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Inexpensive Galaxy Watch
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
$153 $200 Save $47
The Galaxy Watch FE is the least expensive option if you want a Samsung Wear OS watch. With the familiar look and feel of its more expensive siblings, the Watch FE delivers a striking package with yesterday’s hardware — making it shockingly similar to the Galaxy Watch 5.
Pros- Performance is good enough
- Cheapest way to get a Galaxy Watch
- Premium design
Cons- Charging speed is slow
- Only available in one size
- Competition offers more for the same price
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Still good enough
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
$230 $330 Save $100
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a couple of years old at this point, but still carries a premium design and the same hardware as the much more recent Galaxy Watch FE. As a result, the Galaxy Watch 5 is still a solid device for daily use.
Pros- Performance is still good
- Available in multiple sizes
- Faster charging speeds compared to the Watch FE
Cons- Shouldn’t be bought new at this point
- A few years older
- Competition has caught up
Samsung’s FE (Fan Edition) devices first appeared on the smartphone side as a cheaper alternative to its current flagship devices with the same look and feel; the latest example is the Galaxy S24 FE. While Samsung has tried to perfect the FE formula over the years, the product lineup has had a bit of an up-and-down history. Some devices found a great balance of performance and price, while others missed their mark.
Instead of basing the Galaxy Watch FE on the more recent Galaxy Watch 7, Samsung decided to go back a few generations and use the Galaxy Watch 4 for its inspiration. If your Galaxy Watch 5 is starting to show its age or its battery life is beginning to diminish, you may be eyeing the newer Watch FE as a potential replacement. However, the Galaxy Watch 5 also shares much of its DNA with the Watch 4, meaning these two devices are far more similar than they are different.
Read our ranking
Best smartwatches for Android in 2024
Our favorite smartwatches for any Android phones
Price, availability, and specs
Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch FE in June 2024, and it comes in two 40mm variants. The Wi-Fi-only model retails for $200, while the LTE version sells for $250. The Watch FE frequently goes on sale, so if you’re patient, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it for less. Both versions come in Black, Silver, or Pink Gold colorways and can be purchased directly from Samsung, through retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, or from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
The Galaxy Watch 5 is a few years older, having launched way back in August 2022. It can still be found new from retailers like Amazon, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it new at this point. As you’ll soon see, the FE offers the same experience for less, or you can grab the Galaxy Watch 7 for about the same price. The Watch 5 launched in 40mm and 44mm variants with Wi-Fi-only or LTE connectivity. The Watch 5 was available in the Graphite, Silver, and Pink Gold colorways.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch FE Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Case size 40mm 40mm, 44mm Case Material Aluminum Aluminum Display 1.2″ AMOLED 1.19″ Sapphire Crystal Glass AMOLED 396 x 396px (40mm) or 1.36″ Sapphire Crystal Glass AMOED 450 x 450px (44mm) CPU Exynos W920 Samsung Exynos W920 RAM 1.5GB 1.5GB Storage 16GB 16GB Battery 247mAh 284mAh (40mm) or 410 mAh (44mm) Cellular connectivity LTE (optional) LTE Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 5 Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity NFC NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi (2.4Gz & 5Ghz), LTE (optional) Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.2 Software Wear OS 4 with One UI 5 Watch One UI Watch 4.5 atop Wear 3.5 Health sensors Samsung BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate + electrical heart + bioelectrical impedance analysis), SpO2, skin temperature Optical Heart Rate, Electrical Heart Sensor (ECG), Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA), Continuous SpO, Skin Temperature Sensor Dimensions 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8mm 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8 mm (40mm) or 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8 mm Weight 25.9g (without strap) 29 (40mm) or 32.8g (44mm) IP Rating IP68 IP68 Strap size 20mm 20mm Colors Black, Pink Gold, Silver Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold, Sapphire Price Starting at $200 From $280
Read our review
Review: The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is a decent, affordable Wear OS watch — but is that enough?
Wear OS 4 for 200 bucks ain’t bad
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review: Suffering for slimness
Charging speed and battery are slightly better on this already-solid watch, but it’s not enough for die-hards
Design
Seeing double
Both the Galaxy Watch FE and Galaxy Watch 5 share an identical design with only a few minor differences. The 40mm models are the same size, measuring 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8 mm, but vary slightly in weight. The Watch FE weighs 26.6g, while the Watch 5 is a tad heavier at 28.7g. The 40mm variant may be a great option for those with small wrists, but it won’t please those who want a larger watch. The Watch 5 also comes in a 44mm version, which measures 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8mm and weighs 33.5g, which will do far more to please users who want a bigger watch.
Even the display is the same between the two devices. The 40mm variants have a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a 396 x 396 resolution. The Watch 5’s 44mm variant bumps the display to 1.4 inches and a 450 x 450 resolution.
No matter the version, the display is protected by Sapphire Crystal glass and features an armored aluminum-protected frame. If you don’t prefer the default strap with either watch, both can be swapped for third-party options as they use an industry standard 20mm strap. The watches also offer the same MIL-STD-810H compliance, IP68 rating, and 50m water resistance.
