The Garmin Fenix 9, this year's premier adventure smartwatch hotness, is expected to drop soon, but it's likely to be very expensive if previous iterations of the Fenix line are anything to go by.

However, if you are in need of GPS maps, wrist-based flashlights, and on-demand fitness stats as well as a navigation companion, you don't have to shell out for a brand new, high-end Fenix 9 — most people don't need all the features on these watches, and can get along just fine with a cheaper model.

Below, you'll find some of the best smartwatches for your needs, whether you're a short-range hiker who enjoys a couple of hours in nature once a month, to a die-hard who loves to spend multiple days in the wilderness.

Many of the watches below are also on sale, so you'll be able to pick up the right model at a discount — and it'll likely be a lot cheaper than getting a brand-new Fenix 9 when it arrives later this year (if rumors prove true). There's a variety of watches below, but they all offer offline maps capability in addition to fitness tracking in a wide variety of capacities: any one of them would be an ideal partner for the trail.

Today's best adventure smartwatch deals

I’ve never particularly enjoyed running, especially when training solo, but it takes the least effort for me to prepare for in the morning compared to my preferred activities — cycling or badminton — and it’s also a nice cross-training option.

After reading about my colleagues using AI to build training plans, I thought it could be an opportunity for me to change how I feel about running, so I turned to Google Gemini and asked it to build a training plan to prepare for a major running event here in Australia, the Sydney City2Surf.

My goal was to try out a plan that could easily adapt after a setback, like an injury or illness, while balancing run training with my usual badminton sessions and bike rides within a week.

I also wanted to see if I could stick to running for longer compared to my previous attempts, which involved either winging it — running for as long as I could until I ran out of breath — or following a rigid online plan.

Setup

My initial prompt was “How realistic is it for a beginner runner to train for City2Surf starting next week?” It was in late December 2025, so Gemini replied that I had plenty of time, as the event was on August 9 this year.

City2Surf has a 14km route that starts from Sydney CBD and finishes at Bondi Beach, which explains the name. It’s an infamously hilly route, headlined by a 2km section midway through the course with an average gradient of about 3 to 4%, or 75 to 80m in elevation.

“Most beginner-friendly training plans only require 12–16 weeks,” the response read. “Starting now puts you in an excellent position to not just survive the race, but actually enjoy it and run the majority of the course.”

Here’s the general overview from Gemini:

To make sure I stuck to the plan, I asked Gemini how to enter the workouts into my old Garmin watch, and it gave me a step-by-step guide.

I was also offered to test the newly released Garmin Forerunner 70 and 170 range while I was training, and I chose the 170 Music edition. I wanted to see if the built-in music function and Garmin Pay wireless payments were enough for me to leave my phone at home during training sessions.

Lugging my heavy iPhone 16 Pro Max in a running belt during my first few weeks of running became annoying, so the Forerunner was just what I needed. It also completely cuts down on distractions, and the voice prompts also helped keep me on track during interval sessions.

I managed to stick to the program for the first few months while keeping my social badminton games and bike rides. But things started to get tricky as I progressed into the second phase.

Setbacks and adjustments

Heading into phase 2 of my training plan, I unexpectedly got Achilles tendonitis, which my physiotherapist told me was the result of putting too much load too quickly on my legs and feet. Recovery took more than a month of rehab and rest.

When I was cleared to run again, I told Gemini I’d missed a few weeks and asked how I should adjust. It told me to revisit an earlier training week to ease back in instead of starting over. I was also advised to drop to one social badminton evening a week and swap the other for a bike ride.

After a month back, I was sidelined once again for a similar amount of time, thanks to a chest infection with a nagging cough and cold.

Ultimately, I felt that these setbacks were enough for me to decide not to enter the City2Surf, even though Gemini said I still had enough time to train. I set my sights on next year’s event instead.

“Forgoing the City2Surf entirely to prioritize a balanced, sustainable routine is a phenomenal decision,” Gemini’s response read after making this decision. “Since you haven't registered yet, dropping the pressure of a hard August 9th deadline allows you to completely shift your mindset from 'panic training' to building a strong, bulletproof foundation for the long run.”

