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Before smartwatches, there was only one reason to look at your watch. Today, telling time is just one of the many functions of smartwatches. People use smartwatches to check the time, track important health markers, communicate with friends, choose watch faces for the day, and enjoy various content from their wrist.
Samsung Newsroom traces the evolution of the Galaxy Watch series over the past decade, as the device transcended its traditional role and redefined what it meant to be a watch.
Thinking outside the box: opening a new era for smartwatches
Unveiled in September 2013, the revolutionary Galaxy Gear brought the Galaxy experience closer to everyday life. The smartwatch featured a 41.4-millimeter display that allowed users to make and receive calls, schedule events, set alarms, and check the weather with their voice. Photos and short videos could be taken on the spot without a smartphone, thanks to the 1.9-megapixel camera attached to the band and the ingenious Memographer function. More than a wristwatch, the Galaxy Gear ushered in a new era of smartwatches.
Samsung launched the second generation of the Samsung Gear2 in February 2014. Lighter and thinner than its predecessor, the watch had a longer battery life and more features that could be used without a smartphone. Users could monitor their heart rate and track their exercise in real time with the heart rate sensor or turn the watch into a standalone music player with the built-in file storage. The Samsung Gear2 Neo was launched at the same time, giving consumers an additional option with all the same features as the Samsung Gear2, except for the camera.
Launched in 2014, the Samsung Gear S was Samsung’s first smartwatch to feature a large, curved Super AMOLED display that wrapped around the wearer’s wrist, supporting 3G and Wi-Fi without a smartphone connection. The Samsung Gear S2, its 2015 successor, was Samsung’s first smartwatch to feature a circular display and the rotating bezel that is now a feature of the Galaxy Watch Classic line.
In 2016, Samsung launched the Samsung Gear S3 that turned heads with a sleek design inspired by traditional watches and more innovative features that improved daily life. The Always On Display feature continuously shows the time on users’ wrists through the Super AMOLED screen that supports 16 million colors. Equipped with a built-in speaker and microphone, the device allows users to take calls in speakerphone mode without a Bluetooth headset. Meanwhile, GPS helps users record their exercise history or check routes on maps without a smartphone.
The Samsung Gear Sport, the latest model in the Samsung Gear series, features a sporty design for people with an active lifestyle. With a water resistance of 5 ATM, the watch can be worn while swimming. Enhanced water resistance features include Water Lock Mode that prevents unintentional activation of the touchscreen in strong currents.
Galaxy Watch: a new partner for a balanced lifestyle
In August 2018, the Galaxy Watch series was born. This rebranding reflects the diverse and ever-expanding functions of a smartwatch in today’s world: as a health tracker, personal assistant, fashion accessory and much more. To enhance the user experience and highlight Samsung’s smartwatch identity, the wearable retained the signature circular bezel of previous models, but added an hourly alarm and ticking second hand for the first time. Available in three colors and in 42 and 46 millimeter sizes, this versatile device offers stress and sleep management features to improve users’ health and well-being. Users can also track workouts for 39 different exercise types, more than any other watch on the market at the time.
In February 2019, Samsung launched a new smartwatch lineup with the Galaxy Watch Active, designed specifically for users with active lifestyles. Featuring a 28.1-millimeter Super AMOLED display, the watch retained its iconic circular shape but eliminated the bezel and used aluminum to reduce the weight by 25 grams. The 20-millimeter band made of flexible fluoroelastomer gave fashion-conscious users a variety of options to express their individuality. On the other hand, health-conscious users could track their exercise, sleep, stress levels, and blood pressure in real time. They could even check how much time they spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep compared to the other three stages of sleep.
In August 2019, the Galaxy Watch Active2 took personalized health and wellness management to the next level for people seeking a healthier lifestyle. In addition to the rotating bezel and other user experience improvements, the My Style feature provided users with more stylish and personalized watch faces. The wearable device was the perfect partner to help users achieve a healthier and more balanced lifestyle with enhanced stress and sleep management features as well as the exercise function that could track over 39 different types of workouts. In addition, the upgraded Galaxy ecosystem improved connectivity and everyday convenience.
A new era: integrated healthcare is here
After two years, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Watch3 to health enthusiasts in August 2020. While retaining the circular stainless steel bezel, users could choose between a larger 41 or 45 millimeter display with a lighter and thinner body. For the first time in Galaxy history, Samsung added an even lighter, stronger, and more premium model made of titanium. The device offered an integrated health care experience on the wrist with health, fitness, sleep management, and blood pressure monitoring. Additionally, Samsung introduced electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and a blood oxygen function to track oxygen saturation over time.
The Galaxy Watch4 series redefined the smartwatch experience in August 2021, with two models, the modern and minimalist Galaxy Watch4 and the more traditional Galaxy Watch4 Classic with the iconic rotating bezel. Launched for the first time, the BioActive sensor measures various health indicators such as blood pressure, ECG and blood oxygen saturation levels with more precision than the previous watch. Users who want more holistic health insights can measure their body composition by simply placing two fingers on the smartwatch to learn how to manage and achieve their health goals. The smartwatch is equipped with the new Wear OS operating system, co-developed with Google, so users can access a wider variety of apps. Meanwhile, the new One UI Watch update has significantly improved the user experience by seamlessly connecting the watch to Samsung smartphones, wireless earbuds and other devices.
Above the wrist: a partner to get to know each other better
In August 2022, Samsung opened a new chapter in the world of smartwatches with the Galaxy Watch5 series. Optimized for outdoor sports, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro was introduced in this lineup. The more advanced Samsung BioActive Sensor improved the accuracy of body composition, heart rate, and ECG monitoring measurements. Notably, a new temperature sensor equipped on the Galaxy Watch5 provided predictions based on skin temperature to help women easily track their menstrual cycles.
Samsung has once again supported its health-conscious users with the Galaxy Watch6 series, unveiled in July 2023. This smartwatch offers holistic health features to provide more personalized and innovative health solutions for users who want to better manage their health. Featuring a thinner bezel, the display is approximately 20% larger than its predecessors to help users see more information at a glance. The Galaxy Watch6 is designed with the signature circular design, while the Galaxy Watch6 Classic features a rotating bezel reminiscent of analog watches. A new button has replaced the spring structure, allowing users to easily change straps with a single click.
With an even more sensitive BioActive sensor and high-performance processor, health metrics have become more specialized, ranging from sleep management and fitness coaching to heart health monitoring.
A Galaxy Health experience powered by AI and the next generation watch
Samsung unveiled the One UI 6 watch in May 2024. With this watch, the company has managed to transform the Galaxy Watch into a complete digital health assistant that measures indicators such as heart rate, sleep patterns, and much more. Health information is more comprehensive and detailed than ever, and users now receive personalized messages powered by AI to motivate them to achieve their health goals. In addition, the upcoming Galaxy Watch series that will be released in the second half of this year will measure advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with an updated BioActive sensor that includes light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in more colors and newly designed photodiodes.
Samsung is constantly expanding its horizons and will continue to do so. Each new wearable offers not only basic functions, but also services that younger generations expect. Striving to become the closest partner that values every exciting and precious moment in every user’s life, Samsung has been pushing the boundaries of the smartwatch for over a decade – and the best is yet to come.
For more information about Samsung Galaxy Watch, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/my/watches/
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