The affordable Galaxy Watch FE might be what Wear OS really needs


Samsung recently launched the new Galaxy Watch FE this week, which is really just a 2024 “refresh” of the Galaxy Watch 4. The smartwatch features more or less the same specs, chipset, and design as the 2021 model, with the exception of a new sapphire glass over the display for better scratch protection. However, while a Galaxy Watch 4 reboot may seem like a strange move for Samsung, I think it’s kind of genius. In fact, it’s exactly what Wear OS needs: more affordable smartwatches.

I’ve been reviewing Wear OS smartwatches for several years, and I’ve often winced at the prices some of these companies charge for these devices. Fossil, which pulled an LG and left the smartwatch business earlier this year, used to charge $299 for the Fossil Gen 6, which didn’t even run Wear OS 3 at launch and had very questionable performance. Samsung’s Galaxy Watches now cost more than ever, with the Watch 5 Pro model priced in the same ballpark as a cheap Android phone and even the price of the Pixel Watch 2 giving me pause (don’t even get me started on the Montblanc Summit 3).

The only exception I’ve seen is the TicWatch E3, which launched a few years back. That watch featured a relatively cheap build and skipped out on the best features found on more expensive TicWatch models, like the dual-display tech, but the price kind of made it worth it. At $199, you got a smartwatch that was much cheaper than the competition and performed surprisingly well with the Snapdragon Wear 4100, despite Wear OS 3 coming much later.

In fact, I’m a little bummed we haven’t gotten a TicWatch E4 or some equivalent, especially now that Wear OS 4 is here and Wear OS 5 is on the way, both of which likely require newer chips like the Snapdragon W5 Plus Gen 1. But seeing Samsung launch the Galaxy Watch FE gives me some hope that cheaper Wear OS watches could be a thing again if companies play their cards right.

TicWatch E3

(Image credit: Chris Wedel / Android Central)

Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, agrees, saying that launching the cheaper smartwatch was a smart move on Samsung’s part. “I think the Galaxy Watch FE allows Samsung and its partners to offer a cheaper option that can be easily discounted or given away for free as a bundle item and broadens the price range of products it’s offering for wearables.”




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