Yep, your next smartwatch is about to get more expensive too – Samsung's new Galaxy Watches to set a new trend
Time is ticking on cheaper wearables
Quick Summary
The price of Samung's wearable devices could be about to increase with the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 said to be more expensive.
The updated devices are expected to launch on 22 July.
Samsung's blockbuster launch is expected to be loaded with new phones and wearables, with updates to the company's popular Galaxy Watch line. But there's going to be a shock for buyers – prices are expected to rise.
As far as we know, Samsung is preparing to announce the Galaxy Watch 9 as well as the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. But both devices could be in line for higher prices, just as we're expecting to see from Samsung's new Galaxy Z folding phones.
According to one reliable source, that could see around €20 added to the price of the Galaxy Watch 9 and €50 on the price of a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, when compared to previous versions.
The source of this information is WinFuture which has a good reputation for sharing information in advance of it going public. The site says that this comes from retailers.
We don't have prices for the UK or the US, but it's likely that the increases seen in Europe will be reflected in other regions.
That could see the Galaxy Watch 9 costing €400 for the 40mm Bluetooth version, up from €379 at launch. Similarly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could cost €749, rather than €699 at launch.
It's thought that the increase in price will come down to the rising cost of components as the AI industry has put a lot of demand on things like storage and RAM. That's seen a knock-on to manufacturers who are paying more for components that were cheap and easy to source 12 months ago.
Samsung is likely to counter the increase prices with more pre-order offers. That might include vouchers to spend at its own store, offers on more straps, and bundle deals with new phones, while it's expected that trade-in values for old hardware might increase.
The new Galaxy Watches are expected to sit on the Snapdragon Wear platform offering more power and better efficiency than previously, with increased battery capacities too.
The designs aren't expected to change significantly, instead refining the looks with details you'd have to look out for. That might encourage some to buy cheaper hardware from last year.
There's also expected to be new software features, with a brand new Galaxy Wearable app. We've already seen some changes happening in Samsung's apps – for example Samsung Health has been completely redesigned.
With the launch of One UI 9 and a shift to Android 17 in Samsung phones, we're expecting Samsung's new watches to launch with Wear OS 7. Everything should be revealed on 22 July.
