The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is expected to be revealed on July 10. Should you wait for it, or buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 right now? We found out.
The annual turnaround for most devices is relentless and merciless. Even if a device still feels new to you, there’s likely a new version of it just around the corner, taunting you with a new design, upgraded specs, or improved features. How much this bothers you comes down to how strongly you feel FOMO (fear of missing out), but it’s probably going to strike even stronger when you’re looking to buy a new device.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is an excellent device and one of our favorite Android smartwatches. But it appears to be getting even less time in the sun than usual, with its successor, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, set to launch on July 10. Knowing a newer version of the device you want is on the way is always going to make you think twice — but should it? While we only have whispers and leaks of the Galaxy Watch 7’s capabilities, it’s not hard to imagine it’ll be more powerful than the Galaxy Watch 6 and loaded down with extra features.
But should these improvements be enough to make you wait for the newest device? We’ve reviewed the latest rumors, whispers, and leaks about the Galaxy Watch 7 and compared them to the Galaxy Watch 6 so you can make the best choice.Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: design
This is a tough category to judge because we don’t have a clear idea of what the Galaxy Watch 7 will look like. Samsung hasn’t changed the style of the standard Galaxy Watch since the Galaxy Watch 4, so it’s an understatement to say the range is due for a big shakeup. While the variants have had some big changes, going from Classic to Pro, back to Classic, and possibly now to Ultra, the regular Galaxy Watch has stayed largely the same.
Samsung is rumored to have a big new launch prepared for the Galaxy Watch Ultra, with a new design, so it’s a bit of a toss-up as to whether the Galaxy Watch 7 will continue the trend set by the last few years and be largely untouched, or whether it’ll sport a dramatic new look. Early reports said Samsung was considering a return to a square or rectangular face for the Galaxy Watch 7, but those reports have since been denied, so the odds are fairly good we’ll be seeing a similar look once again.
Granted, keeping the same style isn’t a bad thing, per se. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a great-looking smartwatch, and it’s comfortable as well. If Samsung had to stick to a single design for years, we’re glad it’s one as good as this. As nice as it would be to see it mixed up with the next watch, it won’t be a bad thing if the same design is recycled again.Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: performance and battery life
The Galaxy Watch has been running on Samsung’s Exynos platform for some time now, and that’s not likely to change with the Galaxy Watch 7. According to reports, we can expect the Galaxy Watch 7 to have a 3nm chip, which is probably the Exynos W1000. This processor is around 20% faster than the previous Exynos W930 and can be expected to offer better power efficiency than before.
But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and we won’t know how that translates into real-life performance until we get hands-on time. The Galaxy Watch 6 was a solid performer but wasn’t anywhere near as snappy as the Apple Watch, its prime competitor. If the W1000 can close that gap, then it’ll be a big win, but at the moment, we can’t say one way or the other.
A big part of whether the Galaxy Watch 7 is a better buy than the Galaxy Watch 6 is going to come down to the battery life.
