Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Pro?

In 2024, Samsung unveiled two new smartwatches — the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. A year earlier, the Galaxy Watch 6 series also launched with two models, with the second bearing the “Classic” tag. So far, we’ve not yet seen a direct replacement for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which debuted in 2022. This begs the question, will there be a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Pro or a new Pro model in the near future? Or has the Pro name been consigned to the history books? We attempt to answer these questions.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Pro?

Considering that Samsung has already launched its sixth and seventh smartwatch generations, there likely won’t be a Galaxy Watch 6 Pro or a 7 Pro, for that matter. However, we do think that there will be a Galaxy Watch Pro model in the future. There are strong factors to suggest this and good reasons why it wasn’t launched with the Galaxy Watch 6.

Firstly, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro might be fairly dated, but it’s still a wearable that offers great value. We named it the best wearable of 2022, and it takes some time for such an accolade to fade from our memory. Samsung acknowledged the continued importance of the Watch 5 Pro by releasing several key updates for the device. Galaxy Watch 5 models received improved sleep tracking, irregular heart rate notifications, a new Track Run sport mode, Samsung Wallet, and more. The Watch 5 Pro also received a GPX file database, allowing users to browse recommended routes, and the device’s Route Workout can now be used for running, walking, hiking, and cycling. It’ll likely receive the latest version of Wear OS before the end of 2024, too.

That left Samsung with room to release two more smartwatches without needing an iterative upgrade to the Watch 5 Pro. At the same time, it also has a loyal customer base calling out for the return of the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic — a feature that was popular and very useful in many scenarios. Considering all of these factors, it makes a lot of sense for the “Classic” model to make a return after two years, and hence we got the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

But all of this isn’t an argument against another Galaxy Watch Pro ever appearing; it’s quite the opposite. The “Classic” model and the “Pro” model target different users, with the “Pro” model built for action and the “Classic” variant emphasizing style. There is space in the market to keep both flagship Samsung smartwatch lines running, and it would make sense to alternate the release of subsequent generations of each to capture maximum smartwatch market share.

That said, Samsung has positioned its new Galaxy Ultra as the outdoor-orientated wearable in 2024. It offers a radical design over the Pro, so it’s not what we’d consider a direct replacement. However, Samsung will need to reevaluate its wearable ladder should it continue with the Classic, Pro, and Ultra models.

All of this is conjecture — we haven’t heard of any rumors that a new Galaxy Watch Pro is in the works. But when you consider all the evidence, a better question would be, why wouldn’t there be a new Pro model?

What is the most likely Galaxy Watch 6 Pro release date?

Since its existence hasn’t even been hinted at yet, the next Galaxy Watch Pro release date isn’t available. We also don’t have multiple release dates for a “Pro” model to look back on and draw inferences from, as the Watch 5 Pro was the first in that particular line. But if we get a future Watch Pro, there’s an obvious event at which it might first appear.

As the schedule above shows, Samsung releases at least one variant of the Galaxy Watch around the same time each year. Given that a Pro watch wasn’t launched at the most recent Galaxy Unpacked event, it’s likely we won’t see a new watch arrive until at least 2025.

A likely outcome is that Samsung alternates between a “Pro” model and a “Classic” model each year. That is technically what has happened in the last two years — there wasn’t a Galaxy Watch 4 Pro or a Galaxy Watch 5 Classic. If this is the case, the next “Pro” model won’t be released until July or August 2025, and it would be the Galaxy Watch 8 Pro.

Notably, this arrangement was given more credence thanks to a PCMag report. The outlet notes that Samsung will now alternate between the Pro and Classic models every other year. However, this doesn’t indicate whether the next line will include a Classic or a Pro model, or how the new Ultra model fits into this arrangement.

What features could the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro have?

As we don’t have any rumors about what features the next Galaxy Watch Pro model would have, the best we can do is make educated guesses on how it will differ from the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 7. We can base that on the key differences between the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Watch 5 Pro and compare them to the upgrades on the two latest Galaxy Watch lines over the Galaxy Watch 5. Let’s get speculating.

Design

The Galaxy Watch 5 was available in 40mm and 44mm sizes and had an armor aluminum case. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro came in one size of 45mm and offered a titanium case. Given that the Galaxy Watch 6 had the same variants and materials as the Watch 5, it would make sense that the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro will be 45mm and have a titanium case. It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy Watch 7 doesn’t differ from its two predecessors, lending more credence to a similar design.

