We’ve been getting a steady drip of Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 rumors and tidbits, but now a showing at the FCC has given us our biggest insight yet into what’s coming.
After last week’s showing at Chinese regulators, the Galaxy Watch 2 has now been spotted at the FCC by DroidLife, showing that a release date can’t be too far off – and could even be within days. We haven't got a look at the front of the new Galaxy Watch 2, but we got a hint of the rear, which reveals plenty of juicy info.
Until now we’ve not been totally sure whether the model numbers SM-R840/845 and SM-R850/855, which have shown up in leaks and applications consistently for much of 2020, referred to the Galaxy Watch 2 or Galaxy Active 3.
However, it seems Samsung’s dressier smartwatch – 2018’s Galaxy Watch – is getting a much-needed upgrade.
While we knew that two sizes were incoming – as is standard for Samsung – we now know this will be 45mm and 41mm. That means a slight shrink down from the original Galaxy Watch, which came in 46mm and 42mm options.
The Galaxy Watch 2 will have a heart rate monitor, and GPS built in. And there will be LTE side versions for each size. And it will use Gorilla Glass DX on the face itself.
Each will be made of stainless steel and water resistant to 50m. That means if rumors we reported about a titanium edition were correct, this will be coming as an extra option.
And in big news for Samsung fans, or fans of real tactile smartwatch input, the rotating bezel stays – according to Sammobile. The unique and popular control method was replaced on the Watch Active 2 in favour of touch sensitive bezels, but we’re pleased to see the Galaxy Watch 2 retain its twisty input.
What we don’t know
While this clears up A LOT of questions we had about Samsung’s launch, there’s still so much we don’t know.
Rumors circulated about an internal storage boost to 8GB, there’s no word of it in the FCC filing. Nor is there word in the possibility of three color options – a rumor from earlier this year.
What’s more, while Samsung has confirmed its SpO2, blood pressure and ECG technology will come to future smartwatches, it’s only an educated guess that those features will make it to the Galaxy Watch 2.
And while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 has shrunk, we’d love to see the thickness follow suit.
Whatever happens, it doesn’t look like we have long to wait.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.