 prices and deals in the US, and we've got you covered for UK pre-order deals of the Galaxy S10 too.





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The Gear Fit 3 in all but name?

Update: Samsung itself has outed the Galaxy Fit ahead of schedule, showing a picture of the device and confirming the names Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e. Plus we may see the tracker get announced tomorrow.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit could soon arrive and it might be one of the best fitness trackers of 2019 when it does. The truth is that we don’t know much about it yet, but based on the strength of the Gear Fit range, we’re somewhat excited by the prospect of it.

The Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro is currently sitting in our best fitness trackers list, and that’s despite it being a conservative upgrade on the Gear Fit 2. If the Galaxy Fit (which is likely to be the Samsung Gear Fit 3 in all but name) is an upgrade worthy of a whole new name then it could be very impressive indeed.

You'll find all the current rumors below, along with a wish list of what we want from the wearable and some educated guesses as to what it might feature and when it might launch. We'll also add anything new to this article as soon as we hear it, so make sure to check back regularly.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's next fitness tracker
• When is it out? Possibly February 20, that's tomorrow
• What will it cost? Likely upwards of $199 / £209 (around AU$370)
• Samsung Galaxy Fit release date and price

There isn’t any real release date news about the Samsung Galaxy Fit yet, but it - as well as the Samsung Galaxy Fit E - has appeared in an official Samsung app (detailed below), seemingly ahead of schedule, but strongly suggesting that it's coming soon.

We've also seen it listed in a Bluetooth certification, which is yet more evidence of an impending launch.

By far the most likely launch date then is February 20, as Samsung is holding an event on that date. The Samsung Galaxy S10 is expected to be the star of the show, but numerous other devices might make an appearance, including the Galaxy Fit and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active (or Samsung Galaxy Sport as it might be called).

You can watch the Galaxy S10 livestream from 11AM PT / 2PM ET / 7PM GMT or 6AM AEDT on Thursday 21. Alternatively, it might get announced at MWC 2019, which is a major trade show that runs from February 25-28.

As for the price, all we can do there is look at the current model. The Gear Fit 2 Pro launched for $199 / £209 (about AU$370), so there’s a chance the Gear Fit 3 will have a similar price.

Samsung Galaxy Fit news and rumors

The main Samsung Galaxy Fit information comes from the image below, which was taken from Samsung's official Galaxy Wearable app. In other words, Samsung seems to have accidentally outed the device before it has been announced.

From the design, this looks similar to previous Samsung fitness trackers, with a rectangular screen and a likely silicone band, shown here in black. It also looks to have a color screen, as we'd expect.


That report came alongside the Samsung Galaxy Watch trademark, which turned out to be the name of Samsung's latest smartwatch, so even before Samsung more or less confirmed it, Galaxy Fit (rather than Gear Fit 3 or anything else) was our best guess for the name.

We've also previously seen a Bluetooth certification listing for a Samsung Galaxy Fit E, so the mention of that model in Samsung's leak is no surprise either.

So far there aren’t any other Samsung Gear Fit 3 rumors, but while we wait for more to roll in we can speculate on a few things. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Fit will probably have many of the same features as the Gear Fit 2 Pro, including a heart rate monitor, GPS and water resistance, along with a color screen.

What we want to see

While there aren't many rumors about the Galaxy Fit as yet, there are plenty of things we want from it, such as the following.

1. A simple setup

Setting up the Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro is a clunky experience, thanks primarily to the need to download multiple apps onto your phone just to get the most out of it.

So for the Gear Fit 3 we’d like to see a simpler, more streamlined setup process that allows you to get properly up and running (literally) in a matter of minutes.

2. Better battery life

With limited usage you’ll get two to three days of life out of the Gear Fit 2 Pro and just one day with heavy use, which isn’t awful but certainly isn’t great.

While we’re used to charging our smartwatches daily, fitness trackers often manage to last a little longer, so we’d like to see an extra day or so added to the life of the Galaxy Fit.

3. A reliable barometer


The Samsung Gear Fit 2's barometer wasn't always accurate

One issue we noted with the Gear Fit 2 was that water could mess with the barometer, causing it to think you’ve walked up many more flights of stairs than you actually have.

