Samsung's newly launched Galaxy Watch9
Image credit: Samsung
Samsung's flagship Galaxy Watches have gotten more expensive with each generation, and battery life on the just-launched Watch9 and Watch Ultra2 still tops out at roughly one to three days per charge. But there's good reason to think there might be a lower-cost, longer-life watch on the horizon.
SamMobile found references to a device codenamed Galaxy Aero inside Samsung's own Galaxy Wearable app. The code points to "galaxy_rtos_watch," meaning the device would likely run RTOS, a lightweight operating system, instead of Wear OS, the software that powers the current Galaxy Watch lineup.
RTOS trades away features like a full app store and built-in voice assistant. Samsung's Galaxy Fit trackers already use it, and it's part of why they run for a week or more between charges instead of one or two days. Cheaper hardware requirements tend to mean a lower price too.
The Aero would likely slot between the budget Galaxy Fit 3 ($47.99) and the mid-range Galaxy Watch FE ($189.55). Samsung could still release the mystery model under a different name, delay it, or shelve it entirely. Nothing about pricing, launch timing, or final features is confirmed yet.
If you've held off on a Galaxy Watch because of the price or short battery life, I'd wait to see what Samsung launches in the coming months. The Galaxy Fit 3 and Galaxy Watch FE are both 2024 models, so they're due for a refresh. And now there is the mystery Aero model in play.
