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Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Two minute review
First unveiled in mid-2024, the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch SE. At least in theory. It’s designed to be a cheap, entry-level smartwatch that offers many of the features you’d expect from a wearable without the loftier prices of the best smartwatches on the market.
For Apple, it’s a strategy that works well. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10 stand out against the very cheap Apple Watch SE 2. You get some basic features and a much friendlier price tag.
Yet, Samsung’s attempt to emulate this strategy has left me confused and bewildered, and after a few days with the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, I’m afraid I simply can’t make head or tail of this watch or the purpose that it serves.
I could tell you about the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE’s figures and performance statistics. I could tell you that during workout tracking, it performs generally well against my Apple Watch Ultra 2, tracking heart rate, distance, and GPS admirably. I could also tell you that it needs to be charged out of the box for around 90 minutes before you can use it and that even with the always-on display turned off, battery life will offer just 22 hours on a single charge.
I could tell you that Wear OS, while amply equipped with plenty of health tracking and smartphone connectivity features, performs very poorly, thanks to a rather underpowered chip borrowed from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.
I could also tell you that the strap is fairly comfortable, but that the 40mm size, very large bezel, and small display make for a quite disappointing viewing experience.
Really though, the only thing I’m actually going to tell you is that you should buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 instead.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is only one year older than the FE. Despite this, it sports a more powerful CPU – clocked to 1.4GHz, not 1.18GHz – and more memory that will give you snappier performance, faster app loading, and more longevity from software updates.
While the FE is available as a 40mm model only, the Watch 6 can be found in two different sizes, including a larger 44mm configuration. The display on the Galaxy Watch 6 is larger and brighter, measuring 1.3 inches on the 40mm as opposed to 1.2 inches on the FE.
The Galaxy Watch FE also features the same internal storage and comes with more sensors. Finally, the battery capacity of the Galaxy Watch 6 is considerably larger.
This all makes sense on Samsung’s website, where the Galaxy Watch 6 is considerably more expensive than the FE. However, out in the real world, you’ll routinely find the Galaxy Watch 6 discounted to the same price or less than the enigma that is the Galaxy Watch FE.
If I may be so bold, I’ve even seen the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 discounted to less than the list price of the Galaxy Watch FE in both the UK and the US. Even at its own discounted prices, I’ve generally seen the FE similarly priced to the Galaxy Watch 6 on numerous occasions.
There’s one scenario in which the FE makes more sense, and at the time of writing, I recently saw it half price. If you can get one for literally $100/£100, it’s more enticing. However, that puts you squarely in really cheap smartwatch territory, and for that price, I’d recommend the absolutely stunning Amazfit Active 2, which handsomely beats the Galaxy Watch FE in terms of style, performance, features, and battery life. That’s why we crowned it one of the best cheap smartwatches money can buy.
As such, while there’s more I could say about the Galaxy Watch FE’s performance, it’s a smartwatch that I find myself unable to recommend to anyone.
At its usual price, it’s simply no match for a discounted Galaxy Watch 6 or Galaxy Watch 7. Even with the heftiest discount, it’s no match for the more stylish and performant Amazfit Active 2.
If the Galaxy Watch 8 arrives later this year, I’ll return to this review and replace all the 6’s to 7’s to reflect that the Galaxy Watch 7 is now a better proposition than the FE.
Sorry, Samsung, but this one is a swing and a miss.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Specifications
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE |
|
Price |
$199/£199/AU$399 |
|
Dimensions |
39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm (W x H x D) |
|
Weight |
26.6g |
|
Case/bezel |
Aluminum case Black, Pink Gold, Silver |
|
Display |
1.2-inch, 396×396, Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display |
|
GPS |
GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileos |
|
Battery life |
Up to 40 hours |
|
Connection |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Water resistant? |
5ATM + IP68 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Price and Availability
- $199 / £199 / AU$399
- LTE Version $249 (US only)
- Barely cheaper than the much better Galaxy Watch 6
Available now, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE at a host of different retailers around the world. Prices start at $199/£199/AU$399, the only exception being the $249 LTE version that gets you cellular connectivity and is only available in the US.
Strangely, the only place you won’t find it is Samsung’s UK website, which lists the device as no longer available. However, UK fans can get their fix at the likes of Currys, Argos, and, of course, Amazon.
Price-wise, the FE is an extremely strange proposition. Despite being essentially a repackaged Galaxy Watch 4, the FE retails for more than you can buy a distinctly more impressive Galaxy Watch 6. For all the aforementioned reasons, you should probably buy that instead.
The FE is also priced squarely alongside the Apple Watch SE and is vastly more expensive than many of the best cheap smartwatches, notably the Amazfit Active 2 and Nothing’s CMF Watch Pro range.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Scorecard
|
Category |
Comment |
Score |
Row 0 – Cell 3 |
|
Price |
The combo of features and price make no sense in the context of the Galaxy Watch 6 and other cheaper alternatives. |
1/5 |
Row 1 – Cell 3 |
|
Design and screen |
Extremely small display, with very large bezels, however retains Samsung’s classic look and is comfortable to wear. |
2.5/5 |
Row 2 – Cell 3 |
|
Features |
Has every feature you’d expect in a cheap smartwatch including health and fitness tracking. |
3.5/5 |
Row 3 – Cell 3 |
|
Performance |
Using the watch is generally very sluggish and slow, most noticeable when opening apps or dealing with health data. Very poor battery life. |
2/5 |
Row 4 – Cell 3 |
|
Total |
A very confusing smartwatch that’s almost impossible to recommend. |
2/5 |
Row 5 – Cell 3 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Should I buy?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: How we tested
I used the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE as my main smartwatch for fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and more. I fully drained the battery to test battery life and tracked multiple workouts against my Apple Watch Ultra 2 to compare accuracy.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Also consider
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE |
CMF Watch Pro 2 |
Amazfit Active 2 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm) |
|
Price |
$199/£199/AU$399 |
$69/£69/AU$99 |
$99/£99/AU(tbc) |
$299 / £289 / AU$549 (At launch) |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm |
4.5 x 4.5 x 1.36 cm |
43.9 x 43.9x 9.9mm |
38.8mm x 40.4mm x 9.0mm |
|
Weight |
26.6g |
48.1g |
Premium version: 31.65g Standard version: 29.5g |
28.7g |
|
Case/bezel |
Aluminum case Black, Pink Gold, Silver |
Metal body + Liquid silicon strap |
Stainless steel bezel Polymer middle frame |
Aluminum armor, graphite |
|
Display |
1.2-inch, 396×396, Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display |
1.32’’ AMOLED Display 466 x 466px353 PPI620 nits peak brightness60Hz |
1.32’’ AMOLED Display 466 x 466px 353 PPI 2,000 nits peak brightness 60Hz |
1.3-inch, 432 x 432 px super AMOLED Always On display |
|
GPS |
GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileos |
GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS/Beidou |
Yes |
GPS, GLONASS, BEIDOU, Galileo |
|
Battery life |
Up to 40 hours |
Up to 11 days |
Up to 10 days (21 hours GPS) |
Up to 40 hours |
|
Connection |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.2 BLE |
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, LTE |
|
Water resistant? |
5ATM + IP68 |
IP68 |
5ATM |
5ATM+IP68 |
First reviewed: April 2025
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
