Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic release date, rumours, specs and features
Samsung is expected to announce new smartwatches before the year is out and rumours have been in full swing, giving us an indication as to what we can expect from the successors to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3.
We've covered off everything we have heard about the Galaxy Watch 4 - the Galaxy Watch Active 2's successor - in a separate feature, but here we are looking at the more classic model and the Watch 3's successor, which is expected to be called Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Release date and price
- 11 August 2021 announcement
- 27 August 2021 availability
- From €470?
The original Samsung Galaxy Watch arrived in August 2018, followed by the Galaxy Watch 3 in 2020, with Samsung skipping over the Watch 2 name. In between these two devices, Samsung released the Galaxy Watch Active in March 2019, followed by the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in August 2019.
It's thought Samsung will simply call the next generation sportier model the Galaxy Watch 4 this year, skipping over the Galaxy Watch Active 3 and dropping the Active name completely. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic - thought to be the successor to the Galaxy Watch 3 - is said to launch alongside the Galaxy Watch 4, which will be the first time the two smartwatch lines launch together.
Samsung has confirmed it will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event on 11 August 2021, and the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are expected to be revealed. An on-sale date of 27 August has appeared in rumours.
In terms of price, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will reportedly start between at €470 and €500, which roughly converts to £400 to £430 in the UK and between $560 and $590 in the US. Other rumours have suggested the Watch 4 Classic will cost CAD 428 (around £250/$340) for the 42mm model and CAD 464 (around £270/$370) for the 46mm model though, so it might be cheaper than first expected.
Design
- Rotating bezel
- Three sizes - 42, 44, 46mm
- Two colours - Silver, Black
There have been several leaks surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, including what appear to be official press images, and a video showing the smartwatch off from all angles, leaving very little left to the imagination.
| collection: | Android Headlines leak |
The Watch 4 Classic shares a similar design DNA to the Galaxy Watch 3, including the rotating bezel that fans have come to know and love - though it does appear to be slimmer on the new model.
There seem to be two case colour options - silver and black - with the silver model coming with a white or grey silicone strap and buckle fastening and the black model coming with a black strap. Three case sizes have been claimed for the Watch 4 Classic, with 42mm, 44mm and 46mm options.
The 42mm model is said to have a 1.19-inch display, while the 46mm model is said to have a 1.36-inch display. Nothing has been claimed for the 44mm model as yet.
The casing on the Watch 4 Classic has a square edge and it looks like the function buttons on the right of the case are larger and wider than the Galaxy Watch 3.
| collection: | Evan Blass Watch 4 Classic leak |
Other design details are said to include water resistance, MIL-STD 810G durability and Gorilla Glass 4 for display protection.
Hardware and features
- 5nm chip - Exynos W920
- Heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS
- Blood glucose monitoring?
There haven't been a huge number of rumours relating to the hardware and specifications inside the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 as yet, though a heart rate monitor is expected, along with standard features for Samsung smartwatches, such as built-in GPS.
Samsung revealed a 5nm chip called the Exynos W920 in a blog post ahead of Galaxy Unpacked, so it is assumed this processor will be under the hood of the Galaxy Watch 4. Battery capacity hasn't been detailed in leaks, though given the Galaxy Watch 3 delivered good things in this department, we have high expectations for its successor.
Features are expected to include blood oxygen monitoring, VO2 Max, advanced sleep tracking and body composition analysis.
In terms of other sensors, there has been some talk of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring on the Watch 4 Classic. This would make it the first smartwatch to do so, and represent a big landmark for the industry.
It comes after a report from CNET regarding Samsung's Advanced Institute of Technology, which has developed a technique called "Raman spectroscopy" that leverages lasers to track glucose levels with enough accuracy to help users avoid pricking their fingers.
As we say, such a move would be a true gamechanger in the space, but we're not necessarily sold on it debuting this year, despite progress certainly suggesting the fabled, non-invasive tracking is closer than ever.
Software and features
- One UI Watch unveiled
- Leaked promo clip shows off watch faces
- Google apps and services set to be integrated
It's now pretty much confirmed that Samsung's next smartwatches will be the first to run on the new and improved Wear OS 3, which has been boosted by the collaborative effort between Google and Samsung, One Watch UI.
The platform was first announced by Google at Google I/O in May, though Samsung offered some more details on what we could expect during a virtual event at the end of June by previewing the software on stage.
