Everyone loves a bargain. That’s the whole point of budget devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch FE: it may lack the flashy features of a flagship watch and premium hardware, but in return you save a lot of cash. It’s a fair and reasonable compromise, but only if companies strike the right balance between price and features. And with the $199.99 Galaxy Watch FE, Samsung is far from perfect.
Here’s the thing. Design-wise, the Watch FE is very similar to the all-new Galaxy Watch 7, which retails for $299.99. They look almost identical! Have most of the same software features, such as activity tracking, notifications and advanced health features such as ECG and body composition analysis. Most of the things you can do on the Watch 7, you can do on the Watch FE.
Samsung Galaxy FE watch
$126.72
Good
- It looks almost identical to the Galaxy Watch 7
- You get almost the same features and health tracking software
- At least there’s a sapphire crystal!
Bad
- It has the courage of the Galaxy Watch 4, a three-year-old watch
- Battery life isn’t great
- Significantly lagged performance
- Only one size
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But under the hood, the Watch FE is actually just a rebadged Galaxy Watch 4 that launched in 2021. The FE is only available in a smaller 40mm size, uses Samsung’s last-generation smartwatch processor, has no skin temperature sensor, and sports a slightly smaller battery. The only improvement over the Watch 4 is a more durable sapphire glass lens and a newer one-click strap mechanism.
Since it’s essentially a Galaxy Watch 4, it also functions like one. There is a constant delay in swiping the screens, which makes it unclear whether the FE will run future versions of Wear OS smoothly. I might write off the shaky, slow screen if I were buying a refurbished Watch 4. But it’s being sold as a new watch, and paying $200 (or $250 if you prefer LTE) for laggy performance seems inappropriate.
Compared to the Galaxy Watch 4, it has a sapphire glass and a newer strap mechanism activated with one click.
Battery life is also not as good as the Watch 7. I managed to last 24 hours, but with the always-on display turned off and frequent use of the power saving mode. You can probably get more mileage if you tweak the settings, but with normal use (without low power mode) I got about 18-20 hours. This is definitely a watch that requires daily charging. The 40mm Watch 7 isn’t much better, but I can easily get through the day without thinking about it too much. I had to keep an eye on the FE and often got caught with low battery notifications.
The Watch FE feels like Samsung is lining up its brands to emulate Apple. If you look at the deals now, you’ll find a Galaxy Watch equivalent to the Apple Watch. The FE is a less blatant clone than the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but I just don’t think Samsung has created the right combination of features, hardware and price. With the Apple Watch SE, you lose the always-on display and some advanced health features like ECG, while gaining good performance and a larger $150 discount. Apple focused on the same performance and fewer functions, while Samsung focused on more functions with worse performance. This first one works. The latter is not.
How do you like massive frames?
Samsung wouldn’t have to tweak much to get the mix right. Lower the price to $180, offer the same battery as the Watch 7, and focus on core health and SOS features. I’m sure this FE version would sell like hot cakes. Call it wishful thinking, but I have a feeling the FE is a victim of a chaotic transition year in which Samsung tried to make big changes to its smartwatch lineup. Overall, I hope future versions of FE will make more sense.
In the current climate, for bargain hunters, buying last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 on sale is simply a much better value. Either way, you’ll save money by purchasing a newer processor, multiple size options, and a larger battery. Again, a great budget gadget should make you feel like a steal. But right now, FE seems less about a deal and more about overpaying for a “new” Galaxy Watch 4.
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it – contracts that no one actually reads. We are unable to read and analyze each of these contracts. However, we have started counting exactly how many times you have to click “I agree” to use devices while checking them out, because these are contracts that most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.
To use the Galaxy Watch FE, you must pair it with your Android phone. This includes any terms of service and privacy policies required by the phone. When it comes to Samsung and Wear OS, you’ll have five mandatory contracts.
There are also some optional permissions for features that can use voice, location or camera. If you download a third-party app like Strava or Calm, you’ll have to agree to its terms and share your health data with them. If you choose to use this service, you may also be required to agree to the Samsung Pay Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. If you decide to download the Samsung Health Monitor app for ECG readings, you may need to grant additional permissions.
Final result: six mandatory agreements and numerous optional permits and agreements.
Credit : www.theverge.com
