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Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 review: Health data overload, but built for the future
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Consumers are catching on to the fact that not every generational upgrade to their favorite tech can be life-changing. Instead, companies are forced to improve their products little by little.
I've thought about this a lot as I tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9. It arrives with a few improvements under the hood: a new processor, some additional health metrics, and a longer battery on the 40mm device.
Also: Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Galaxy Watch 8: I've compared both models, here's my advice
It isn't a groundbreaking smartwatch, but it's great for a first-time buyer, with upgrades that point to the future Samsung aims to create through its wearables. The question is whether those upgrades are as helpful to users today as they will be when the next generation of wearables arrives.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 arrives with a bigger battery, a few more health metrics to track through the Samsung Health app, and a new processor, the Snapdragon Wear Elite. You probably won't need to upgrade from the Galaxy Watch 7 or 8 just yet, unless you want more use per charge. This is a great first smartwatch for Android users, specifically those with a Samsung phone.
One of the goals of the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip is to divest in the smartphone as the center of the personal device ecosystem, adding instead several different AI-powered wearables that integrate and work together. "Intelligent eyewear represents that next step," Samsung's press release says, hinting at smart glasses to come -- something we've been watching closely now for over a year.