New FCC offerings hint at Galaxy Watch 7 series and a budget surprise

We've already reached spring and with August just a few months away, a number of leaks and rumors are emerging surrounding the successors to Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 series. While we already know a lot about Samsung's upcoming wearables, likely to be called the Galaxy Watch 7 series, new information in the form of FCC filings solidifies their existence and gives us insight into possible model numbers.

The new FCC filings discovered by Droid Life suggest that in addition to the oft-rumored Galaxy Watch FE, the Galaxy Watch 7 will also be available in Bluetooth and LTE versions. Model numbers mentioned include SM-L300, SM-L305, SM-L310, SM-L315 and SM-R861. Considering that the last generation Galaxy Watch 6 had a similar model number naming scheme, it is likely that the SM-L prefixed model numbers apply to the regular Galaxy Watch 7. A breakdown can be found below.

• Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm/WiFi): SM-R930 = Galaxy Watch 7 (40 mm/WiFi): SM-L300
• Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm/WiFi) SM-R940 = Galaxy Watch 7 (44 mm/WiFi): SM-L310
• Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm/LTE): SM-R935 = Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm/LTE): SM-L305
• Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm/LTE): SM-R945 = Galaxy Watch 7 (44mm/LTE): SM-L315

While the FCC listings do not provide explicit product names for the model numbers, they do note that the SM-L300 and SM-L310 models only support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, while the SM-L305 and SM-L310 models only support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. L315 provide cellular connectivity.

However, the model number SM-R861 is a curiosity. Previous rumors suggest that the Galaxy Watch 7 series will have a Pro model, but these will be numbered SM-L700 and SM-L705, according to SamMobile. SM-R861 is likely the model number for the new Galaxy Watch FE.

From what we know so far, the FE Watch is expected to run WearOS with premium features bundled in an affordable package. It will likely be positioned close to the Galaxy Watch 6 but below the upcoming Galaxy Watch 7 series. Additionally, the FCC listing suggests that it was tested for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, suggesting that the FE model does not support LTE.

The Galaxy Watch FE could also be called Galaxy Watch 4 (2024).

Alternatively, the upcoming Galaxy Watch FE could also be positioned close to the Galaxy Watch 4 series, which will be released in 2021. This opinion was confirmed back in April by credible leaker Max Jambor, who even said that the wearable will be called Galaxy Watch 4 (2024) and not Galaxy Watch FE. On paper, this makes sense considering the Watch FE model number SM-R861 is similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 (SM-R860x) model numbers.

Whatever the case may be, it looks like the launch of the upcoming wearable series is imminent. Samsung's next Unpacked event is rumored to take place on Wednesday, July 10, and we'll likely hear a lot more about the Watch 7 series and the elusive Watch FE as the date gets closer.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is certainly one of the best Android watches on the market, especially if you're already in the Samsung ecosystem. With a sapphire crystal display, Exynos W930 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a battery of up to 425mAh, this watch is built for solid performance.