If a new and best wearables was on your Wishlist, you might have been disappointed by 2023’s gift. There were several wonderful devices unveiled, but none were significantly different from earlier incarnations.
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 were identical in design to the previous best Apple Watches, the Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra, for example, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic
weren’t too dissimilar either – with the exception of the Classic’s reintroduction of the rotating bezel.
However, there is much in the works for 2024, with rumors of some very fascinating & best wearables to look forward to in the next year.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is the first best wearables we anticipate to see in the new year, and it’s also one of the most interesting. Samsung has been and still in the best wearables business for a long time – remember the Galaxy Gear? – but the Galaxy Ring would usher in a new category for the firm, one that it might dominate if it applies the same high build quality to smart rings as it does to its Galaxy smartphones.
Following in the footsteps of the famous Oura Ring and Circular Ring, the Galaxy Ring is intended to be a minimalist take on fitness trackers, featuring a variety of sensors in a compact and discrete size. Rumors suggest many mainstay Galaxy Watch features will be on the Ring, including the ability to measure heart rate, steps, and SpO2 from your finger.
The best part? It’s expected to launch in January 2024 alongside the Galaxy S24 smartphones so we may not have too long to wait to see if Samsung will put a ring on it.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
It doesn’t seem appropriate to discuss the Galaxy Ring without also discussing the Galaxy Watch 7 variants. For the time being, it is unclear if we will continue to see a Galaxy Watch 7 and a Galaxy Watch 7 Classic, or whether Samsung will move back to a Watch 7 Pro in favor of the Watch 7 Classic in 2024. We can assume that Samsung will revamp the Galaxy Watch in 2024, most likely around the end of the summer alongside the Galaxy Z smartphones.
Details are still few, but we’re hoping that the rotating bezel of the Watch 6 Classic will be retained for the 2024 successor, or that it will be replaced by a Watch 7 Pro. we expect the premium quality build these smartwatches offer, and we’d love even longer battery life to compete with the likes of Garmin. 48 hours please!
The Galaxy Watch 7 models are also rumored to run Wear OS and provide a variety of health capabilities, such as the Watch 6’s blood pressure monitoring via pulse wave analysis and complete body composition to replace a smart scale. Compatibility with the iPhone would be a welcome feature, but we won’t hold our breath.
Apple Watch SE 3
With a decade having passed since the initial Apple Watch was released, 2024 is a momentous year for Apple Watch. The Apple Watch X is expected to be unveiled in 2024 as the 10-year anniversary model, but don’t forget about the simple Watch SE.
This model is normally updated bi-annually, and with no Watch SE announced for 2023, an upgrade is planned for 2024.
Our wish list for the third generation model includes an Always-On Display – this has been on the Apple Watch Series since the Series 5, so it’s not new technology, but it’s never made an appearance on the SE series. An ECG and blood oxygen monitoring tool would be useful as well.
It will undoubtedly continue to have less features than the Watch X, but the Watch SE 3 – or Watch SE (2024), as it will most likely be named – is expected to be a fantastic alternative for the majority of people, and presumably at a reasonable price. The only bad news is that we don’t anticipate to see it until September 2024, along with the next iPhone models.
OnePlus Watch 2
When OnePlus released its first wristwatch in 2021, it was welcomed with a lot of fanfare. Then the reviews came in, and it was evident that picking it over the Pixel Watch or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch versions would be settling (see what we did there?).
The business looks to have learnt a thing or two from its initial try, with rumors circulating that the OnePlus Watch 2 will be released in 2024 and would have a number of enhancements.
It’s expected to have a bigger AMOLED display and run Wear OS 4 – the same operating system as the Pixel Watch 2 – which would be a significant improvement over the OnePlus Watch’s custom-built software.
Google’s operating system provides more program freedom as well as a simpler user experience. When it comes to the next OnePlus Watch, our money is on Mobile World Congress at the end of February 2024, but there’s nothing definitive yet.
Garmin Forerunner 65
Garmin offers so many gadgets that you might be excused for not being able to keep up. The Lily smartwatch has been updated, and we are still waiting for the Garmin Fenix 8, but we are also hoping for an update to the cheap Forerunner in 2024.
Despite not having a regular release schedule, the Forerunner 55 is planned for a refresh in June 2021. It was wonderful for providing many of Garmin’s amazing software capabilities, but for a more cost-conscious runner who was OK with a less premium build quality compared to the company’s more pricey devices, such as the Fenix line.
Word is thin on the ground at the moment, but a refresh to the Forerunner 55 in what would presumably be the Forerunner 65 is one we are expecting (or hoping for) in 2024 on the best wearables.
