Samsung Galaxy Watch 2: Release date, features and everything else we know so far

Samsung's Galaxy Watch range has been one of the easiest to recommend to Android phone users looking for the functionality and health tracking capabilities iPhone users get from the Apple Watch. 

While Wear OS might seem like an obvious choice, Samsung has shown it can make great-looking well designed watches with a user friendly interface and great hardware. 

For the past two years, that focus has mostly been on launching the smaller, round Active range, but it's now rumoured to be returning to the more traditional-looking Galaxy Watch range with a follow up to the original Galaxy Watch. So, what do we know about the Galaxy Watch 2 so far?

Release date and price

• August 2020 launch seems likely, alongside Galaxy Note 20
• Likely to be more than $300/£300

An FCC listing is pretty much always a nailed-on guarantee that a new product is going to launch, since any tech company selling new devices in the US needs to send it for certification before releasing it to the mass public. So, it's safe to say, with that listing appearing in May, that a Galaxy Watch launch at some point in the summer looks very likely. 

Samsung usually uses August to launch its Galaxy Note range, and often releases a wearable device of some kind alongside its smartphones. It's quite likely that the Galaxy Watch 2 will be announced and launched alongside the phone, given the timing of the FCC certification. 

As for pricing, all we can predict relatively accurately is that the Galaxy Watch 2 will cost more than the Watch Active models. Exactly how much they cost is up in the air, and could well depend on the material you choose.

The original Galaxy Watch retailed for around $330 in the US (£299 in the UK), and so it would be reasonable to expect it to be a similar story for the second generation. By comparison, the Active 2 currently retails for $299 or £269. 

Design

• Rotating bezel
• Steel, aluminium and titanium options rumoured
• Waterproof to 5ATM
• MIL-STD-810G durability
• 45mm case

The one thing that differentiated the Active line from the regular Galaxy Watch was the sleeker, rounder design. If Samsung is to release a second gen regular Galaxy Watch, we expect it to be similar aesthetically to the original, and not feature the bezel-free look of the Active. 

Current rumours suggest that prediction is looking likely, with recent reports suggesting that we're going to see the rotating bezel make a comeback. This doesn't just help give the watch that traditional, analogue look to it, it also forms a key part of the user interface. Turning it scrolls through lists and screens on the display. It's a feature that set the Gear and Galaxy branded smartwatches apart from the competition, and most who use the watch love it for that reason. 

Unlike the seemingly standard 44mm or 46mm case sizes out there, Samsung is rumoured to be going with a 45mm case this time and it could be available in number of different metal finishes. 

We're expecting to see a return of the stainless steel case, but also, there are rumours predicting a new, more expensive titanium model launching alongside the steel model, plus there's a possibility of an aluminium model too. 

As usual, for Samsung, we again expect to see a round AMOLED touchscreen taking up most of the space on the front, with the addition of physical buttons for control, alongside that bezel. The rear cover glimpsed through the FCC certification looks very similar to the setup on the Watch Active, with a round protrusion hosting the heart rate monitoring hardware. 

This same image reveals the watch will be coated in Gorilla Glass DX, and it'll be both waterproof to 5ATM (50 metres) and certified MIL-STD-810G for durability. 

Features and software

• GPS and LTE
• Health tracking

For quite some time now, Samsung has built its smartwatch user interface on top of Tizen OS, and we don't expect that to change anytime soon. It's easy to use, colourful and comes with a host of great watch faces. 

It also ties in well Samsung's own services, like Samsung Health, and the watch faces give you the option to customise colours and complications in a similar way to Apple Watch. 

Apart from that, we'd expect a continuation of regular smartwatch features like being able to read and interact with notifications from your smartphone, with a more full experience when you pair it with an Android phone (but with iOS support). Similar to the previous model, the leaked FCC images indicate that it'll have LTE connectivity too. 

Hardware wise, it'd be a fairly safe bet to predict it'll charge wireless with its own dedicated charging stand and come with the optical heart sensors for reading your heart rate and perhaps even the latest wrist-worn ECG test compatibility. 

The story so far...

1 June 2020 - Rotating bezel is coming back: A fresh rumour - citing sources familiar with the project - claims that Samsung is bringing back the rotating bezel for the second generation Galaxy Watch. 

27 May 2020 - Galaxy Watch 2 certified in China and at FCC: As well as having passed through the FCC in the States, the Galaxy Watch 2 has been certified in China. 

20 May 2020 - New Galaxy Watch will come in Titanium: SamMobile's exclusive from May suggests we're going to see a more expensive titanium version. 

3 February 2020 - Watch 2 to feature 8GB storage: In February, information trickled through that stated Samsung's next watch would feature double the storage, going from 4GB to 8GB. 

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