We’re not expecting this to be an issue with the Samsung Galaxy Fit but we’ll certainly be disappointed if it is.

4. A reasonable price

While the Gear Fit 2 Pro isn’t wallet-weepingly expensive it did launch at a higher price than the Gear Fit 2, and that’s despite only being slightly improved and landing over a year later, so there’s a worry that the Gear Fit 3 could be a pricey wearable, but we hope Samsung keeps the price competitive.

5. Spotify pre-installed

It’s a small point, but despite Spotify (and specifically its offline mode) being one of the best features of the Gear Fit 2 Pro, it didn’t come pre-installed, even though a bunch of apps did, so we’d like to see the music streamer ready to go out of the box for the Samsung Galaxy Fit.

6. A refreshed design


The Samsung Gear Fit 3 could do with a design refresh

The Gear Fit 2 Pro has a fairly nice design, but it’s also pretty much exactly the same as the design of the Gear Fit 2, so we’d like to see Samsung freshen things up a bit for the Gear Fit 3, or even just give buyers a greater selection of colors to choose from.

7. A significant upgrade

The Gear Fit 2 Pro is an accomplished fitness tracker, but it’s only a small upgrade on the Gear Fit 2, so for Samsung to stay relevant and excite us we want some big upgrades from the Galaxy Fit.

That could take the form of new sensors, more metrics, greater accuracy, improved smartwatch features or any number of other things, but we hope Samsung does something to make it stand out.




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Samsung's next flagship smartwatch

Update: Samsung's own Galaxy Wearable app has leaked the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Read on below to see everything we've just heard about the upcoming smartwatch.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is notable for a lot of reasons, not least of which being that it’s a highly capable smartwatch - in fact, it's number one in our best smartwatch ranking - and it doesn’t run Wear OS or watchOS, relying instead on the Tizen operating system.

With a stylish design, long battery life and loads of tracking skills it does enough to compete with any wearable running those better-known operating systems, but it isn’t perfect by any means, so we’ve come up with a list of improvements that we want to see on the next Samsung smartwatch.

Originally we wrote these expecting them to be improvements we'll see on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, but since then we've heard rumors of a product called the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active.

You'll find what we want to see as well as everything we've learnt so far about Samsung's next slearnedtch. That includes possible release timing, price and features.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next smartwatch from Samsung
• When is it out? Maybe February 20, or later in 2019
• What will it cost? Probably at least $329 / £279 / AU$499
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active release date and price

The Samsung Galaxy Watch landed on August 9, 2018, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, so there’s a fair chance that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 will land in or around August 2019, possibly at the same event as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.

Before that, we're expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active that will likely sit alongside the Galaxy Watch range.

The Watch Active has been spotted on Samsung's own official Galaxy Wearables app suggesting it'll be ready to launch alongside the Galaxy S10. We're expecting to hear about that phone on February 20 at a special launch in San Francisco.

However, there’s no guarantee of that and there are no exact release date details yet.

There aren’t any price rumors yet either, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch launched for $329 / £279 / AU$499 for the 42mm version or $349 / £299 / AU$549 for the 46mm model, with prices going up if you want a version with LTE. So we’d expect the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active will cost at least that much and it may cost more.

Samsung Galaxy Sport or Galaxy Watch Active?


The next smartwatch from Samsung is unlikely to be called the Galaxy Watch 2 - that's probably a name reserved for a follow-up to the original watch and we'd expect that to launch late in 2019 or perhaps even later.

Rumors initially suggested it'd be called the Samsung Galaxy Sport, but we've now seen consistent leaks - including Samsung's own website - that suggests it'll be the Galaxy Watch Active.

It suggests an adventure-led design with a more rugged look, and it may eventually be the final name of this next Samsung wearable.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active news and rumors

There aren’t yet any whispers about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, but there are lots of renders seemingly showing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. That may show us Samsung's next smartwatch as well as give us a hint of what to expect on the Galaxy Watch 2.

