Galaxy Watch FE pre-orders are finally live now

Summary

• Samsung’s Galaxy Watch FE offers some top-of-the-line features at a pocket-friendly price of $200.
• The watch comes in Black, Pink Gold, and Silver colorways, and is available for pre-order now. An LTE version will be available later this year.
• Last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 is often on sale, and can sometimes be bought for less than the Watch FE’s starting price, making the new wearable redundant.

Samsung announced the long-awaited Galaxy Watch FE earlier this month, positioning it as a pocket-friendly wearable with some top-of-the-line features, Coming in at $200, the Watch FE is Samsung’s cheapest wearable to date, and is based on the 2021-released Galaxy Watch 4.

The 40mm watch is offered in Black, Pink Gold, and Silver colorways, and those interested in the Fan Edition wearable need not wait any longer.

The Watch FE was previously believed to grace the main stage at Galaxy Unpacked on July 10. That changed on June 13, when Samsung stealth-unveiled the wearable. At the time, the Galaxy Watch FE wasn’t available to order, but it is now. Pre-orders for the Bluetooth variant are live now, with Samsung’s website suggesting that buyers can expect to “get it by Jul. 1.” An LTE version of the watch is also slated to be released later this year, likely in October, for $249.99.

Exchange an old watch for $100 off

As pointed out by 9to5Google, you can essentially get the Galaxy Watch FE for just $99.99, provided you have an unwanted watch that you can put up against it. This is part of Samsung’s ‘any smartwatch, any condition’ trade-in promotion, which is also applicable to the Galaxy Watch 6.

You can literally exchange any watch, provided that it is a smartwatch, and in any condition, for a $100 (50 percent) discount on the Watch FE. It’s worth noting that this is a Samsung-exclusive deal.

Should you buy the new Galaxy Watch FE?

With the Galaxy Watch 7 series and the all-new Galaxy Watch Ultra on the way, is this time to be buying the Watch FE? Well, it all depends on your needs.

The Watch FE isn’t necessarily an entry-level smartwatch. It features the same BioActive sensor seen on other flagship Galaxy Watches, and can take ECG and blood pressure measurements. It can track over 100 different kinds of exercises, and logs it all into the Samsung Health app.

Where it lacks, however, is its processor. It features the old 5nm Exynos W920 chipset as seen on the Galaxy Watch 4, with 1.5GB RAM and a small 247mAh battery. For reference, the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic both feature 425mAh batteries. The Watch FE’s battery is comparable to Apple’s 2022 Watch FE, which comes in at 296mAh.

Further, the base Watch 6 is often on sale, and as of writing, it is available for just $179 on Amazon, making it a no-brainer over the Watch FE. Earlier in May, the Watch 6 was available for $159, and with Prime Day coming up, we’d expect the watch to revisit the all-time-low price.

The only reason you’d want to pick up the Watch FE is if you have an old watch that you no longer use, and are willing to trade it in for the $100 credit.