The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is an upcoming smartwatch from Samsung, expected to launch in July 2026 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8. A firmware file for model number SM-L345U has been spotted on Samsung’s servers by Mohammed Khatri, confirming that active testing has begun. That’s not a rumour mill guess — it’s a concrete signal that the Watch 9 is closer than most people realise.
Key Takeaways
- Firmware file SM-L345U spotted on Samsung’s servers confirms Galaxy Watch 9 testing has started.
- Launch expected in July 2026, following Samsung’s yearly cycle of pairing new watches with foldable phones.
- Two sizes confirmed: 40mm with a 1.34-inch display and 44mm with a 1.47-inch display.
- Battery rumoured at 435mAh with around 30 hours of life with Always-on display — daily charging likely remains.
- Chipset is contested: Snapdragon Wear Elite or Exynos W1000 (3nm), with no confirmed answer yet.
What the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Firmware Leak Actually Tells Us
The SM-L345U firmware appearance on Samsung’s servers is the clearest sign yet that the Galaxy Watch 9 is in active pre-release testing. Samsung doesn’t push firmware to its servers for fun — this stage typically precedes a launch by a few months, which lines up precisely with a July 2026 window.
Samsung has stuck to a reliable summer cadence for its Galaxy Watch lineup. The Galaxy Watch 8 launched in July 2025 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, and all signs point to the same pattern repeating. If that holds, expect a formal announcement sometime in late June or early July 2026.
Specs and Design: What’s Changing, What Isn’t
The Galaxy Watch 9 is expected to carry forward the squircle design of its predecessor, arriving in 40mm and 44mm sizes with 1.34-inch and 1.47-inch displays respectively. Don’t expect a radical redesign — Samsung tends to refine rather than reinvent at this tier, saving the bolder moves for the Galaxy Watch Ultra line.
Materials stay in aluminum, with LTE and Bluetooth connectivity confirmed in leaks. On the sensor side, the Watch 9 is expected to include BioActive sensors, a temperature sensor, and an antioxidant index feature that tracks body impedance and oxidative stress — building on the health monitoring push Samsung has made across recent Watch generations.
The chipset situation is genuinely unresolved. Qualcomm has confirmed the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, and SamMobile reporting points in that direction for the Watch 9. PhoneArena’s leaks, however, suggest Samsung may stick with the Exynos W1000 (3nm) chip already used in the Galaxy Watch 7. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 may receive the Snapdragon Wear Elite to differentiate the flagship from the standard model — which would explain why the Watch 9 chipset remains ambiguous. Until Samsung confirms, treat both as possibilities.
Battery Life: The Galaxy Watch 9’s Persistent Problem
Battery life remains the Watch 9’s most debated spec. The rumoured 435mAh cell delivers around 30 hours with Always-on display enabled, which means daily charging is almost certainly still on the table. That’s not a regression — but it’s not the breakthrough that Watch owners have been asking for either.
For context, the Galaxy Watch 8 set the baseline that the Watch 9 appears to match rather than surpass. If the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip does make it into the final product, efficiency gains from the new silicon could stretch real-world endurance even without a larger battery — but that’s a conditional hope, not a confirmed outcome. Claiming the Watch 9 will solve Samsung’s battery problem would be premature based on what’s known right now.
How Does the Galaxy Watch 9 Compare to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?
Samsung positions the Galaxy Watch 9 below the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in its lineup, and the differentiation appears to go beyond price. The Ultra 2 is expected to receive the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip as a flagship-exclusive feature, while the Watch 9 may retain the Exynos W1000. That chip gap, if it materialises, would give buyers a genuine reason to consider the more expensive model rather than simply paying for a different design.
For most users, the Watch 9 will be the more practical choice — aluminum build, familiar sizing, and presumably a price in line with the Galaxy Watch 8. No leaks suggest a price increase, which is about the best news prospective buyers could hope for at this stage.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 worth waiting for?
If you’re currently on the Galaxy Watch 7 or older, the Watch 9 is shaping up to be a meaningful upgrade — particularly if the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip lands in the final product. If you bought the Galaxy Watch 8 in 2025, the expected similarities in design and battery life make the case for upgrading much harder to justify.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 launch?
Based on Samsung’s consistent yearly cycle and the firmware testing activity spotted by Mohammed Khatri, a July 2026 launch is the most credible estimate. Samsung typically announces Galaxy Watch models alongside its foldable phones, so a joint reveal with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 is the expected scenario.
Will the Galaxy Watch 9 still require daily charging?
Almost certainly yes. The rumoured 435mAh battery with approximately 30 hours of Always-on display life doesn’t suggest a major endurance leap. Unless the final chip delivers significant efficiency gains over current silicon, daily charging will remain the reality for Galaxy Watch 9 owners.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is coming, and the firmware leak removes any doubt about the timeline. What it can’t remove is the lingering question mark over battery life — the one area where Samsung’s smartwatch lineup has consistently frustrated users. A new chip might help. A bigger battery would help more. Right now, the evidence supports cautious optimism rather than excitement, and that’s exactly the right temperature to keep until Samsung makes it official.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Android Central
