Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 news: What we know so far

The new generation of Samsung Galaxy Watch is arriving soon. Based on trustworthy rumours surrounding the new Galaxy Watch, this new generation will feature bigger batteries. And the major twist: The Galaxy Watch Pro is no more, as the 6th generation will have a Classic line.

We’re expecting the Galaxy Watch 6 to be launched at the same time as the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold 5. All these new gadgets will most likely be announced at the end of July, in the Samsung Unpacked event. 

Of course we’re going to supply you with the best Galaxy Watch 6 straps, so keep an eye on our Samsung Watch straps page!

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Price and availability

There’s no official confirmation about the price of the new generation yet, but we can make an educated guess based on the previous prices, and how inflation has affected the price of smartwatches in the last year. In terms of availability, we’re expecting the Galaxy Watch 6 to be released in August of this year, following Samsung’s strict release pattern.

Samsung’s release pattern of the watches: 

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Release Date: August 2023 (expected)
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Release Date: August 2022
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Release Date: August 2021
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Release Date: August 2020

Rumours suggest that an event featuring the launch of this new Galaxy Watch for the North American market will be hosted on the 11th of August this year. Seoul’s Samsung Unpacked will be our first official information in that case, the event will be hosted on the 26th of July, 2023.

The new Galaxy Watch 6 UK pricing will increase slightly when compared to the Watch 5, this is our prediction:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: The Line-up

As you’ve seen by now, the major twist in this year’s Samsung Galaxy Watch release is the different models which will be available. The 5th generation of Galaxy Watch featured a new model: The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. We were quite the fan of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, and thought the introduction of this higher-end version was a great addition to the line-up.

Everything points towards the Galaxy Watch 6 series going back to the ‘Classic’ version, instead of a Pro version. This Classic model will feature a rotatable bezel ring to control the watch, as well as a steep price hike. 

As to why the Galaxy Watch Pro will disappear, we’re not quite sure. Figures suggest the model was rather popular, and reviews were positive. The rotating bezel was preferred by some, but certainly not many. And the rumours around the bigger size of the 6 Classic is not welcomed by users with average or smaller than average wrist sizes.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Latest news and rumours

July 6, 2023: Samsung Unpacked Event announced
Samsung has announced that their Samsung Unpacked event will take place on the 26th of July. This event will feature the announcement of the Galaxy Watch 6 series, as well as the new Flip and Fold phones.

June 12, 2023: Exynos W930 Chipset
Leaks in upcoming certification reveals the new Galaxy Watch 6 line-up will have a new Exynos W930 chipset. It’s a more powerful version of the chipset that’s featured in the Galaxy Watch 5 & 4.

June 3, 2023: New generation shows up in FCC certification
A small (40mm) and large (44mm) variant of the new Galaxy Watch 6 have been revealed in the list of new certifications to be handled by the FCC. This confirms the new Watch’s release on the U.S. market.

May 22, 2023: Return of the rotating bezel
Digital renders of the watch have been released, which suggests the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic will return with a rotating bezel. The design resembles the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5.

April 3, 2023: Display upgrade
The trustworthy leaker Ice Universe has revealed that the Galaxy Watch 6 will feature a larger display. The screen will go from 1,4 inch to 1,47 inches.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Leaked renders

Leaks of the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic show renders which show the watch alongside its rotating bezel. The renders released by onleaks also show a Magnetic D-Buckle strap like the one of the Watch 5 Pro. Which straps will be supplied alongside the new generation Watch, is unclear.

Reddit user Tommy_Andretti remarks in response to seeing these renders:
“That’s literally the watch I’ve purchased two years ago, lol”
And they’re not wrong, the design is practically the same as it has been since the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, especially comparing the Watch 6 Classic and Watch 4 Classic. The main reason seems to be that Samsung, similar to Apple, wants to create a smart watch that’s instantly recognisable to their brand.

The new Watch 6 will be available in multiple sizes, similar to the Watch 4 generation. The size for the Classic has been increased, likely to house the larger display. The available sizes will be:

• Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm)
• Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm)
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm)
• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (47mm)

The Watch Classic has always been quite large for those with average or smaller wrists. A bit disappointing then that the Classic series has been bumped slightly in size. However, at least you can enjoy a bigger battery to boot. All sizes will likely get a battery increase of about 15 mAh. We’re not sure how this will impact the battery life, though.

^{The Galaxy Watch 6 strap looks to feature a new button instead of the QuickRelease pins we're used to.}

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Features

The Galaxy Watch 6 will be released with the new One UI 5 software package. There’s not much info on this new software for wearables yet, but we know it’s being developed alongside Google Wear OS 4. Some new health and fitness functions are sure to come in this update. 

A new sleep coach is coming, designed to help you in achieving a good night’s rest. For those who will use the Watch 6 during workouts, a new training feature is also in the works. This will help you adapt your workout according to the different ‘heart rate zones’ you’re currently in. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: What we’d like to see

These functions are almost certainly not coming in the new updated generation of Galaxy Watch, but we’d like to address them anyways. What would we like to see on the new Galaxy Watch 6?

Glucose monitor
New technology makes glucose monitoring on smartwatches much more viable. Although these sensors can not replace a true blood glucose monitoring system, getting a general idea of your glucose levels can be extremely helpful. We’d love to see these new sensors applied to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.

More support for other systems
A major complaint with the Samsung Galaxy Watch series is how it’s totally integrated to work with Samsung devices. Using a Samsung Galaxy Watch with anything other than a Samsung smartphone means the watch is not performing optimally. Opening this ecosphere up would be a very welcome change. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Ultra?

There’s been some speculation around the disappearance of the Pro model. One theory suggests that Samsung is actually working on an Ultra version of the Galaxy Watch 6. This is obviously meant to compete with the Apple Watch Ultra.

The idea is not so far-fetched. In fact, Huawei jumped on the bandwagon straight away with their Huawei Watch Ultimate. This premium Huawei smart watch is the most optimal version, with a high price tag. Its intended target audience is athletes and adventurers, just like the Apple Watch Ultra.

The Apple Watch Ultra was released this year alongside the Apple Watch Series 8. It’s firmly in the premium smart watch category, retailing for £ 999. Its case is made of titanium, and its features are targeted towards athletes, divers, and adventurers. 

Another possible return for a ‘Pro’ model range could be that Samsung is intending to leapfrog the release. This suggests next year’s new Galaxy Watch will once again feature a Pro model, the next a Classic line-up, the next Pro, etcetera. 

In Summary

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 generation is coming soon. July 26 is the event that will announce its release. We expect UK sales in the first weeks of August. The Pro model will disappear in favour of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, which will feature a rotating bezel.