New Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 5G rumour rings serious alarm bells
A new report has claimed that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch may feature 5G connectivity — a feature that hasn’t yet made it to any smartwatch. But will that mean the wristpiece will be massive?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 is set to be released “in the next few months”, according to SamMobile, and there will allegedly be two Wi-Fi only versions (model numbers: SM-R820 and SM-R830), two mobile data variants (SM-R825 and SM-R835) and possibly even two 5G models (SM-R827 and SM-R837).
Related: Best smartwatches
There will no doubt be immense challenges in bringing 5G to smartwatches. As we’ve seen already from smartphones, there is often a trade-off between the sheer size of the device, and the battery capacity — this dilemma will surely only be sharpened by the size profile of wearable devices.
A former lead designer only recently spoke of the immense challenge of fitting any cellular antenna into the original Apple Watch.
In our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, we praised it as Samsung’s best-ever smartwatch. It has an attractive design, a great array of fitness sensors, a sharp display and offline Spotify support.
However, drawbacks included a general lack of apps, the underwhelming Bixby smart assistant, and limited Samsung Pay support.
Hopefully the next iteration of Samsung’s signature wearable corrects these issues to render itself a true rival to the Apple Watch Series 4, which is the most fully-featured smartwatch we’ve used yet, leaving the competition far behind.
Aside from the Galaxy Watch series, Samsung has also quietly unveiled a new range of fitness trackers: the Samsung Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e. Fitness trackers have more limited functions than smartwatches, but are helpful to monitor heart rate and step counts.
Related: Best fitness trackers
The best-known brand in the business is Fitbit, and we gave the latest Fitbit Charge 3 an impressive 4.5 stars in our review, with praise for its battery life, design, and display. Samsung will have its work cut out if it wants to challenge Fitbit for leadership in this market.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
