Samsung Galaxy Watch FE Is for Anyone Who Wants Just the Basics

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is already a stellar smartwatch, so I’m confused about its launch of the Galaxy Watch FE. The “fan edition” of the Galaxy smartwatch features only some of the bells and whistles of the flagship wrist wearable. It is cheaper, but not by much. It seems redundant alongside deals sprouting up for the original Galaxy Watch 6.

The 40mm Galaxy Watch FE has various new bands that differentiate it from the regular Galaxy Watch. The watch chassis itself is available in black, pink, and silver. There are also new watch faces to try on, and the display utilizes the Galaxy Watch 6’s sapphire crystal glass for robustness. The overall look of the smartwatch seems unchanged from the Galaxy Watch 6, and according to the dimensions, the FE watch is a tiny bit bigger.

Like the rest of its smartwatch brethren, the Galaxy Watch FE offers all of Samsung’s hallmark fitness and wellness offerings, including sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and ECG. However, the results won’t be as detailed as the Galaxy Watch 6. The Galaxy Watch FE doesn’t offer a temperature sensor or blood oxygen and blood pressure monitoring. That’s also why Samsung reduced some of the costs of the Galaxy Watch FE.

The Galaxy Watch FE’s battery is smaller than the Galaxy Watch 6’s. It’s 247mAh compared to 300mAh. There’s also less memory with the Fan Edition—1.5GB of RAM versus 2GB. Both watches have 16GB of storage for things like photos and songs on the go.

At the very least, the Galaxy Watch FE offers the same out-in-the-world roughness rating. It’s IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, so you can swim laps in the pool and hang at the beach for an extended period.

The Galaxy Watch FE launches on June 24 in the U.S. for $200. There will be an LTE-capable model launching soon for $250, which is $20 more than the original MSRP of the Galaxy Watch 6. If none of the Galaxy Watch FE’s specifications speak to you because you’re looking for an Android-compatible wearable with more sophisticated health offerings, see if you can find a discount on the Galaxy Watch 6.

Regardless of the model you stick with, it may also be your last opportunity to buy into this look of the Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch 7 series is expected to be a significant design change for Samsung’s smartwatches.