Samsung’s next big product unveiling is still a few weeks away, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy Watch 5 leaks are going to slow down.
Far from it in fact, as the new smartwatches have cropped up yet again, this time at Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. First published by the Pricebaba Daily news website, these NBTC records show three models of as-yet unannounced Samsung smartwatches, all called Galaxy Watch 5.
Seeing consumer technology products in this way, ahead of their official launch, is fairly common, as unannounced smartphones and wearables crop up in compulsory regulatory filings that have to be submitted by their manufacturers before sales can commence.
There isn’t much to go on here, but we at least now have evidence that Samsung plans to announce three new wearables in the coming weeks. According to the filings, the watches have the references SM-R905F, SM-R915F and SM-R925F.
These are expected to include two sizes of regular Watch 5, plus a so-called ‘Watch 5 Pro’, which will likely be the flagship of the range, with the most features, enhanced durability and the highest price.
Previous leaks suggest that Samsung’s new watches will ditch the rotating bezel featured on previous generations of Galaxy Watch, and that all three timepieces will look broadly similar.
We suspect the Watch 5 Pro will feature premium materials like a stainless steel and/or ceramic case, and a sapphire crystal instead of glass. It may also have a larger display and battery compared to its cheaper siblings. All versions are expected to have the same processor and run the same One UI Watch 4.5 software.
The Galaxy Watch 5 launch, tipped to happen alongside the Galaxy Fold 4 phone on 10 August, will be an important moment for Samsung, especially as Google is set to finally enter the smartwatch market with its own Pixel Watch in the autumn. September will see Apple’s new Watch Series 8 family, which is rumoured to have grown to include a new, tougher timepiece dubbed the Pro.
What we're especially excited about is how the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will compare to the Apple Watch Series 8 Pro, as both are expected to go up against tough, outdoor sports-centric watches from the likes of Polar and Garmin. It will be interesting to see if either tech firm succeeds in entering a market they have so far stayed away from, and how the incumbents will respond.