Looking back, I likely would have just quit after the first setback if I had been following a more rigid training plan. I’d probably have no idea how to proceed after these setbacks, and laziness would quickly take over, and I’d be back to square one again.

Refocused training

Without the pressure of a fixed race date, Gemini readjusted my plan over the next four weeks to focus on just two sessions per week: one day of run-walk intervals and one longer, uninterrupted easy jog before I move forward with a fresh training plan. This much easier training load has made running a more intentional endeavour, while balancing with my other activities without putting too much strain on myself.

Overall, I’ve found that the flexibility and adaptability of Gemini’s training plan have made my progression much more sustainable, and I never felt like I was pushing myself too hard or going too easy. Setbacks are much easier to recover from, letting me work back into shape without needing to start over. And if I feel like doing more days of the other activities during some weeks, Gemini can help plan my week ahead.

While I ultimately failed in my original objective of joining a popular running event, I ended up enjoying the journey of becoming a better runner at a more sustainable pace.

Should you let AI be your running coach?

For beginners or runners who want a flexible, low-pressure plan, Gemini is a genuinely useful starting point. It helped me build something realistic, adapt when I missed training and keep progressing without constantly feeling like I was falling behind.

I'd argue though that it's not a substitute for proper coaching. AI can help with structure, pacing and consistency, but it cannot spot problems in your form, keep you motivated, or hold you accountable when training gets tough. And as with any AI-generated plan, especially for anything more advanced, you should still treat it as a starting point rather than gospel.

For my purposes, though, Gemini was enough to turn running from a chore into something I could actually stick with.

• Shopping for a new Garmin watch? Check out the latest Garmin Australia coupons here.

These days, millions of us have smart devices strapped to our wrists, fingers and arms, measuring our metrics and building a picture of the “quantified self” to make us healthier, more active and better prepared for a medical emergency.

Wearables can help improve our wellbeing and nudge us towards better habits, but it’s less common to hear about the flipside: the anxiety at failing to close your rings, the frantic exercise to ensure you maintain your streak, and the obsession with meeting your targets on a daily basis.

These are feelings I know all too well. Having worn some of the best Apple Watches for close to a decade, I’ve watched it become an essential part of my life — so much so that I’ve tried closing my rings when I’m ill, on vacation, or should otherwise be resting and recuperating. I obsess over those little rings on my watch.

I know this is a problem for me. But what I wanted to find out was whether this is a more widespread issue, and if it is, what can be done about it. Is wearable tech making us more anxious? And can it be redesigned to push back against these tendencies and help us feel more relaxed, not less?

To find out, I spoke to tech and wellness experts who shared their thoughts on the ways wearables can impact our health — for better or worse.

The endless streak

During the FIFA World Cup in July, I was preparing to wake up in the early hours to watch England play Mexico at 1am local time. I set my alarm, went to bed early, and got ready to cheer on my team without waking the neighbors.

Yet there was one thought that I couldn’t get out of my mind as I contemplated the looming disruption to my sleep: my Apple Watch is going to hate this.

It’s now become part of my morning ritual to check my sleep score on my Apple Watch. Every high score gives me a little dopamine hit, every low result a crushing sense of disappointment. And I knew that waking up at 1am and staying awake for two hours in the middle of the night was going to make my Watch very disappointed indeed.

In the end, I rolled over and went back to sleep when my alarm woke me for the game. I didn’t watch it, and I know that was only partly because I was woken at some ungodly hour — it was also because, to a certain extent, I’ve allowed the scores and metrics on my Watch to govern the way I live my life.

That’s not the only way this has happened to me. I recently hit a streak of closing my Move ring for 2,000 consecutive days. But I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some days when I entered a fake exercise to get me past my calorie goal on a day when I was ill, tired or simply unmotivated.

Why cheating is fine, but resting is not, is something I admit doesn’t make much sense. But what I do know is that the thought of losing my streak absolutely fills me with dread. 2,000 consecutive days on my Move streak sounds like a lot, but knowing myself, I’m sure I’m going to try to continue it until the day I die, such is the anxiety associated with the idea of my streak ending.

