Samsung is expected to unveil its next generation of wearables at Galaxy Unpacked next month, and newly leaked press renders, as shared by Android Headlines, have now given us one of our clearest looks yet at the upcoming Galaxy Watch 9.
At first glance, the Galaxy Watch 9 looks almost identical to last year’s model. The familiar circular display sits inside Samsung’s now-signature squircle-shaped body, a design that debuted with the Galaxy Watch 8 series. While the look was initially divisive, it has grown on many users thanks to its durability and comfortable fit on the wrist.
Based on the leaked images, Samsung doesn’t appear to be making any major hardware changes to the exterior. Even the sensor array on the underside of the watch appears largely unchanged from the current generation.
The Biggest Upgrade Might Be Under the Hood
While the design may not be changing much, Samsung has already confirmed one significant upgrade for its next smartwatch lineup.
The Galaxy Watch 9 is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform, which was announced earlier this year at MWC. That marks a shift away from Samsung’s recent reliance on Exynos chips for its flagship wearables.
The move back to Snapdragon could bring improvements to overall responsiveness and battery efficiency, but Qualcomm has been heavily promoting the platform’s AI capabilities. As a result, Samsung may be positioning the Galaxy Watch 9 as a more capable on-device AI companion rather than focusing solely on traditional smartwatch upgrades.
Exactly what those AI-powered experiences will look like remains unclear, but Samsung will almost certainly share more details during Unpacked.
Two Sizes, Multiple Colors
According to the leak, Samsung will once again offer the Galaxy Watch 9 in both 40mm and 44mm sizes. The smaller 40mm version is expected to launch in Cream and Graphite, while the larger 44mm model will be available in Silver and Graphite.
As expected, both sizes should be offered in Bluetooth-only and LTE variants. Interestingly, Samsung appears to be sticking with LTE connectivity for another generation rather than moving to 5G, something Apple has already adopted across its latest smartwatch lineup. Samsung is also expected to offer several band options, including a new green strap shown in the leaked promotional images.
Another Price Increase Could Be Coming
Official pricing has not leaked yet, but another increase may be on the way. Samsung raised prices on portions of its smartwatch lineup last year, and industry-wide component costs continue to climb. Some reports point to ongoing memory and component shortages as a contributing factor.
If those predictions prove accurate, the Galaxy Watch 9 could start around $399, with larger or LTE-equipped models pushing even higher.
Galaxy Unpacked Expected in July
Samsung is widely expected to host Galaxy Unpacked in London toward the end of July. In addition to the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, the company is also expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8. With only a few weeks remaining before the event, more leaks are likely just around the corner.
