Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy Unpacked starts on July 10, when it'll show off the latest wearables, foldables, and even a smart ring. That means Samsung has a lot of old inventory to clear out, and fast. And with Amazon Prime Day coming up just a week after Unpacked, you may want to wait on the new Galaxy Watch 7 or Watch Ultra in favor of a cheaper Galaxy Watch 6 or FE.
Last year's Prime event took place before Unpacked, but Samsung still took a fire-sale approach. You could get a Galaxy Watch 5 for $151 or $128 off, which was the lowest price we'd ever seen on it. Its LTE variants were $100 off as well. And you could snag a Z Fold 4 for an absurd $700 off.
Right now, the Galaxy Watch 6 is $239 ($60 off), and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is $400 off, which are pretty good deals in their own right. But if you're patient, I predict these prices will fall to new lows once Prime Day starts on July 16—just six days after Unpacked.
Of course, you can reserve a Galaxy Watch 7 pre-order for $50 off from Samsung, if you want the most cutting-edge tech and features. That's not a bad deal! Then again, Galaxy Watches tend not to change much from one generation to the next, and you may want to prioritize spending as little as possible.
All the current Galaxy Watch 7 rumors say it could have 32GB of storage and a slightly faster CPU, but it should be pretty similar to the Watch 6 in style and sensors, and any new Wear OS upgrades like Galaxy AI health stats will come to the Watch 6 just a couple of weeks after the Watch 7 launch.
I wrote last year that Samsung needed to give Galaxy Watches more storage, and some people will need the doubled space for music playlists or extra apps. But otherwise, if you can save $100 or more on a Watch 6 with another three years of promised upgrades, you may want to "downgrade" to our favorite Android watch of the past 12 months.
Also, remember that Samsung ran out of Galaxy Watch 5 stock pretty quickly after Prime Day last year. So, if you want a cheaper last-gen option, July or August would be the time to buy one.
Now, if you want the leaked Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, with all the top-end specs and multi-day battery life that entails, then disregard the deal-hunting and preorder that instead. But I assume it'll cost more than many of you will willingly pay if its price is anywhere close to the Apple Watch Ultra 2's.
We've heard conflicting rumors about whether Samsung will sell a new Watch 7 Pro or Classic, in addition to the Ultra. The Watch 5 Pro has stuck around for two years, but I'd expect an everything-must-go sale on them if the Watch 7 Pro really exists.
Your other money-saving option is the new Galaxy Watch FE, which is essentially a Galaxy Watch 4 re-release with added Sapphire Crystal and a fresh set of software updates. It starts at $199, and you can cut the price to $99 with a smartwatch trade-in. So, if you have an old pre-Wear OS Galaxy Watch lying around in a closet, you can get a solid smartwatch for less than an Amazfit.
Now, we can always hope that Samsung will wow us with the Galaxy Watch 7 announcement at Galaxy Unpacked. However, the leaked renders make it look pretty darn similar to the Watch 6, aside from some colorful stitching on the default silicone band. We'll have to hope for more intangible upgrades, like better battery life or revamped health sensors.
We'll find out more on July 10! But since it'll ship a few weeks after Unpacked, that gives you time to check out Prime Day 2024 first and see if Samsung makes the Galaxy Watch 6 cheap enough to tempt you. That way, you can put that extra cash towards a new Galaxy Ring or foldable phone instead.
