Samsung Launches Galaxy Watch6 Series And All-OLED New Galaxy Tabs
Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic
The first and arguably most important thing to know about Samsung's Watch6 series is that the rotating bezel is back. Samsung removed this feature from the Watch5 but kept the previous generation Watch4 Classic around for those who wanted the physical scrolling mechanism. Now, there's a Watch6 Classic that brings back the bezel, and it's 15% thinner now. The regular Galaxy Watch6 is 30% slimmer than the last version, but it doesn't have the physical rotating bezel.
Both watches have 20% larger sapphire glass screens this year; that's 1.3 inches for the smaller sizes and 1.5 inches for the larger one. If you've got smaller wrists, the regular Watch6 is probably the one to get. It comes in 40 and 44mm case sizes. The Watch6 Classic is either 43 or 47mm. It's also a lot heavier at 52-59g versus 28-33g for the Watch6.
Inside, the watches share most of the same hardware with an Exynos W930 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. The smaller-sized watches of each model get 300mAh batteries, and the larger ones have 425mAh ratings.
| Feature | Galaxy Watch6 | Galaxy Watch6 Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Color | - 44mm Graphite, Silver - 40mm Graphite, Gold |
- 47mm Black, Silver - 43mm Black, Silver |
| Dimensions & Weight | - 44mm 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm, 33.3g - 40mm 38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm, 28.7g |
- 47mm 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm, 59.0g - 43mm: 42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9 mm, 52.0g |
| Display | Sapphire Crystal - 44mm 1.5-inch (37.3mm) 480x480 Super AMOLED Full Color Always On Display - 40mm: 1.3-inch (33.3mm) 432x432 Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display |
Sapphire Crystal - 47mm: 1.5-inch (37.3mm) 480x480 Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display - 43mm: 1.3-inch (33.3mm) 432x432 Super AMOLED, Full Color Always On Display |
| Processor | Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz | Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz |
| Memory & Storage | 2GB memory 16GB storage | 2GB memory 16GB storage |
| Battery (typical) |
- 44mm: 425mAh - 40mm: 300mAh Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on) |
- 47mm: 425mAh - 43mm: 300mAh Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on) |
| Charging | Fast Charging (WPC-based wireless charging) | Fast Charging (WPC-based wireless charging) |
| Sensors | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate Electrical Heart Signal Bioelectrical impedance Analysis) Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Opocal Heart Rate+ Electrical Heart Signal Bioelectrical impedance Analysis) Temperature Sensor Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, 30 Hall sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass Beidou/Galileo | LTE Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass Beidou/Galileo |
| Durability | 5ATM 168/MIL-STD-810H | 5ATM 168/MIL-STD-810H |
| Compatibility | Android 10 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory | Android 10 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory |
Samsung's latest watches are still running on Google's Wear OS, not that you'll hear Samsung talk about that much. Oh, it likes to talk about all the apps you can install on your One UI-based watch (Gmail and Google Calendar soon!), but those apps are in the Play Store, which Samsung didn't have when its watches ran Tizen.
The Watches are up for pre-order today, July 26th, starting at $299.99 for the 40mm Watch6. The larger one is $329.99. As for the Classic, it starts higher at $399.99 for 43mm, and going up to $429.99 for the 47mm. There will be LTE models as well with a corresponding price bump.
Galaxy Tab S9 Family
Android tablets are having something of a renaissance as Google has finally started improving the large-screen experience in Android. Before this, Samsung's $500+ tablets were difficult to justify in the face of Apple's excellent iPad experience. The new Tab S9 has a lot to prove, but it's virtually alone in the realm of ultra-premium Android slates.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra compared to a closed Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The new tablet lineup consists of the Tab S9 (11-inch), Tab S9+ (12.4-inch), and Tab S9 Ultra (14.6-inch). Unlike last year, all three models have Samsung's fabulous OLED screens (the base model Tab S8 was saddled with an LCD). The screens are still 16:10, which makes them ungainly when held in portrait orientation, but they're great for video. While Samsung hasn't provided exact resolutions yet, the screens all have 120Hz refresh rates with dynamic adjustment.
The tablets will launch with Android 13 and Samsung's effective multi-window customizations. If you're looking to juggle two or three Android apps at the same time, there's no better device than a big Samsung tablet. Not only do you have multi-window, but Samsung includes the S Pen with all three slates, and it's easier to attach to the larger magnetic charging zone on the back. The tablets are IP68-rated, too.
These tablets have huge surface areas, but they're remarkably slim, all under 6mm. Still, Samsung found a way to include a microSD card slot on all three models for an additional 1TB of storage. The internal storage allotments are generous, if you're willing to pay. The Tab S9 starts at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with a 12/256GB upgrade. The Tab S9+ offers 12/256GB and 12/512GB options. The Tab S9 Ultra has either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.
| Feature | Galaxy Tab S9 | Galaxy Tab S9+ | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 11-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X (60-120Hz) | 12.4-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X (60-120Hz) | 14.6-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X (60-120Hz) |
| Dimensions | 165.8x254.3x5.9mm | 185.4 x 285.4x5.7mm | 208.6 x 326.4 x 5.5mm |
| Weight | 498g (Wi-Fi) | 581g (Wi-Fi)/586g (SG) | 732g (Wi-Fi) |
| Rear Camera | 13MP AF | 13MP AF + 8MP UW | 13MP AF + 8MP UW |
| Front Camera | 12MP UW | 12MP UW | 12MP + 12MP UW |
| Memory & Storage | 8GB+128GB 12GB+256GB MicroSD |
12GB+256GB 12GB+512GB microSD |
12GB+256GB 12GB+512GB 16GB+1TB microSD |
| AP | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| Battery | 8,400mAh (typical) | 10,090mAh (typical) | 11,200mAh (typical) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v5.3 |
| Color | Beige, Graphite | Beige, Graphite | Beige, Graphite |
| Sound | Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG, Dolby Atmos | Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG, Dolby Atmos | Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG, Dolby Atmos |
| Biometric Authentication |
On-Screen Fingerprint (FOD) | On-Screen Fingerprint (FOD) | On-Screen Fingerprint (FOD) |
Samsung's new tablets have big price tags to match their massive screens. The Tab S9 starts at $799.99, the Tab S9+ is $999.99, and the S9 Ultra is $1,199.99. Only the Tab S9+ has a 5G variant, and this version will run you $1,149.99. Like the new smartwatches, you can pre-order the tablets starting today. There are more pre-order bonuses here to somewhat take the sting out of the price. You can get up to $650 off a Galaxy Tab S9 with a trade-in, and you can get 50% off a book cover case.
If you're going to pick up a new piece of Samsung hardware, the pre-order window is a good way to do it. After release, the bonuses and trade-in values will typically dip. Then, you'll have to wait for a holiday sale or mid-cycle price cut to get a similarly good deal.
