Samsung is starting to build hype for its next Galaxy Watch lineup, and the early signals point to a bigger focus on AI-driven health features than any previous generation. Ahead of the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked event, the company has dropped its first teaser for what it calls ‘the next evolution of Galaxy Watch,’ though it stopped short of naming the devices or showing them off.
The teaser is light on specifics, which is typical for Samsung at this stage. What it does confirm is that AI will be central to the pitch, with Samsung promising intelligent, AI-driven health insights rather than just passive activity tracking. The shift in framing matters. Previous Galaxy Watches collected health data. The 2026 models, Samsung suggests, will actually do something meaningful with it.
According to SamMobile, Samsung also slipped in a notable hardware detail. The teaser references new internal components, and it refers to ‘Watch’ in the singular rather than the plural. That could mean nothing, or it could be a signal that the most significant upgrades are reserved for the premium model, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
Leaks ahead of Unpacked support that reading. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is expected to arrive with a larger battery, potentially a few hundred mAh more than the current Watch Ultra. It may also run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, which would be a meaningful jump in processing power for a Samsung wearable.
The 2026 Galaxy Watch lineup itself looks like it will be a slim one. Based on what has leaked so far, Samsung is not releasing a Classic model this year. The expected lineup is just two devices:
- Galaxy Watch 9, a refresh of the base model
- Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, the high-end option
Skipping the Classic is not new for Samsung. The company has been alternating, releasing a Classic model every other year, so this year’s omission fits the pattern. Fans of the rotating bezel will likely have to wait until 2027.
The broader context here is that the wearables market is increasingly competitive. Apple, Google, and a growing number of Chinese brands are all pushing health and AI features hard. Samsung needs its Galaxy Watch lineup to stand out on more than design alone, which explains why this teaser leads with intelligence rather than looks or battery life.
Everything becomes clearer on July 22. That’s when Samsung holds Galaxy Unpacked, where the new watches are expected to appear alongside a refreshed foldable phone lineup.