A Fan Edition of this existing Samsung smartwatch appears inbound
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 could be set for a remarkable re-release in 2024 under a new name, according to a fresh leak.
Following initial rumors several months back that Samsung was preparing a new version of the Galaxy Watch 4, a database dig from Android Headlines shows that the company may be planning to repackage it as the ‘Galaxy Watch FE’.
For context, the ‘FE’ stands for ‘Fan Edition’, and is something consistently found in Samsung’s Galaxy smartphone and tablet lines – though this would be the first time we’ve seen the tactic applied to its smartwatches.
The Galaxy Watch 4 was initially released in August 2021 and helped usher in a new era for Google’s Wear OS – and this leak suggests three versions of the FE variation are in the works, operating under the model numbers beginning with SM-R866.
Based on what we know from other Samsung model numbers, these likely relate to regions and hint at global, US, and South Korean versions, rather than distinct devices like a FE Classic or those with differing case sizes.
However, interestingly, the SM-R866 is also very close to the root model number – SM-R86x’ – used for the 40mm edition of the Galaxy Watch 4, potentially giving away the fact the upcoming FE will only be available in the smaller size.
Still, it’s easy to forget that this is only one leak – and it’s possible Samsung is also preparing other Galaxy Watch FE models that remain veiled.
But that’s all we know for now. It’s still unclear when the potential smartwatch could arrive, and we’re still not sure how Samsung will actually distinguish it from the original Galaxy Watch 4 series – if that is indeed the profile that will be adapted for a FE watch.
We think it’s likely that a Galaxy Watch FE could be tacked onto the Galaxy Watch 7 and 7 Pro announcement we’re expecting later this summer, and, as we’ve seen from FE editions in other categories, it’s also very likely it comes with a new chipset packed inside.
Stay tuned for more on this one over the coming weeks – we’ll cover all the emerging whispers.
