ZDNET Highlights
- The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE sells for $250 in three colors.
- The watch is small, supports many health and wellness features, and lets you use it for communication, even if you leave your phone at home.
- The smaller watch body means the display is also smaller, the processor is last generation, and there are no AI health features.
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I feel like Samsung made the Galaxy Watch Ultra just for me, given its superior durability, advanced features, and big, bold design. I’ve spent a few weeks with a much smaller and more beautiful watch that’s clearly not made for my wrist, but is an attractive option for many others who want to explore the world of smartwatches.
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The Watch Ultra weighs 61.5 grams, while see ef It is only 25.9 grams. The main dimensions of the Watch Ultra are 47mm, while the Watch FE is only 40.4mm. This means the latter model feels smaller on my wrist, but I find the silicone band very comfortable, and its size makes it very easy to use for sleep tracking.
Samsung offers FE (Fan Edition) smartphones and tablets, but this year’s Galaxy Watch is the first smartwatch to carry the FE moniker. The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE LTE is a $250 smartwatch that you can use on the go without connecting a phone via Bluetooth.
The entry-level smartwatch is priced right, considering it offers most of the functions in the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. The 40mm Watch 7 with LTE costs $350, which means you can pick up the FE for $100 less without making too many compromises.
The processor is the same as the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro. I used the Watch 5 Pro for a few years before upgrading to the Watch Ultra, and it’s a perfectly capable processor that lets you zip around the user interface.
Samsung’s BioActive sensor is a key component in measuring your health and wellness data. The sensors found in the Watch FE LTE help track your sleep, ECG, irregular heart rhythm, blood oxygen, and more. It doesn’t track skin temperature, so that’s a compromise you’ll have to make for a smaller and less expensive watch.
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE LTE offers Wear OS 5.0 and Samsung features, just like the company’s other watches. This software supports all Google apps, such as Messages, Google Assistant, and Google Maps.
The Galaxy Watch FE’s sleep tracking matches what I’ve measured for other watches. After recording your seven days of sleep, Samsung Health will tell you what type of sleeper you are, represented by an animal and a description of your sleep patterns.
The smaller size of the watch can also help keep the heart rate sensor firmly on your wrist during movement, where larger watches can sometimes slip. I found the heart rate sensor to be pretty consistent with other watches as well.
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That said, the GPS tracking wasn’t as accurate as every other watch I tested as distances often appeared longer than I ran, and the track didn’t follow the path I actually ran. The Watch FE supports four GNSS networks for LTE positioning, but unlike more expensive watches, it does not support dual frequency bands. If you need precise positioning, the Galaxy Watch FE LTE may not be the best fit for you.
This watch is great for tracking steps, indoor activities, and other workouts that don’t require precise positioning. Samsung Health Watch FE works with the Samsung Wearable app to provide a complete health and wellness experience based on data collected by LTE. Samsung Health includes tons of fitness programs for free, so you can enjoy different workouts at three fitness levels and with different fitness goals.
Finally, the included silicone band is very comfortable and attractive. With a single-button press mechanism on the back of the watch band, switching bands is also quick and easy.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
While I tend to focus on larger watches that fit my wrist, I’m enjoying the opportunity to try smaller watches this year as I evaluate watches that my wife and daughters will enjoy using. Smartwatches can be useful for keeping in touch, increasing your awareness of your health and possibly identifying upcoming health challenges, monitoring women’s health metrics, and motivating you to improve your fitness and performance.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE There’s an affordable, smaller watch option for the masses, and it’s good to see Samsung continue to offer a range of watch options to suit each person’s lifestyle and price point.
Update Log:
- This story was first published on October 29, 2024, and was updated on October 17, 2025 with thorough fact-checking and pricing changes from Walmart. We’ve also included new information regarding the latest Samsung smartwatch models like the Watch Series 8 and Ultra.
