Samsung has just leaked their Samsung Galaxy Watch on their own website
Earlier this week, an inadvertent leak on a rendering of a package for a possible double-barrelled Samsung Wireless Charger Duo hinted at the existence of Samsung’s next generation smartwatch dubbed the Galaxy Watch. Now, it seems they’ve confirmed it via their US retail website several hours ago though it has since been taken down.
The listing is relatively simple, with a front facing image of the Galaxy Watch in rose gold though it has no price, specifications or release date. Several other things can be inferred from the image and nomenclature of the watch.
For starters, the designation Galaxy Watch implies that Samsung is abandoning the numerical designation of their prior smartwatch designs which were incrementally higher per generation with the most recent being the Gear S3 Frontier, Gear S3 Classic and the Samsung Gear Sport smartwatches. The adoption of the new name could imply a rebranding exercise that aims to depart from their prior designs in some form or fashion.
Up front, the text beneath the watch mentions that the Galaxy Watch has a 42mm case size and that it is a Bluetooth only variant. This implies that LTE models exist for the Galaxy Watch though historically, Samsung has not sold any LTE-enabled smartwatches in Malaysia thus far so if it does, and it will most likely make an appearance sometime soon on our shores, it will likely only be the Bluetooth-only versions in multiple colours. The fact that they took pains to specifically mention the case size at 42mm may imply that the Galaxy Watch may possibly come in multiple sized versions much like the Apple Watch sized for smaller or larger wrists.
In terms of the image, the Galaxy Watch seems somewhat similar to the Gear S3 Classic in form factor and design though the strap seems to be made of a fine mesh resembling chainmail of sorts or a metallic hued fabric. Strategically, that may imply a more premium angle at marketing closer to what the Gear S3 Classic was angled at – a classy crowd – as opposed to the rugged looking nature of the Gear S3 frontier and the athletically inclined Gear Sport.
A rotating bezel is also seen on the design along with two buttons at the 1 ‘o’clock and 4 o’clock positions. It’s likely that the Galaxy Watch will accept third party straps as well if they’re following prior design doctrine from the Gear S3 series and Gear Sport.
There’s no indications on the hardware running underneath the hood but it should offer improvements over its predecessors and, at the very least, offer some enhanced connectivity or interactivity with Samsung’s Bixby virtual assistant while also running their Tizen operating system.
Judging by the timing, it’s most likely that the Galaxy Watch will also be unveiled at Samsung Unpacked in New York which is but a couple of weeks away. Stay tuned for details!