People will likely overlook the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 because of the flashy new Galaxy Watch Ultra. Both were announced at Galaxy Unpacked on July 10, and the Ultra has some hardcore design upgrades. But the Galaxy Watch 7 shouldn't be overlooked.
Compared to the Galaxy Watch 6, it has a new 3-nanometer Exynos CPU, double the storage, a revamped health sensor with triple the LEDs for much better accuracy, and an overdue GPS upgrade.
On the other hand, the display, memory, battery life, and charging are largely unchanged, and you won't find any Watch 7 "Classic" with a rotating bezel. By and large, it looks a lot like the Galaxy Watch 6.
Check out our Galaxy Watch 7 hands-on from Unpacked for our initial impressions of the watch. Below, we'll focus on price, models, specs, new features, and everything else you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7!
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Price, availability, and models
After the Galaxy Watch 5 and 6 both got minor price bumps, the Galaxy Watch 7 remains at the same price point as last year: $299 for the 40mm Watch 7 and $329 for the 44mm Watch 7. Samsung lets you upgrade to an LTE version for $50 extra in either size.
Both Galaxy Watch 7 sizes ship in Green. The 40mm Watch 7 also has a Cream option, while the 44mm Watch 7 has a Silver option. You can choose a Sport, Fabric, or Athleisure watch band as your default option; if you preorder the Watch 7, Samsung will bundle in a second band for free if you can't decide which you want.
The Galaxy Watch 7 officially opened up for preorder on July 10 and will ship out to customers on July 24; you can order it from Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and select U.S. carriers. The Galaxy Ring ($399) and Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649) ship out on the same date.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specs
The Exynos W1000 is Samsung's first 3-nanometer CPU used in a smartwatch, built with five cores instead of the usual dual-core design. We don't have specific specs on clock speed or core types yet, and will update here when we do. Samsung told us that most of the extra processing power goes into the new sensor array, and it has the same 2GB of RAM as the Watch 6.
Speaking of sensors, the list will look familiar to owners of the Galaxy Watch 5 or Watch 6. The key upgrade is that the Galaxy Watch 7 uses 13 LEDs for heart rate and blood oxygen readings, using a "multi-optical path" to capture more information. Samsung says it gives the Watch 7 94% accuracy during high-intensity workouts, compared to 88% on the last generation.
Another exciting upgrade is dual-band GPS, which triangulates your position from multiple satellite angles to avoid obstacles like buildings, foliage, or mountains. It's vital for accurate outdoor workout results, and it's rare to find in affordable smartwatches. We can't say for certain how accurate it'll be until we test it, but it'll certainly be an improvement.
Samsung also gave the Galaxy Watch 7 32GB of storage. That might sound like overkill, but we noticed that the Galaxy Watch 6's 16GB of storage was closer to 6GB thanks to the default OS. With extra storage, you'll have plenty of space for large music playlists, podcasts, or all the best Wear OS apps you could want.
Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Watch 6
Before we highlight the Galaxy Watch 7 vs. 6 differences, let's look briefly at what's the same:
- Both ship with 1.3- and 1.5-inch displays and the same resolutions
- Memory (2GB)
- Battery capacity (300/425mAh)
- Health sensors (HR, SpO2, ECG, skin temp, BIA)
- Connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, WiFi, optional LTE)
- Protection (Sapphire Glass, IP68, MIL-STD-810H)
The Galaxy Watch 7 has a new Exynos chip that might provide boosts to performance speed and efficiency. Samsung itself says it has a "3X faster CPU and 30% improved power efficiency" compared to the Exynos W920, but we'll see how it translates into real-world use.
Samsung didn't advertise a specific hourly estimate for the Galaxy Watch 7. The Watch 6 was rated for 40 hours; the Watch 7 may have a more efficient CPU, but that will be counterbalanced by the higher power demands. So it may or may not last the same amount of time.
As we said above, the Galaxy Watch 7 should deliver more accurate heart rate results, especially during workouts, and track you more accurately via dual-band GPS. Our Galaxy Watch 6 fitness test disappointed us, so these upgrades have us optimistic.
The Galaxy Watch 7 launches with Wear OS 5 and the One UI 6 skin, while the Galaxy Watch 6 should update to this new OS within a few weeks of the launch (based on past history). The main software difference is that the Watch 7 will get software updates through summer 2028, while the Watch 6 loses them in 2027.
The Watch 6 and 7 have nearly identical weights—the Watch 7 40mm and 44mm weigh 0.1g and 0.5g less, respectively—but the Watch 7 is decently thicker.
Samsung measures them as 0.7mm thicker, but (as always) Samsung uses a misleading measurement that doesn't include the sensor array. In practice, the Watch 7 looks even thicker because the sensors are more "domelike," according to our hands-on tester. But we're hoping the rounded design will make it more comfortable, even if it sits higher on your wrist.
Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Watch Ultra
Our Galaxy Watch Ultra hands-on will give you an in-depth look at how it feels to use Samsung's first true flagship smartwatch. But we'll summarize the key differences here, in case you're considering a major upgrade.
The Watch 7 Ultra uses titanium grade 4 instead of aluminum, with a 47mm case that weighs 60.5g without the strap (double the 40mm Watch 7 weight). Despite the squircle case design, the display itself is another 1.5-inch, 480x480 AMOLED, so there's no visual upgrade except for a brightness boost from 2,000 to 3,000 nits.
Unlike the Watch 7 (or Watch 6 Classic) you won't get a digital bezel or a physical rotating bezel; you'll have to rely solely on swipes and button presses.
It has the same 590mAh battery as the Watch 5 Pro, which Samsung says is good enough to last 60 hours with AOD on. That's a significant battery boost over the standard Watch 7.
Like the Watch 7, it has 2GB/32GB memory and an Exynos W1000 CPU, plus the same sensors. The upgraded LEDs and dual-band GPS are the same, too. Unlike the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which had LTE included by default, you'll have to pay extra for the Galaxy Watch Ultra LTE.
Mainly, you're paying for some serious ruggedness. The Galaxy Watch Ultra passes the ISO22810 diving standard for 10 minutes in water at 100-meter depth. It has a third Quick Button for fitness shortcuts, an 85-decibel siren, and Samsung's promise that it can survive at extreme temperatures or elevations.
Should you buy the Galaxy Watch 7?
The main reasons to buy the Galaxy Watch 7 if you have a Watch 6 are the faster processor, more accurate health data, pinpointed GPS, and extra storage. They're significant upgrades, but maybe not enough unless you find a good trade-in deal. If you're switching from the Watch 5, you can check our Watch 6 vs. Watch 5 guide to check the other upgrades you'll receive.
If you don't like certain aspects of the Watch 6 like the design or digital bezel, that hasn't changed with the Watch 7. Unless you want to hold out for the Galaxy Watch 8 (which is rumored to switch to a squircle), or pay double the price for the Watch Ultra, your only other option is to look into the other best Android smartwatches on the market.
