Last updated: June 18th, 2026 at 14:38 UTC+02:00
SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, we may earn a commission.
First drafts are rarely the final word.
Reading time: 3 minutes
SamMobile
Although I haven't upgraded my Galaxy Watch 5 since buying it in 2023, I've closely followed Samsung's smartwatch lineup year after year, watching it evolve into a new design language and expand from two annual models to three.
Needless to say, Samsung has a new smartwatch lineup in the works for 2026, which may consist in three direct sequels to the ongoing models. I'm genuinely excited to see the company's vision this year. For me, 2026 looks like a great year for smartwatch enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate the aesthetic side and the evolution of One UI.
Last year, Samsung applied its Cushion Design across the entire lineup. The 2025 watches are essentially squircles, with circular displays sitting atop squarer bodies.
It's a shared design cue across all three models. It is a new philosophy, and I'm curious to see how Samsung evolves it.
New designs always spark interest, but the first sequel is usually where things start maturing. Think of the original Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. As exciting as the first Fold was, the second-generation model represented a major leap forward. And once you got the second model, you could hardly return to the original.
I'm wondering if the Galaxy Watch 9 series will be similar in this regard. The Watch 8 lineup introduced the Cushion Design language, but this year's models could be the ones that truly refine it. To my eyes, the Watch 8 series has already begun looking a bit too first-gen, so I'm ready for that polish.
With that in mind, if you liked the core ideas behind the Watch 8 series but weren't sold on the execution, you may want to keep an eye on this summer's Unpacked event. Samsung could refresh the Cushion Design on the base and Classic models, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra may finally receive a visual update after two generations that looked virtually identical.
Beyond aesthetics, there's another reason I'm looking forward to the Galaxy Watch 9 series: the evolution of software.
One UI 8 Watch is Samsung's latest version of its Wear OS skin, and personally, I think it's a mixed bag. I feel like Samsung may have approached its ambitious software redesign with the wrong priorities at the forefront, but perhaps the next version of One UI Watch will address at least some of my readability and design-related complaints.
Samsung is expected to unveil its new Galaxy Watch trio at Unpacked this summer, alongside another device I'm eager to see: the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide (tentative name).
Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.