You can read more about the One UI Watch platform in our separate story, but some of the things users can expect is better native support for Google apps, wider eSIM support, seamless interaction with the Google Play Store, parity between the settings menu on your watch and your phone and more exciting watch faces too.
With the leaked clip, included below, showing off some software elements destined for the Classic model, too, we now have a very good idea of what to expect on the software front.
And the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic... pic.twitter.com/Hc4bC2Lhrj
— SamMobile (@SamMobiles) July 27, 2021
In the 40-second video, we can see a number of different traditional-looking watch faces, a bubble-grid of apps and services, including Bixby, Google Maps, Google Play, and even fitness and health tracking metrics like body composition, steps and sleep.
Since this is almost certainly official promo material for the watch, it also pretty much ties up the question over whether the upcoming Samsung watches will run Wear OS 3.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 rumours: What's happened so far?
Here is everything we have heard so far about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
10 August 2021: Samsung officially unveils next-gen smartwatch chip ahead of Galaxy Watch 4 announcement
Samsung officially unveiled its next-generation wearable chipset - one that's expected to power the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic - in the form of the Exynos W920.
29 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic watch faces leak
A video - which appears to be part of an official Samsung promo for the Classic model - has been leaked by SamMobile. The clip shows various watch faces, including integration with Google's services and fitness tracking elements.
21 July 2021: Samsung confirms next Galaxy Unpacked event
Samsung sent out invites for its next Galaxy Unpacked event on 11 August. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are expected, alongside Samsung's new foldable smartphones.
15 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic specs and price detailed on Amazon
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Watch 4 were briefly listed on Amazon Canada, revealing some missing specifications, prices and the release date.
12 July 2021: 11 August Samsung Galaxy Unpacked to be packed with launches, see them here
Evan Blass posted a number of short videos on his Twitter account to present what he claims will be announced on 11 August. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic was included as one of the videos and it's shown off from multiple angles and in various colours.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 10, 2021
6 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic revealed from every angle
Evan Blass posted several short videos to his Twitter channel, revealing the Galaxy Watch 4 from every angle.
| collection: | Evan Blass Watch 4 Classic leak |
5 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy 4 prices leak
A wide range of prices for the two expected Samsung smartwatches surfaced in a report, indicating that the Classic model won't come cheap.
5 July 2021: Samsung officially confirms the date of Galaxy Unpacked 2021
Samsung confirmed the date for its Galaxy Unpacked event to a Korean news outlet, with claims saying it will take place on 11 August.
1 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic leaked images surface
What appears to be official press images have leaked, giving us a very clear look at the design, name and UI of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic.
| collection: | Android Headlines leak |
30 June 2021: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 could take place on 11 August
Some renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 had 11 August as a date on the display, suggesting Unpacked could take place then.
28 June 2021: Samsung officially teases next Galaxy Watch, launching "this summer"
Samsung held a virtual MWC event at the end of June, where it not only revealed more details surrounding its One UI Watch platform that it has created in partnership with Google, but it also officially teased its next Galaxy Watches.
11 June 2021: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 with Wear OS could be revealed on 28 June
Samsung has a virtual event called "Galaxy Ecosystem/New Watch Experience/Mobile Security" scheduled for Monday 28 June, starting at 19:15 CEST. Following the announcement of the new WearOS, this event could see a new watch appear, but nothing is confirmed as yet.
18 May 2021: Google redesigns Wear OS with Samsung and Fitbit
Google announced redesigned Wear OS in collaboration with Samsung and Fitbit.
6 March 2021: Q2 release date suggested by leaker
Renowned leaker Ice Universe delivers a succinct hint via Twitter at when the next Samsung wearables will launch, indicating that both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 4 will launch in Q2 2021.
19 February 2021: Leaker hints at Wear OS replacing Tizen
The oft-rumoured switch from Tizen to Wear OS is suggested by reliable tipster Ice Universe via Twitter, suggesting that Samsung's new watch will drop its own OS for "Android".
19 February 2021: Model names for two smartwatches appear
As reported by Galaxy Club, Samsung is developing two watches for release in 2021 - with the model numbers being SM-R86x and SM-R87x.
25 January 2021: Blood glucose monitoring may debut
Korean outlet ET News suggests that Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 will be the first to feature non-invasive blood glucose tracking.
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