This is how the Galaxy Watch series evolved – Samsung Newsroom Russia

Before smartwatches, there was only one reason for someone to look at their watch. Today, telling the time is just one of the countless functions of smartwatches. People use smartwatches to check the time, track important health metrics, communicate with friends, choose everyday watch faces, and enjoy a variety of content from their wrists.

Samsung Newsroom has been following the evolution of the Galaxy Watch series over the past decade and how the device has evolved beyond its traditional functions to redefine what it means to be a watch.

Thinking Beyond: Ushering in a New Era of Smartwatches

Introduced in September 2013, the revolutionary Galaxy Gear brought Galaxy closer to everyday life. The wearable device featured a 41.4mm screen that allowed users to make and receive calls, schedule events, set alarms, and check the weather using their voice. Photos and short videos could be taken on the fly without a smartphone, thanks to a 1.9-megapixel camera attached to the strap and a nifty Memographer feature. More than just a watch, the Galaxy Gear laid the foundation for a new era of smartwatches.

In February 2014, Samsung released the second-generation Samsung Gear2. This device was lighter and thinner than its predecessor, had a longer battery life, and more features that could be used without a smartphone. Users could monitor their heart rate and track exercise in real time with the heart rate sensor, or turn the watch into a standalone music player with built-in file storage. At the same time, the Samsung Gear2 Neo was introduced, offering consumers an additional option with the same features as the Samsung Gear2, minus the camera.

Released in 2014, the Samsung Gear S was the first Samsung smartwatch to feature a large, curved Super AMOLED display that wrapped around the user’s wrist and supported 3G and Wi-Fi without being connected to a smartphone. Its successor in 2015, the Samsung Gear S2, was the first Samsung smartwatch to feature a circular display and a rotating bezel, which is now a signature feature of the Galaxy Watch Classic line.

In 2016, Samsung launched the Samsung Gear S3, which attracted attention with its elegant design inspired by traditional watches and more innovative features that improved daily life. The Always On Display feature constantly displayed the time on users’ wrists with a Super AMOLED display that supported 16 million colors. With a built-in speaker and microphone, the device allowed users to take calls through the speaker without the need for a Bluetooth headset. Meanwhile, the GPS helped users record their workout history and check their routes on maps without a smartphone.

Samsung Gear Sport, the latest model in the Samsung Gear series, offers a sporty design for people with an active lifestyle. With 5 ATM water resistance, the watch can be worn while swimming. Enhanced water resistance features include a water lock mode that prevents the touchscreen from being accidentally activated in strong currents.

Galaxy Watch: A New Ally for a Healthy Lifestyle

In August 2018, the Galaxy Watch series was born. This rebranding reflected the diversity of functions and the constant expansion of smartwatches in the modern world: as a health tracker, personal assistant, fashion accessory and more. To improve the user experience and emphasize the individuality of Samsung smartwatches, the wearable retained the characteristic round bezel of previous models, but for the first time added an hourly alarm and a ticking second hand. Available in three colors and 42 and 46 millimeter sizes, this versatile device offers stress and sleep management features to improve the user’s health and well-being. Users could also track workouts across 39 different exercise types, more than any other watch on the market at the time.

In February 2019, Samsung launched a new line of smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch Active, designed specifically for users with an active lifestyle. Featuring a 28.1mm Super AMOLED display, the watch retained the signature round shape but was bezel-less and made of aluminum, reducing the weight by 25 grams. The 20mm flexible fluoroelastomer watch strap gave fashion-conscious wearers plenty of room to express their individuality. On the other hand, health-conscious users could track their exercise, sleep, stress levels, and blood pressure in real-time; they could even check how much time they spent in REM sleep compared to the other three sleep stages.

In August 2019, the Galaxy Watch Active2 took personalized health and wellness management to the next level for people looking to live a healthier lifestyle. In addition to the rotating bezel and other UI improvements, the My Style feature provided users with more stylish and personalized watch faces. The wearable became the perfect companion to help users live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle with improved stress and sleep management features, as well as an exercise feature that could track over 39 different types of workouts. Additionally, the updated Galaxy ecosystem improved connectivity and everyday convenience.

A New Era with Integrated Healthcare

Two years later, in August 2020, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Watch3 to health-conscious users. Retaining the circular stainless steel frame, users could choose between a large 41mm or 45mm screen with a large, lightweight, and thin body. For the first time in Galaxy history, Samsung added an even lighter, more durable, and more premium titanium model. The device provided integrated healthcare from the wrist, including health monitoring, fitness, sleep management, and blood pressure measurement. Additionally, Samsung introduced electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and a blood oxygen feature that tracked oxygen saturation over time.

The Galaxy Watch4 series changed the smartwatch landscape in August 2021 with the introduction of two models: the modern and minimalist Galaxy Watch4 and the more traditional Galaxy Watch4 Classic with its signature rotating bezel. The first-ever BioActive sensor measured various health metrics like blood pressure, ECG, and blood oxygen saturation levels more accurately than previous watches. Users looking for more comprehensive health information could measure their body composition by simply placing two fingers on the smartwatch to learn how to manage their health and achieve their goals. The wearable was equipped with the new Wear OS co-developed with Google to give users access to more apps. Meanwhile, the One UI Watch update significantly improved the user experience by seamlessly connecting the watch to smartphones, wireless earbuds, and other Samsung devices.

Above the wrist: an ally who helps you get to know yourself better.

In August 2022, Samsung ushered in the next chapter of smartwatches with the Galaxy Watch5 series. The lineup featured the Galaxy Watch5 Pro, an outdoor sports-optimized watch. The more advanced Samsung BioActive Sensor improved the accuracy of body composition, heart rate, and ECG monitoring. In particular, the newly equipped temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch5 provided predictions based on skin temperature to help women properly track their menstrual cycles.

Samsung once again supported its health-conscious users with the Galaxy Watch6 series, launched in July 2023. This wearable device offers comprehensive health features, providing more personalized and innovative solutions for users who want to better manage their health. The screen with a thinner bezel is approximately 20% larger than its predecessors, allowing users to see more information at a glance. The Galaxy Watch6 features a signature circular design, while the Galaxy Watch6 Classic features a rotating bezel reminiscent of an analog watch. A new button replaces the spring-loaded design, allowing users to easily change watch bands with a single click.

With an even more sensitive BioActive sensor and a high-performance processor, health metrics have become more specialized: from sleep management and fitness training to heart health monitoring.

Galaxy Health Powered by AI and the Next-Gen Watch

Samsung unveiled the One UI 6 Watch in May 2024. With it, the company successfully transformed the Galaxy Watch into a full-fledged digital health assistant that measures metrics like heart rate, sleep patterns, and more. Health information is more comprehensive and detailed than ever, and users now receive personalized AI-powered messages that motivate them to achieve their health goals. Additionally, the upcoming Galaxy Watch series, which will launch in the second half of this year, will measure advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with an upgraded bioactive sensor that features more LED colors and a newly designed photodiodes.

Samsung is constantly expanding its horizons and will continue to do so. Each new wearable device not only offers the basic functions of a watch, but also provides services that the younger generation expects. Aiming to become a closer ally that appreciates every exciting and precious moment in each user’s life, Samsung has been pushing the boundaries of smartwatches for over a decade, and the best is yet to come.