Samsung has confirmed that Galaxy Unpacked starts on July 10, when it will show off its latest wearables, foldables and even a smart ring. This means that Samsung has a lot of old inventory to clean up quickly. And with Amazon Prime Day coming just a week after Unpacked, you might want to hold off on the new Galaxy Watch 7 or Watch Ultra in favor of a cheaper Galaxy Watch 6 or FE.
Last year’s Prime event took place before Unpacked, but Samsung still took a hot sale approach. You can get a Galaxy Watch 5 for $151, or $128 off, which was the lowest price we’ve ever seen on it. Its LTE variants were also $100 off. And you can grab a Z Fold 4 for an absurd $700 discount.
For now, Galaxy Watch 6 is $239 ($60 off), AND The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is $400 off, which are pretty good deals on their own. But if you’re patient, I predict these prices will drop to new lows once Prime Day begins on July 16—just six days after Unpacked.
Of course you can book a Galaxy Watch 7 pre-order for $50 off from Samsung, if you want the latest technology and features. That’s not a bad deal! Then again, Galaxy watches tend not to vary much from generation to generation, and you might want to prioritize spending as little as possible.
All the current Galaxy Watch 7 rumors say it might have 32GB of storage and a slightly faster CPU, but it should be pretty similar to the Watch 6 in style and sensors, and any new Wear OS upgrades like Galaxy AI health stats is coming to the Watch 6 just a few weeks after the launch of the Watch 7.
I wrote last year that Samsung needed to give more storage space to the Galaxy watches, and some people will need double the space for music playlists or additional apps. But otherwise, if you can save $100 or more on a Watch 6 with three more years of promised upgrades, you might want to “downgrade” to our favorite Android watch of the past 12 months.
Also, remember that Samsung ran out of stock of the Galaxy Watch 5 very soon after Prime Day last year. So if you want a cheaper last-gen option, July or August would be the time to buy one.
Now, if you want the leaked Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, with all the high-end specs and multi-day battery life it demands, then skip the deal hunt and pre-order it. But I suppose it will cost more than many of you will willingly pay if its price is anywhere near that of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
We’ve heard conflicting rumors about whether Samsung will sell a Watch 7 Pro or Classic in addition to the Ultra. The Watch 5 Pro has been delayed for two years, but I’d expect a sell-out of anything to do with them if the Watch 7 Pro actually exists.
Your other money-saving option is the Galaxy Watch FE, which is essentially a reissue of the Galaxy Watch 4 with added Sapphire crystal and a new batch of software updates. It starts at $199, and you can drop the price down to $99 with a smartwatch trade-in. So if you have an old pre-Wear OS Galaxy watch lying around in a closet, you can get a solid smartwatch for less than an Amazfit.
Now, we can always hope that Samsung will surprise us with the Galaxy Watch 7 announcement at Galaxy Unpacked. Leaked mirrors make it, though look very similar to the Watch 6, except for some colorful stitching on the default silicone band. We’ll have to hope for more intangible improvements, like better battery life or revamped health sensors.
We will learn more on July 10! But since it’s shipping a few weeks after Unpacked, that gives you time to get an early look at Prime Day 2024 and see if Samsung makes the Galaxy Watch 6 cheap enough to tempt you. That way, you can put that extra cash toward a new Galaxy ring or flip phone.