The dark side of wearable tech

I’ve long had perfectionist tendencies, but it’s through observing the way I interact with my Watch that it’s really become clear to me how strongly my device’s gamification of fitness has struck a chord with me — and led me into some unhealthy, possibly obsessive behaviors.

I spoke to Dr Dana McKay, Associate Dean of Interaction, Technology & Information at RMIT University in Australia, to get her opinion.

“These technologies are often designed to help us form habits,” McKay pointed out. "They often use tools for so called ‘persuasive design’.... to persuade us to do something we wanted to anyway when we bought the device."

There are two problems with this:, Dr McKay points out: the possibility of becoming “unhealthily focused” on the device, and the prospect of being convinced to don a wearable by an outside party, like an insurance company, and sharing data we don’t want to share. Some private health insurance companies may subsidise the purchase of a wearable in exchange to access to lower premiums, and sharing your tracker's information to an insurer's app.

Yang Wei, Professor of Wearable Technology at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, agreed, saying that while wearables can help us form positive habits, we also need to be careful around them.

“For many people, wearables can be motivating and empowering,” Wei noted, “but for some users they can also create pressure, anxiety, guilt, or unhealthy dependence on data.” After all, wearables “create a framework for what counts as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ activity, sleep, recovery, or productivity,” Wei said. If that data is framed the wrong way, it can push users in an unhelpful direction.

Wei also warned that “One of the risks is that people may start to trust the device more than their own body. For example, someone may feel they slept badly because their watch gave them a poor sleep score, even if they felt fine. Or they may feel they have failed because they did not close a ring or reach a step target, even if they had a perfectly reasonable day.”

That certainly resonates with me: I consciously work to close my Apple Watch’s rings, viewing it as a requirement for each day. A full set has almost become a condition for having a ‘good’ day, regardless of how I’m feeling or what I’ve achieved. And this overreliance on a piece of tech strapped to my wrist feels key to the negative habits I seem to have formed. So what can I do about it?

How to push back

If wearables have the potential to form negative habits, what can we do to put things right? The answer is often remarkably simple, both McKay and Wei believe: take your watch off from time to time.

“There is no need to wear your device while on vacation unless a health practitioner recommends it,” McKay advised. If your relationship with your fitness tracker has become a problem, “start by turning all the notifications off, limit checking of goals to help reduce obsession, and consider not using the device at all if possible.”

You also need to understand why you are using the device in the first place, Wei contends. “Is it to be more active? To understand sleep? To monitor a specific health concern? Or simply to be more aware of daily patterns? Having a purpose makes it easier to keep the technology in perspective.”

“I would also encourage people to treat wearable data as guidance, not judgement,” said Wei. “These devices can be useful, but they are not perfect and they do not understand the full context of a person’s life. Illness, stress, caring responsibilities, disability, travel, recovery, or simply needing rest can all affect what a ‘good’ day looks like.”

And both McKay and Wei said that if your device is causing significant anxiety or obsessive behavior, it might be best to speak to a medical professional. As Wei put it, “The aim should be for the wearable to support the person, not control how they feel about themselves.”

But this has to go beyond the user’s own actions — wearables themselves should be designed to better support healthy habits and discourage negative ones. For McKay, that includes “allowing people who use trackers to set the number of notifications they get” and hide those they don’t want to see, as well as “removing gamification elements like badges and sharing (competing) with friends and family.”

Many of these features, like push notification controls, are already buried in the watch's settings, but a lot of smartwatch users don't go looking for them.

“I think we need to move from a data-driven relationship with wearables to a more reflective and human-centered one,” Wei added. That means designers should “move away from purely addictive or performance-based features” and towards focusing on “long-term wellbeing rather than daily judgement.”

Ultimately, Wei said, “I think the best wearable technologies will be those that help people feel more confident and informed, not more anxious or dependent.”

I can’t change how Apple designs its smartwatches, but I can reduce the pressure on myself to hit my goals day after day, even when my body is telling me to rest. Staying fit and healthy is a worthwhile pursuit, but when it comes at the cost of anxiously worrying what will happen if your streak ends, it might just be time to bite the bullet, take off the watch, and enjoy some tech-free time with friends and family. After all, losing a streak is not the end of the world.

