Samsung unveils the stylish Galaxy Watch, with an emphasis on fitness
Alongside the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung also announced a new smartwatch: the Galaxy Watch.
The Galaxy Watch comes in two sizes (42mm or 46mm) and boasts a battery that Samsung says will last "for days" on a single charge.
First, why the name change? Samsung's smartwatches have been going by the "Gear" branding for years.
"Galaxy is a huge brand and very well known brand, meant to represent the best of the best products," Alanna Cotton, senior vice president and general manager at Samsung Electronics America, told me after Unpacked. "This next level version is about bringing the best solutions to this device."
The Galaxy Watch starts at $329.99 for the 42mm Bluetooth version and $349.99 for the 46m Bluetooth version as well. Both launch on the same day as the Galaxy Note 9 on Aug. 24.
Pricing for LTE-equipped models will vary based on carriers. So far, T-Mobile's offering the 42mm for $375 and the 46mm for $400.
The company says it's working with 30+ carriers in 15+ countries to launch the wearable.
The 42mm model comes in Midnight Black or Rose Gold and 46mm in black.
Like the Apple Watch, Samsung is emphasizing the Galaxy Watch's fitness and digital wellbeing features. Samsung showed off an app designed to help users monitor and reduce their stress levels. There's also built-in sleep tracking so you get a better idea of how well you're resting.
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I didn't get a whole lot of time to try out the Galaxy Watch, but from the short time I had with it, it honestly felt pretty good. Both sizes were comfortable and not too thick in the wrist.
The Galaxy Watch is powered by Samsung's own Tizen OS, controllable via the rotatable bezel. If you've used any previous Samsung smartwatches before, you'll know what to expect.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the Galaxy Watch is battery life. I'm told the 42mm will get up to four days on a single charge and the 46mm will get up to six days. That's way more than typical one-day battery life you get from an Apple Watch. I'm definitely looking forward to testing out these claims.
Topics Samsung
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
