Smartwatch fans may have their eyes on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, which is likely to land later this year, but fresh rumors suggest that the older Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 could also get a surprise refresh before that flagship model.
Serial leaker Roland Quandt (via Phandroid) claims that the Galaxy Watch 4 is likely to get an improved 2024 version, alongside a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024). There's no hint of a release date for both devices, but Quandt claims they could "pop up soon".
If so, they're likely to arrive well before the rumored Galaxy Watch 7, which we're expecting to see announced in August – if previous Samsung smartwatch launches are any guide, at least.
So, why might Samsung be rebooting the Galaxy Watch 4, which came out back in 2021? My guess is it'll be so the Watch 4 can act as the more affordable Apple Watch SE in Samsung's smartwatch range.
The original Apple Watch SE was effectively a combination of the Apple Watch Series 6's design and features from its two predecessors. Just as Apple released the Apple Watch SE 2 two years after the original model, Samsung could be doing the same with the Galaxy Watch 4 (and maybe Galaxy Watch 4 Classic).
The Watch 4 was the first Samsung watch to run Wear OS rather than Tizen and is still being sold directly by Samsung, but its older Exynos W920 chipset and specs mean it was only slated to get four years of software support when it launched. So, a minor refresh could help it to continue for longer as Samsung's budget smartwatch.
Who is the Galaxy Watch 4 for?
It's shaping up to be a big year for Samsung wearables, with the Samsung Galaxy Ring also arriving "later this year", and the leaked Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 also thought to be en route.
That begs the question: where might a refreshed Galaxy Watch 4 fit in among all of this? It currently costs $199 / £199 / AU$399, but you can find it for even less than that at some retailers. A new version with some refreshed specs (for example, the Galaxy Watch 6's Exynos W930 chipset) should see it sell for around that price tag, too.
With the Galaxy Fit 3 likely to cost in the region of $120 / £80 / AU$270 and the Galaxy Watch 6 starting at $299 / £289 / AU$549 (for the 40mm version), that would make the Watch 4 an affordable, middle ground between the Fit and flagship Watch.
One of the key differences between the Fit and Watch series is that the latter has third-party apps, alongside other bonuses like built-in GPS. So, if you need those features, but don't want to shell out for a Galaxy Watch 6 or 7, it could well be worth waiting to see if Samsung does indeed reboot its 2021 smartwatch to help extend its life.
