Samsung Galaxy Watch has an Android name but doesn't run Google's Wear OS

It lasts for days and days.

Credit: Samsung

While the Galaxy Note 9 and its four-figure price tag got all of the attention at Samsung's Unpacked event, it wasn't the only new product it unveiled. There's also a new smartwatch with a new name: the Galaxy Watch. But while this is the first Samsung wearable to carry the Galaxy name, it still runs the Tizen OS rather than Google's Wear OS.

And it hasn't gotten much smaller either. Like the Gear S3 Frontier, which was last updated in 2016, the Galaxy Watch comes in two different sizes, 42mm and 46mm, with a bezel all around. Samsung has kept the circular frame as well, so no one will mistake it for an Apple Watch, even with the addition of a new rose gold color.

The AMOLED display includes full touch capabilities. Under the screen you'll get the usual GPS and LTE sensors for standalone use, along with a giant battery. Samsung says the Galaxy Watch will last "several days" on a single charge thanks to a new processor with a low-power architecture optimized specifically for watches. That's impressive durability for a smartwatch.

On the fitness side of things, the water-resistant Galaxy Watch has built-in GPS, and it can track your heart rate, stress level, and sleep habits, all managed via the Samsung Health app.

Samsung says it's working with more than 30 cellular carriers to let you use the Galaxy Watch by itself—no phone tethering required—in over 15 countries. Pricing or release date information wasn't announced, however. 

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Michael Simon, Brad Chacos

PC World (US online)
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