First up, we have the most important leak that was spotted on the company's own Galaxy Wearables app. It also showed off the Samsung Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Buds headphones.


That also matches a render spotted by 91Mobiles, meaning we're almost certain this will be the design of the new watch. The renders show it'll have a round design, chrome body and two circular buttons on the right-hand side of the watch.

It also confirms the company won't be including a rotatable bezel on this device like there was on the Galaxy Watch.

It's not currently clear if the company would offer up two different sizes like it did for the Galaxy Watch.

Giving credence to the leaks above, we've also seen the below render provided by Tiger Mobiles that shows the same design but in three different colors.


Those are blue, black and rose gold to go alongside the silver variant,

The earliest leaked renders showed a hint of the design as well, which you can see below. The main change is that the bezel is smooth rather than toothed and looks like it might not be rotatable.

The two buttons on the right edge are also a different shape, which matches what we've seen in later leaks.


Then there's also a quick look at the user interface the company will be using on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active.

A leak from SamMobile has suggested Samsung will be revamping its software to keep it in line with its relatively new 'One UI' look used in beta on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and expected to feature on the S10 series.

Exactly how it will change isn't clear, but below you can see a screenshot of leaked watch faces we currently expect Samsung to include on the new match.

We don't currently have a clear idea of the spec to expect.

Looking into the future, it’s very likely that Samsung is also working on the Galaxy Watch 2. We can take some educated guesses as to certain features that it may have.

For example, it’s sure to retain most or all of the features found on the Samsung Galaxy Watch. That includes GPS, a heart rate monitor, and NFC, along with tracking for various sports, sleep and stress.


It’s also likely to have a circular face and a rotating bezel, especially as the likes of the Gear S3 also have those things.

What’s less certain but still very likely is that the Galaxy Watch 2 will run Tizen. Samsung has been using Tizen on wearables for a while and although a move to Wear OS was rumored for the Galaxy Watch, no such change happened in the end.


It’s possible that Samsung will switch to Wear OS for the Galaxy Watch 2, especially as Google’s smartwatch operating system has a healthier app ecosystem. But there are plenty of reasons to like Tizen and Samsung hasn’t shown any real sign of giving up on it.

What we want to see

The Samsung Galaxy Watch is a great smartwatch but one with plenty of room for improvement. The following seven features are things we’d really like to see on the Galaxy Watch Active or Galaxy Watch 2.

1. More third-party apps

The Samsung Galaxy Watch runs Tizen, rather than one of the big-name wearable operating systems, and one downside of that is that there are fewer apps available than you’ll find on Wear OS or watchOS.

So by the time Samsung launches the Galaxy Watch 2 we’d like to have seen it work with developers to get key apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps and Facebook Messenger on the platform.

2. Better stress tracking


The Samsung Galaxy Watch tracks a lot of things and mostly does a good job, but stress tracking is definitely a weak link.

While it’s available, it required us to manually measure our stress levels rather than tracking them automatically in our tests (despite claiming that it can do it automatically), and its accuracy could be questionable, since the data seems mostly based just on heart rate. So we’d like to see this feature overhauled for the next model.

3. Group challenges

Competing with friends can be a big motivator to get more active and handily the Samsung Galaxy Watch lets you do this. Your friends don’t even need a Galaxy Watch of their own – a Gear watch or the Samsung Health app will do just fine.

However, you can only challenge friends individually, rather than having a group competition. It seems like this would be an obvious and easy feature to add, so hopefully Samsung will.

4. Compatibility with more wireless chargers


The Samsung Galaxy Watch charges wirelessly, but not just any wireless charger will do, you need a proprietary one that comes with it. This is inconvenient and if you’re ever without your charger means you’re likely to soon have a dead watch (though the Galaxy Watch at least has good battery life).

So for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 we want it to work with standard, everyday wireless chargers. That way if you’re at the office or a friend’s house without yours there’s at least a chance someone will have one you can borrow.

5. Big improvements to Bixby

Another downside of using Tizen rather than Wear OS is that the Samsung Galaxy Watch is reliant on Bixby rather than Google Assistant.