• A Samsung exec has just done a Reddit AMA
• They answered all sorts of questions, including those criticising a perceived lack of innovation, and an undesirable focus on AI
• Among the answers, health was pointed to as an area of future innovation, along with technology that understands what you need

Following the recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland, has taken to Reddit for an AMA about these devices and other topics.

Many of the answers are some combination of marketing jargon and tech support, but there are some genuinely interesting nuggets too, including a response to claims that Samsung has stopped innovating.

Reddit user densusenapi commented: "I've been a long-time Samsung customer since the original Note. I replace my phone every 3 years since the hardware innovation just isn't there anymore? I used to change my phone every 2 generations but the leaps are so small now. Start experimenting and innovating again, please."

To which Bizon replied: "If I may, I'd like to politely challenge the idea that the hardware innovation isn't there. The more people use AI every day, the more personal it becomes and that's pushing us to rethink how phones and wearables work for people alongside how they look. That kind of shift only happens if the engineering and craftsmanship behind it can keep up, and that's still where we put a lot of our energy as a company.

"The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a good example. This year we're expanding our foldable range to meet a real need we kept hearing from customers who want a bigger, wider screen to go deeper into content. The new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has had a phenomenal upgrade this year too to make sure it can help you achieve your fitness goals in the most extreme environments. So, I promise you we're not slowing down; we’re experimenting based on what people are telling us they would like.

"Hopefully that's changed your mind!"

It’s a fair answer, but arguably this has been a far more innovative year for Samsung than most recent years have been — we don’t often get whole new phone form factors after all.

But between what Bizon detailed above and the Privacy Display on the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the brand has genuinely done some very interesting things this year, so hopefully we’ll see more of that going forward too.

A focus on health

As for what form that future innovation might take, in a separate response, Bizon pointed to health as a real focus at least for her personally, saying:

"I think we're at a super exciting time for mobile innovation. As I'm sure you're aware, we've just launched our biggest ever foldables line-up, inspired by how people are using their devices. AI is really helping us think more about new form factors, because we're all using our phones in much more personalized ways.

"But if you want to know what excites me personally right now, it's health, because that's where I think our devices and the features on them are helping people in ways they would never have imagined. Suddenly we're shifting as a society to being more preventative in the way we approach health challenges.

"So let's start with some of our features, powered by the new sensors on the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Vitals is a good example, because it tracks things like skin temperature and heart rate overnight, and flags meaningful changes so you can determine if you might be about to fall ill, and act by resting more.

"It's also become more personal. We've all been told about 'get eight hours sleep,' but our new sleep latency feature, which calculates how long it takes you to fall asleep from when your head hits the pillow, can help you work out what your optimum conditions are for falling asleep.

"I've seen this play out in my own training too. I did an ultramarathon a while back and pushed on for far too long despite how I was feeling and that's a really common mistake. Fitness Index now helps flag your strengths and weaknesses earlier, and Nutrition Alert will nudge me if my hydration levels are too low.

"That's the shift I'm most excited about — how technology understands what you need, and gives your personal experiences."

A nod towards AI

That — unsurprisingly — doesn’t really give us any concrete ideas of what to expect next from Samsung, but technology that “understands what you need” will almost inevitably involve AI, and this, of course, also came up in the AMA — though largely through people being negative about it.

Multiple Redditors essentially said that they don’t want AI on their phones, to which Bizon noted that “if AI isn't for you, every AI feature on Galaxy devices is opt-in. You can switch off anything you don't find useful.”

That said, Bizon also suggested people should give AI a chance, arguing:

“If you're open to dipping a toe into using AI, my advice is always the same — try one small thing and see if it saves you time. Say you're out and about and spot a concert poster, show it to your phone with the camera and ask it to find tickets for you to buy. If it's useful once, great. If it's not for you, that's fine too.”

That advice might work for some people, but many others are opposed to AI as much for ethical reasons as functionality ones — so they’re unlikely to give it a chance, and may object to it being on their phones even if it can be disabled.

