Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A support page for a Galaxy Watch model number SM-R861 has appeared on Samsung UK and Latin America websites.
- The same model number was previously spotted on FCC and is very similar to the model numbers of the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
- Samsung could be launching a rebranded Galaxy Watch 4 as the Galaxy Watch FE.
Samsung is getting ready for a wave of wearable releases this summer, with the highly awaited Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7 series on the horizon. However, rumors have been swirling about a more budget-friendly addition to the lineup, and a recent leak seems to confirm this speculation.
First spotted by MySmartPrice, a support page for a Galaxy Watch with the model number SM-R861 has gone live on Samsung’s UK and Latin America websites, all but confirming the presence of a new model joining the Galaxy Watch series.
The SM-R861 model, previously listed on FCC as well, isn’t showing up on the Samsung US website at the moment, and the support page offers no additional details aside from the model number itself. However, the appearance of the model number on a Samsung page significantly strengthens the likelihood that we will indeed get a more affordable Galaxy Watch this year.
There’s been some debate over what Samsung will name this new watch. While some suggest it could adopt the Galaxy Watch “FE” moniker, typically reserved for more affordable Samsung products, others speculate that Samsung will call it the Galaxy Watch 4 (2024). For reference, the model numbers for the Galaxy Watch 4 series ended with R860, which means at least Samsung considers this new watch to be a part of the Watch 4 series.
To most people, naming a new product after a three-year-old model might seem illogical, but Samsung recently did something similar with the Tab S6 Lite (2024) tablet. It’s possible that the new watch will be called the Galaxy Watch FE, and the reference to the Galaxy Watch 4 just indicates that it’s a rebranded version of the Galaxy Watch 4 hardware with updated software. We’ll just have to wait and Watch (no pun intended..or was it?).
Further details about this new model remain scarce, but the FCC listing reveals that this variant of the Galaxy Watch will only support Bluetooth connectivity. While Samsung has yet to confirm the date for its Galaxy Unpacked event, it’s widely anticipated to take place on July 10, which is when we should get answers to all of our questions.