- A code leak points to three new Galaxy Watch models
- They can all get the Pixel’s ‘lift to talk’ feature
- Users still have concerns about the devices’ battery life
We’re expecting successors to the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic from Samsung in the next few months, and a new leak gives us a better idea of the models we can expect — plus one of the features they might bring.
The team at Android Authority has found three smartwatch codenames buried in the latest Google Wear OS app for Android: Fresh 9 (likely Galaxy Watch 9, based on previous codenames), Wise 9 (Galaxy Watch 9 Classic), and Project V2 (possibly the long-awaited Galaxy Watch Ultra 2).
Samsung’s smartwatch launches aren’t quite as easy to predict as they are for their smartphones, and we don’t always get a Classic or an Ultra addition. We have also previously seen a Pro model: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, from 2022.
This goes some way to settling the question of what we’re about to see, although it will be interesting to find out what the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 brings. The original Ultra made its debut back in 2024.
Travel to speak
That same dig into the Wear OS app’s code has revealed something else: These upcoming Galaxy Watch models may well have the ‘lift to talk’ feature available on Google’s smartwatches, including the Google Pixel Watch 4.
Changes to the code, including a “3p” tag that could mean third-party, suggest the feature won’t be exclusive to the Pixel for much longer. It allows the user to lift their smartwatch up to their head and Gemini starts up instantly – ready to receive voice commands.
As for the online reaction to Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch update, there’s approval of the current circular face design, but questions about battery life. Of the three rumored models, one Redditor says “none of them solve the reason I moved to Garmin” — the reason being weeks rather than days of battery life.
Another commenter suggests that “we don’t need annual releases of Samsung watches”, saying that “they evolve very little from year to year”. With Reddit’s approval or not, it looks like these wearables are on the way — and we’ll bring you all the details when they arrive.
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