Samsung doesn't always put new chipsets in new versions of the Galaxy Watch, but it did with the Galaxy Watch 6 – and it looks as though it will with the Galaxy Watch 7 series launching later this year as well.
That's according to reliable tipster Roland Quandt (via SamMobile), who says that a processor with the internal codename Exynos 5535 is going to be powering the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 models.
Considering 2023 watches were powered by the Exynos W930 – see our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review for details – it's likely that this new chipset could be marketed as the Exynos W940.
And that's all the information we have about this component right now: we don't know how much faster it's going to be or what new features it will bring with it, but it's encouraging that Samsung doesn't seem to be using the Exynos W930 again this year.
Galaxy Watch 7 is based on Exynos 5535 (again, internal model number, not official marketing name. Guess would be Exynos W940 based on earlier models.There's also an Exynos 5400 (internal model #, no clue, but it is a mobile and likely wearable thing)Also Exynos 6375 exists.January 19, 2024
Battery life boost
As far as we can tell, this is the first Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 leak to appear, so there's not much more we can tell you about these wearables. We're assuming there will again be both a standard model and a Classic model with a bezel, like last year.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic were unveiled in July 2023 (alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5), so we're probably looking at somewhere around July 2024 for the next devices to appear.
Both of last year's models got high scores in our reviews, with lots of praise for the design and polish of the smartwatches, and for the software experience. If there is room for improvement though, it's in the battery life, which is still only average.
That's something that the rumored new Exynos W940 should help with: new chipsets are typically more efficient as well as more powerful, meaning that the same tasks can be accomplished with less of a drain on the device battery.
