2 min read

Galaxy Watch 9 leak points to Snapdragon Wear Elite

A new leak says Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 will use Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite chip and add on-watch AI fitness features.

Image: 3dnews

Samsung’s July 22 presentation is getting the usual pre-Unpacked treatment: another leak has filled in more of the picture around the Galaxy Watch 9. This time, well-known leaker Evan Blass is said to have revealed fresh details after previously posting images of the foldable Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8.

Snapdragon Wear Elite chip inside the Galaxy Watch 9 smartwatch case

1 / 2

The biggest detail is the processor. According to the leak, the Galaxy Watch 9 will switch to Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite, replacing the Exynos W1000 used in Samsung’s earlier wearables. Marketing materials cited in the report claim about a 50% performance boost over its predecessor.

That matters because Qualcomm has reportedly added a dedicated NPU to the platform. If the leak is accurate, Samsung plans to use it for local processing of fitness data and AI-based guidance directly on the watch, including some features that work without a smartphone nearby.

Recommended reading

Oura Ring 5 stays ahead with sharper software

Design changes look minor. The leak points to the same case and physical buttons, with the most visible update being new matte finishes in white, dark blue, olive green, and black.

The feature list is more ambitious:

  • Vital signs monitoring
  • Sleep apnea tracking
  • A running coach with step-by-step guidance and progress tracking
  • A Vitals panel that flags readings outside the acceptable range

There’s no new battery information in the latest leak, but an earlier one pointed to 325 mAh for the 40 mm version and 445 mAh for the 44 mm model. That would be 10 mAh more than the Watch 8 — a small increase that suggests Samsung is betting more on the faster chip and new health features than on a major battery-life jump.

If that all holds up on July 22, the Galaxy Watch 9 looks more like a measured update than a full reset of Samsung’s smartwatch line.

Eli Navarro

Gadgets Editor

Eli is obsessed with the tangible future. He reviews phones, wearables, and everything with a battery. Known for his rigorous testing protocols and unabashed teardowns, Eli has broken more review units than he cares to admit, all in the name of discovering the truth about durability and repairability.

via ITzine

// Keep reading