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Ahead of its official unveiling at Galaxy Unpacked, I got a chance to test out the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 for myself, and even with a bunch of rumours detailing what the watch would have in store, I still found myself surprised by the final product.
Even though it was a controversial smartwatch for some due to its design change, I absolutely adored the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 when I reviewed it last year. In the Wear OS space, it’s still one of my favourite smartwatches to use, largely because it best shows off all the work that Samsung has put in over the years to create an experience that finally feels like a genuine competitor to the Apple Watch.
One UI Watch looks great, as does the library of watch faces included on the device, and I feel that Samsung is right up there with Huawei in creating one of the better sleep tracking systems that actually helps users to make meaningful changes in this area. The only major issue I had with the device was its battery life, which stumbled around the same time that Apple managed to introduce up to two days of use for the Apple Watch Series 11.
Well, after spending time with its successor, it seems that Samsung has taken on the feedback for the Watch 8… to a degree. Here are the three key things I learned after taking the Galaxy Watch 9 for a spin.
Samsung is gunning for Whoop’s fanbase
Between the Fitbit Air, the Luna Band and now the Garmin Cirqa, we’ve seen a ton of devices debut that are all going after the same sector of the market that was once governed almost solely by the Whoop Strap.
It is the device that popularised the screenless fitness tracker concept, but it did so by placing an emphasis on rest and recovery, your exertion throughout the day (not just at the gym), and connecting you with a community of like-minded individuals who wanted to pore over every aspect of their health.
it’s the new Fitness Index that has me excited
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
As much as I love the Whoop Strap, having spent several years wearing one, the fairly pricey annual subscription made it too much of an investment for the average person, which is exactly why it’s found such a dedicated fanbase amongst sports personalities and professional athletes who are justified in needing to know all of the stats that Whoop can offer.
Still, that subscription model is exactly why there’s been so much interest in the Fitbit Air and the Garmin Cirqa, which offer a lot of the same features but for a single upfront cost. Well, during the initial presentation from Samsung before I got my hands on the Watch 9, it became clear pretty quickly that the brand is looking to tap into this exact same market.
There are now several tracking metrics that boil down key parts of your health data into easy-to-understand scores. There’s Heart Health, which lets you know if you’re putting too much strain on your ticker, alongside Daily Cardio Load which is exactly like the Whoop framework, giving you an understanding of how much energy you’ve expended and the amount of rest you’ll need to be at your best the next day, but it’s the new Fitness Index that has me excited.
This shows you where you are with strength, flexibility and more, in relation to your age, so you can get an idea as to whether or not you’re ahead of the crowd or if you need to catch up.
All of this software really helps to bump the Galaxy Watch’s credentials as a fitness tracker, and when you factor in all of the added smarts brought about via the on-device app store, the Watch 9 could be a more tempting buy to those who want the best of both worlds.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
Samsung is doubling down on the squircle
One of the biggest changes that Samsung made with the Galaxy Watch 8 was moving away from the circular design that fans were accustomed to, and instead adopting a new build that looked more like a square with rounded-off edges. Even though it created a bit of consistency with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which had previously launched with the same design, there was a decent number of people who weren’t pleased with the new look, dubbed the ‘squircle’.
I am not one of them.
In a market where the likes of Ticwatch, OnePlus, Google and Xiaomi all use circular builds in their Wear OS smartwatches, the unusual chassis of the Watch 8 gave the Galaxy Watch brand exactly what it needed to be recognised from a distance. Just like with how you can spot an Apple Watch from a mile away, the Galaxy Watch now has a distinguishing visual aspect, and Samsung shows no signs of doing away with it anytime soon.
it feels daft to criticise its wearable division for going down a different route from the norm
Not only does the Galaxy Watch 9 hold on to the same look as its predecessor, but Samsung has doubled down by making the included watch band 17% thinner so that the design itself can sit more comfortably on your wrist and maintain a secure positioning to better track your heart rate and other metrics.
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
At a time when Samsung phones are being criticised for looking a bit samey (if you can tell the difference between the Galaxy A57 and the Galaxy A37 by sight, then hats off to you), it feels daft to criticise its wearable division for going down a different route from the norm. I think it looks great and for the sake of being able to pick the Galaxy Watch 9 out of a line-up, I’m glad it’s sticking around.
The smaller size should be avoided at all costs
Throughout my initial introduction to the Galaxy Watch 9, I was quite impressed with everything that Samsung was saying. Between the added fitness features, the refined watch band and a much-needed battery upgrade, it started to feel as if the Watch 9 would have everything it needs to stay competitive over the coming year.
That is, until I saw the small print for that battery upgrade, revealing that while the 44mm option will be getting an upgrade, the 40mm variant is staying the same. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the entire Galaxy Watch 9 range has undergone a price hike
Thomas Deehan / Foundry
As it just so happens, it was the 40mm version of the Galaxy Watch 8 that I had in for testing last year, and as mentioned before, the 325mAh battery just wasn’t up to snuff. At best, you could get just over a day of battery life, but if you needed to head out quite early in the morning, then an overnight charge was essential for peace of mind.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, the entire Galaxy Watch 9 range has undergone a price hike, with the 40mm option starting at £349, and jumping up to £379 for the 44mm variant. By upping the cost, Samsung has removed the one thing that worked in favour of buying the 40mm option, in that it was typically one of the more affordable Wear OS watches you could find, but now it’s set at the same price as the Pixel Watch 4, which is known for being far more competent with battery life.
With this in mind, I don’t know why anyone looking to buy a new Galaxy Watch in 2026 wouldn’t just go for the 44mm option. Alternatively, if you do have small wrists and would prefer a better-fitting smartwatch, the 40mm Galaxy Watch 8 can still be found if you shop around, and no doubt at a cheaper price than this.
We’re hoping to have the Galaxy Watch 9 in for testing soon to bring you a full review.