This is a problem, because Bixby is nowhere near as good as Google Assistant (or Siri or Alexa for that matter), with one particularly major issue being that it simply struggles to understand us.

While you don’t have to use Bixby to interact with the Galaxy Watch, it has the potential to be a major feature, but until it gets a lot better it won’t be.

6. Better iOS compatibility


The Samsung Galaxy Watch works with both Android and iOS, but it’s definitely better with Android, because while you can read notifications on the watch when paired with an iPhone, you can’t reply to them or initiate communications, making it a lot more limited.

This may not be something Samsung can solve, as it would likely require a change on Apple’s end, but it’s something we’d like to see nonetheless, as it could make the Galaxy Watch 2 a real alternative to the Apple Watch 5, or whatever we’re up to by then.

7. Wider LTE availability

There are versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch that support LTE, but only on select networks, which won’t suit everyone. For the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 we’d like to see an LTE model available on more or less all networks, so it’s an option for everyone.



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Smaller, and less functional?

The Gear Sport is set to be replaced by the Galaxy Watch Active. Image Credit: TechRadar
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active may pack a smaller display and miss out on the rotating bezel which has been a key feature on Samsung's previous smartwatches.

This latest Galaxy Watch Active leak comes via SamMobile, which claims the wearable will have a 1.1-inch display - which is notably smaller than the 1.3-inch screen on the Samsung Galaxy Watch and the 1.2-inch display on the Active's predecessor, the Gear Sport.

The Samsung S10 launches on February 20
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With a smaller display, it may be a little trickier to navigate around the Watch Active's interface, with your finger potentially blocking a lot of the screen from view.

You'd think then, this would be a perfect opportunity for Samsung's rotating ring bezel to shine. On previous watches such as the Galaxy Watch and Gear Sport, the rotating bezel around the display allows you to scroll through menus and messages, with a physical click allowing you to select options on the screen.

This keeps the screen clear, as you don't have to move your finger across it as much. However, SamMobile says the Galaxy Watch Active won't benefit from this feature.

Coming soon

There apparently won't be a larger variant of the wearable either, with the only model number relating to the Galaxy Watch Active being SM-R500, with no sign of any more at the moment.

Further rumored specs for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active include water resistance up to 50 meters, an Exynos 9110 chipset, 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, which are packed into a 13mm frame - which would make it thicker than the 11.6mm Gear Sport, but the same thickness as the Galaxy Watch.

There may not belong to wait to see if this leak is accurate, as we could see the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active launch as soon as February 20, when Samsung will take the covers off the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus.



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And it might not have a rotating bezel

The Samsung Galaxy Watch didn’t come out long ago and it’s still sitting at the top of our best smartwatch list, but Samsung could already have a new model on the way and leaked renders give us our first look at the possible design.

Shared by @OnLeaks (a fairly reliable leaker), the renders are apparently based on “factory data” and show a watch codenamed Pulse but rumored to be launching as the Samsung Galaxy Sport. That would bring it in line with the naming of the Galaxy Watch, though it’s likely positioned as a successor to the Samsung Gear Sport.

It’s pictured here in black but will apparently also be coming in silver, green and pink gold options. You can see that there are around the display and a smooth bezel.

That last point is notable as its predecessor and other Samsung smartwatches have had toothed bezels, making them easy to rotate, which is a key way of navigating Samsung’s wearables. The design of the bezel here suggests that it might not be rotatable, but we can’t be sure of that just yet.

Could be coming soon


Other details include a strap that looks to be made of silicone or similar, rather than metal or leather, which makes sense for a fitness-focused watch. There are also two circular buttons on the right edge. The Gear Sport had two buttons in a similar position, but they were more rectangular.

As ever, we’d take these images with a pinch of salt, especially as we have no other leaks to compare them to, but they come from a source with a good track record.

What we don’t know is when the Galaxy Sport, or whatever it’s actually called, will launch. But given that we’re seeing images now there’s a chance that it will land alongside the Samsung Galaxy S10, as that’s thought to be coming soon, possibly at MWC 2019 in late February.



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