SerpApi.Org
After several leaks and teasers, the Galaxy Watch 9 is now official. Samsung isn't changing things too much this year, with the smartwatch retaining a similar design as last year's Galaxy Watch 8. It's also sold in 40mm and 44mm models, but it is powered by Qualcomm this time, has a bigger battery, and a slate of new software features.
If you're a Samsung user looking to get a new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 9 is the obvious starting point. Here's everything new with the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 9.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Pricing and availability
The Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $379 for the 40mm Bluetooth model, and it goes up to $429 if you want LTE connectivity. The 44mm starts at $409, and the LTE-enabled version is $459. While it costs a little bit more than last year, you are getting enough new features to justify the price hike.
Samsung has the Galaxy Watch 9 on pre-order right now, with sales starting by the end of July 2026.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Design
Samsung didn't change anything in this area, and the Galaxy Watch 9 looks virtually identical to its predecessor. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as you're still getting a smartwatch that looks sleek and stylish, but if you wanted a fresh design, you'll need to wait another year.
The Galaxy Watch 9 retains an aluminum case, and it misses out on a rotating bezel. It's good to see that it's available in two sizes, and you get the same color choices as last year.
It's just as durable as its predecessor, and that means you get IP68 dust and water resistance, 5ATM and MIL-STD-810H durability. While the design itself hasn't changed, it continues to be just as familiar and reliable.
Samsung retained a 1.47-inch AMOLED with the 44mm model, and a 1.34-inch AMOLED with the smaller 40mm variant of the smartwatch. There isn't much new here either, and unlike the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 that goes to 5,000 nits, the Galaxy Watch 9 goes up to just 3,000 nits. Honestly, that shouldn't be an issue in daily use whatsoever.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Features
Samsung is using Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite to power the Galaxy Watch 9, and this is an exciting move. The new platform makes the smartwatch that much more powerful, and it should last longer as well.
You get the same set of sensors as last year, and the watch gets 2GB of RAM alongside 32GB of internal storage. Battery is a little bigger too; the 44mm has a 445mAh battery that should last two days with ease, and the 40mm has a 390mAh battery. While Samsung didn't share much in the way of detail, both smartwatches will charge faster, taking 90 minutes to fully charge their batteries.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9: Software
Software is where Samsung has exceled over other Android smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch 9 comes with Wear OS 7 with One UI 9 Watch out of the box. Samsung is leaning heavily into software features this time, rolling out a new Vitals dashboard that gives you an overview of all your vitals.
There's also a Trail Run mode, better hydration management, energy score, and better fitness and health monitoring.
Although Samsung didn't tweak the design, the Galaxy Watch 9 has a lot of extras that will make a difference in daily use, and that's what ultimately matters.
The Galaxy Watch 9 has upgrades you'll actually notice, and thanks to improved software and new health monitoring features, the best Android smartwatch just got even better.
Like this article? For more stories like this, follow us on MSN by clicking the +Follow button at the top of this page.