Software & performance
Identical experiences
When it comes to software, these two devices are perfect mirrors of one another. The Watch FE and Watch 5 have Wear OS 4 and One UI Watch 5. If you are already rocking a Galaxy Watch, you know what to expect here. However, if you’re coming from another smartwatch, One UI Watch is Samsung’s custom UI layer on top of Wear OS. Either device will integrate well with one of the best Samsung phones available and will work well with any Android device.
What can’t be ignored is software support. Since the Galaxy Watch FE is newer, it should get three Android OS updates and four years of security updates, although the processor may struggle as future Android upgrades drop. The Galaxy Watch 5 was promised the same three years of Android updates and four years of security updates, which means it’s already halfway through its support cycle.
Samsung selected the same Exynos W920 processor and 1.5GB of RAM for the devices, resulting in the same performance. It’s not as fast as the newer Watch 7 processor, but it still holds up well for modern Wear OS needs. There could be some lag here and there, but you won’t have much trouble checking notifications or bouncing between menus and apps. The storage size is also the same at 16GB, leaving you room to download your favorite music.
There isn’t a difference between these two in terms of software or performance outside of Bluetooth functionality. The Watch 5 has Bluetooth 5.2 and the Watch FE has Bluetooth 5.3, which offers increased power efficiency and stability, as well as maintains a stronger connection over greater distances.
Health & fitness
Both are excellent options for health tracking
Samsung is no stranger to health and fitness tracking and these Galaxy Watches do an admirable job for all but hardcore athletes. The watches have Samsung’s BioActive sensor, which does a good job overall of tracking your heart rate. They also include an accelerometer, gyro, barometer, altimeter, compass, SpO2, and temperature sensors to provide a complete picture of your overall health.
When it comes to tracking your exercise, the Galaxy Watch FE and Watch 5 offer a robust array of activities to choose from, ranging from popular to more obscure activities. Both have single-band GPS, which doesn’t mean it’s bad by default, but neither device is going to outdo the best Garmin smartwatches in accuracy. Instead, they do a decent job of tracking workouts, but won’t always be the most accurate out there.
The Watch FE and the Watch 5 are more than capable of being your daily step and sleep-tracking devices. Syncing with Samsung’s Health app is a breeze and provides a nice, clean breakdown of all your health metrics.
Battery life
Good-enough battery life with slow charging
Battery life is not a strong suit for either of these watches. The Galaxy Watch FE has a 247mAh battery, while the Watch 5 has a 284mAh or 410mAh battery for the 40 and 44mm sizes, respectively.
These watches will get you through an entire day of regular use but can struggle a bit if you find yourself using GPS tracking for long periods, especially if you are streaming music. When watches like the OnePlus Watch 2R offer up to five days on a single charge, it’s disappointing that these Galaxy Watches need to be charged daily.
To make it even worse, the charging speeds for the Galaxy Watch FE top out at 5W, while the Watch 5 can hit up to 10W charging speeds. This means that the FE takes about two hours to fully charge, which may have been acceptable a couple of years ago but is becoming increasingly frustrating today. The Watch 5 can use the extra wattage to charge the watch quicker, up to 50%. After that, it drops the charging speed to match the Watch FE’s speed. Still, this quick top-off can mean the difference between your watch dying when heading out for the night or not.
Should you upgrade?
If you already own a Galaxy Watch 5 and feel as if it’s starting to show its age, you won’t gain any real benefits from jumping to the Galaxy Watch FE. These devices have the same display, performance, and health-tracking capabilities. The Watch 5 has a bigger battery and faster charging speed, making it a better all-around performer.
Editor’s pick
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Still a viable contender two years on
$230 $330 Save $100
The Galaxy Watch 5 may be a few years old, but still feels premium thanks to a look and feel similar to Samsung’s more expensive smartwatches. With the same hardware as the Galaxy Watch FE, upgrading the Watch 5 to Samsung’s least expensive Galaxy Watch is simply not worth it.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is difficult for me to recommend here unless you find yourself deep in the Samsung ecosystem and your current watch isn’t functioning anymore. At face value, the price is right, but with Galaxy Watch 7’s frequent sales, the FE faces stiff competition. Compared to the Watch 5, you’ll get essentially the same watch, so replacing your current watch with the FE just doesn’t make sense.
If you already have the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and are looking to replace it, grabbing a flagship smartwatch like the Galaxy Watch 7 or Pixel Watch 2 when it’s on sale is the safer bet. If you can’t wait due to a broken device and are happy with the performance of the Galaxy Watch 5, the Watch FE exists as a drop-in replacement.
Runner-up
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
Inexpensive option for Samsung enthusiasts
$153 $200 Save $47
With the same design and identical hardware, the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is almost a carbon copy of the Galaxy Watch 5. If you already have the Galaxy Watch 5 and need to replace it, the Watch FE will do nicely, even if it doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
