Samsung’s 2025 Galaxy Watch lineup is… interesting, but there’s something missing

A splash of color and more variety would be nice

I absolutely hate that I even need to say this, but while color options are not particularly important (for me, at least) when it comes to new smartphones, smartwatches are an entirely different story. These are fashion items just as much as they are tech gadgets, which means that every design element can greatly matter for a prospective buyer.

That includes the product’s shape (which I’m actually not going to comment on today, as I’m not too bothered by the “squircle” Samsung will apparently expand to its entire Galaxy Watch family this year), key details like weight and thickness, and yes, paint jobs.

The Galaxy Watch 8 is by no means what you’d call an eye-catching product. | Image Credit — Evan Blass

And while we’re on the subject, why do “mainstream” rugged smartwatches have to come in a single size? That was the case for the first-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, and there’s apparently a very good chance the next-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra will offer no case size diversity whatsoever.

I know, I know, a smaller-than-47mm Watch Ultra might need to cut some serious battery life corners, but who says there’s no market for a compact rugged timepiece with no more than a day of running times between charges, a sleeker and thinner body, and ideally, a lower price point? Besides, if Garmin can pull off multiple sizes for so many of its popular robust smartwatches, why wouldn’t Samsung be able to do the same thing?

Of course, the single-size Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a big problem too, and because it follows in the footsteps of a Galaxy Watch 6 Classic available with both 43 and 47mm cases, this problem is also hard to wrap my head around. Did anyone complain about too much variety on any of Samsung’s previous wearable devices? If not, what is the company thinking?!

Where’s that second-gen Galaxy Watch Fan Edition?

Most of you will probably not agree with me on this, but I consider the Galaxy Watch FE to be the best Samsung smartwatch available right now.

The reasons are fairly simple, and it obviously helps that I’m not exactly what you’d call a smartwatch power user. But even those of you who’d never think about buying anything but the latest and greatest high-end devices have to admit that the bang for buck is mighty strong with the first-ever Galaxy Watch Fan Edition, which is why Samsung should probably strike while the iron is hot and think about releasing a new generation as soon as possible.

The first-gen Galaxy Watch FE is a great product, but a sequel could obviously be even better. | Image Credit — Samsung

Now, I’m fully aware that it’s against the company’s traditions to unveil budget-friendly Fan Editions alongside new flagships, but traditions are made to be changed, and if the Galaxy Watch 8 can look radically different from its predecessor, why couldn’t a Galaxy Watch FE (2025) see daylight in an “uncharacteristic” timeline?

Just think about it – a new $200 and up intelligent timepiece based on the Galaxy Watch 6 (or even the Watch 7) instead of the Watch 4 with pretty much all the health monitoring tools you need, a reasonably powerful processor, and stellar software support. Why would you ever consider the undoubtedly pricier Galaxy Watch 8? Oh, yeah, I get the problem now.

How about a Galaxy Watch Edge?

I admit that this is just a pipe dream of mine right now, and I’m not entirely sure that it would work, but if there’s one segment where tech companies should try to slim down their products and gauge demand, that’s the wearable industry and not the smartphone market.

Am I the only one who feels a Galaxy Watch Edge makes more sense than the Galaxy S25 Edge? | Image Credit — PhoneArena

Can you even picture a Galaxy Watch Edge or Galaxy Watch 8 Edge with a sub-9mm waist, sub-40-gram weight, premium build materials, a big and beautiful AMOLED touchscreen, and all the latest and greatest health and fitness tracking features around?

That’s more or less the description of the new Garmin Venu X1, so it can (probably) be done if we put enough pressure on Samsung… and understand that battery life could be a disaster if something like this ever materializes.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.

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