One of the main differences between the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro was the significantly larger battery of the latter, which offered longer use between charges. It had a capacity of around 40% more than the 44mm model of Watch 5, at 590mAh. Since the 44mm model of the Galaxy Watch 6 has a slightly larger battery than its predecessor, we can expect the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro to offer a battery capacity of around 600mAh. Interestingly, this isn’t what we saw with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which shares its 590mAh capacity with the Watch 5 Pro. We do think Samsung will offer more battery capacity with a future Pro model, but it’s unclear to what degree.

Finally, we can expect the Galaxy Watch Pro to extensively use titanium and feature an IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810G durability rating. The latter two details are almost a given, considering that even baseline Galaxy Watch models now feature these badges.

Specs

The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro specs were essentially the same, with the difference between the two almost entirely in the design. Without other information, we can only assume that the next Galaxy Watch Pro specs will be the same as those of the Galaxy Watch series it’s launched alongside.

It should launch with the latest version of Wear OS, pack at least 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage — a baseline introduced by the Galaxy Watch 7 — and offer the usual suspects in the sensor department: an accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic/light/temperature sensors, and the Samsung BioActive sensor.

What could the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro price be?

It’s unclear how much the next Galaxy Watch Pro model will cost. The Galaxy Watch 7 40mm model launched at $299.99, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra requires $649.99. That’s a $150 premium over the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro’s launch price, leaving plenty of wiggle room for a next-gen Pro model.

We must be clear: there’s no telling when the next Galaxy Watch Pro model will launch, so purchasing a smartwatch now is best if you need a wrist-borne companion. Thankfully, there are plenty of off-road options available. The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro (on the product’s website) makes for a good Android-friendly alternative, if you can afford it. iPhone users may consider the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($759.99 at eBay) as an appropriate equivalent, despite its lofty price.

Of course, you can also get Samsung’s latest smartwatches instead, which will tide you over until the next Pro model’s arrival.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Pro: What we want to see

We’re still very happy with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. However, there’s always room for improvement, and we’re happy to speculate about what a new generation could look like.  In addition to the upgrades already found on the Galaxy Watch 6 line, there are a few changes we’d love to see make their way to a potential Pro model.

A second size option

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is only available in a single 45mm case size. It’s bulky at best, and at worst, it’s simply too large for some wrists. We’d argue users with petite wrists value durability and battery life as much as the next person and would love to see a smaller case option in the Pro lineup to accommodate them. Often, shrinking device size also leads to decreased battery life, but in our ideal world, Samsung would find a way to offer a small Pro model that doesn’t compromise in that regard.

Even more battery life

Compared to its base model counterpart, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro packs a significantly larger 590mAh battery, with Samsung claiming the watch offers up to 20 hours of battery life in GPS mode. We didn’t find the device quite lived up to those claims during our review period, though we were happy to see it last about two full days between charges. For the next Galaxy Watch Pro to truly earn the “Pro” moniker, we’d like to see even better specs. A device aimed at outdoor enthusiasts should be able to last a long weekend camping trip without users needing to carefully manage their feature usage.

Less Samsung exclusivity

We’re starting to sound like a broken record, but one of the biggest drawbacks of Samsung’s wearables is that advanced health features are only accessible to Samsung phone users. The electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure monitoring each require the Samsung Galaxy-only Health Monitor app, which makes both tools unusable for anyone without a Samsung phone. When the smartwatch market is only getting more competitive, and shoppers have more options than ever, these limitations significantly impact the attractiveness of Samsung’s lineup. We’d love to see the next Galaxy Watch Pro break down this walled-garden approach to health monitoring.

Reliable heart rate data

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro boasts heart rate accuracy we were happy to see during our review period. Unfortunately, the company seemed to take a small step backward with its Galaxy Watch 6 series devices. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, in particular, struggled to record accurate data during runs and wrist-centered workouts like weight lifting. We hope to see Samsung get back on track and offer a new Pro model that records precise data regardless of activity. Considering the usefulness of heart rate zones during workouts, a reliable sensor is even more important to athletes who may be shopping the Pro lineup.

More tools for adventurers

There is a clear trend in the smartwatch market to cater to increasingly active (if not full-out adventurous) shoppers. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro opened the door to a new camp of users, but the device only dips a toe in the outdoorsy feature pool, especially compared to devices from competitors Garmin. We hope the next Pro model Galaxy Watch offers more tools for hikers and explorers, including a much broader navigation toolkit, more map-related capabilities, and additional safety features. Tools like Apple’s Siren or Garmin’s LED flashlight are also welcome.