While we don’t yet know the full details of Samsung’s next-generation smartwatches, recent FCC submissions indicate that you can expect at least one major upgrade: faster charging.
FCC presentations don’t reveal too much in terms of features, but they are a good indicator that a product is nearing launch. The presentations were first detected by 9to5Google and indicate that there will be three models called SM-R900, SM-R910 and SM-R920. They also confirm basic connectivity specifications, such as the fact that watches will support Bluetooth, 2.4 and 5 Ghz Wi-Fi, and contactless payments. But as for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 line, the most attractive thing is that the watches can be charged at speeds of 10 W. By context, the Galaxy Watch 4 only supports half.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 was very disappointing in terms of battery life. While Samsung promises 40 hours of battery life, the Galaxy Watch 4 line struggles to get through an entire day if you turn on all the bells and whistles, as the screen always turns on. And in testing for The Verge, it only got worse when Google Assistant finally came to Wear OS 3 last month.
Adding a quick charge could help Samsung dodge similar complaints if the new watches also need daily launches, especially since the Galaxy Watch 4 takes about two hours to go from zero to 100 percent. It is a feature that already exists in many other smart watches. Fossil added fast charging a few years ago to its Wear OS watches, and Apple introduced fast charging to its 7 Series watch last year.
It is also rumored that Samsung will remove the “Classic” model for the Galaxy Watch 5 line. Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge
In addition to user complaints, there are many reasons why Samsung might prioritize a better battery experience. For starters, sleep tracking. Samsung and Apple have tended to lag behind in this area compared to Fitbit and other fitness trackers because their smart watches often can’t spend the night without a quick recharge before going to bed. Sleep tracking isn’t everyone’s number one priority, but it’s an increasingly popular feature and an area that seems to be of interest to Samsung. In February, he expanded his sleep monitoring functions with a training program. That said, it’s hard to make a splash if your sleep monitor can’t do it until morning.
Another reason may be due to the almost confirmed “Pro” version of the Galaxy Watch 5. It is rumored that this watch has a 572 mAh battery and a charge that, at speeds of 5 W, would be like a turtle by current standards. It is also rumored that the standard Galaxy Watch 5 models have bigger batteries this time around. The Galaxy Watch 4’s two-hour charging time was no longer ideal, and increasing charging times beyond that would be a big misstep.
It is important for Samsung to do well
Samsung usually launches its portable devices in late summer, so it won’t be long before we know more about the Galaxy Watch 5 line. And it’s important that Samsung does it right. Last year there was a bit of a margin with the Galaxy Watch 4, as it was, and still is, the only Wear OS 3 smartwatch available. This will not be the case in a few months.
Not only will Google release its own Pixel Watch (rumored to have no fast charge) later this fall, but some existing Wear OS 2 watches are also expected to be upgraded to Wear OS 3 before the end of year. Android users are about to get more viable options than they’ve ever had on the front of their laptop. Samsung doesn’t necessarily have to get a battery life of several days, but it can’t afford to deal with the fast charge. Not if you want to stay ahead of the group.