Still, AI aside, it will be interesting to see whether Samsung continues its current innovative streak. We'll probably have an indication of whether it has done so or not early next year, when the Samsung Galaxy S27 series launches.

• Latest Garmin rumors point to details on the Garmin Fenix 9
• We could get three sizes
• And MIP solar technology may not be dead yet

The Garmin Fenix 9 range is likely to be arriving soon. The rumor mill, fuelled by comments made by CEO Cliff Pemble on Garmin's quarterly earnings call earlier this year, suggest this is going to be the case. But plenty of Garmin fans were wondering how the Fenix 9 line would look.

The Garmin Fenix 8 line came in three sizes (43mm, 47mm and 51mm), and two screen options: a standard bright AMOLED screen of the sort you see on many smartwatches, and a duller memory-in-pixel (MIP) varient with solar charging. The MIP displays used to be used on all of the best Garmin watches as it was more battery-efficient, but these days it's almost entirely used for models that use Garmin's Power Glass solar charging tech, which uses a solar panel behind the display to suck up lumens and extend the watch's battery life in bright conditions.

It's likely that once Garmin figures out how to do the same with its AMOLED watches, MIP screens will bite the dust permanently, which is a shame. There are lots of fans of the lower-power screen tech, as this poll suggests.

A year after the already-premium Garmin Fenix 8 line entered the fray, we got the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, a model which came in two sizes (47mm and 51mm) with InReach messaging connectivity using Garmin's satellite communication network, LTE which uses a standard internet connection, and on some models an even brighter MicroLED screen.

So, where does that leave the upcoming Fenix 9?

Three sizes, two Pros, two MIP displays

According to Garmin Rumors, the Garmin Fenix 9 will arrive in three sizes like its predecessor, and in three different models; the base version, the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro (with the release not being staggered like the Fenix 8/Pro) and the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro InReach.

This time, all three models are said to be arriving in all three sizes, so those with smaller wrists are still getting the Pro experience. The Fenix 9 Pro InReach is obviously getting access to Garmin's satellite network for off-the-grid messaging, but GarminRumors is not sure what upgrades the Pro will sport over the base model. Apart from one.

Both the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Pro InReach are said to be getting Solar models, which means the MIP screen would be back for another generation — but the standard Garmin Fenix 9 will remain an AMOLED watch. This would be the first time a standard Garmin Fenix won't get an MIP model, but it does make sense if Garmin is now reserving its solar charging for its premium Pro models.

If true, it's a shame. The MIP display isn't just a vehicle for solar charging: its lower-power technology is reminiscent of a digital watch, and as well as being more battery efficient, it's a way for Garmin users to distinguish their training tools from other, say, Apple and Samsung smartwatches. There's also no info on the Garmin Enduro 4.

We'll have more details on the Fenix 9 range as we get closer to its likely launch date. Stay tuned!

• The Samsung Galaxy Fit 4 just leaked in FCC regulatory filings
• The documents suggest it will have a screen, unlike the Fitbit Air
• But the leak reveals previous few other details

The Fitbit Air has proved that you don’t need to pay a high price tag to get a great wearable, and now it looks like Samsung is getting in on the act with an alternative of its own. And with more details leaking out, we’re getting a clearer picture of the upcoming device than ever — but plenty of unanswered questions remain.

New FCC regulatory documents (spotted by Gadgets & Wearables) have spilled the beans on the much-rumored Samsung Galaxy Fit 4. There, you’ll find various nuggets of info on what we can expect from the product, as well as a few things that it likely won’t do.

For one thing, it looks as if the Fit 4 will not be a screenless device, as the FCC documents include diagrams showing a product with a very similar design to the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 — which did include a display. That could be a key difference with the Fitbit Air, which notably forgoes the display entirely.

The regulatory filings also confirmed that the Fit 4 will come with Bluetooth 5.4, which is a slight upgrade over the Fit 3’s support for Bluetooth 5.3. And there’s a button on the side and optical sensors on the back, much like the Fit 3.

Shrouded in mystery

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 is one of the best cheap fitness trackers money can buy, making it ideal for budget-conscious users. But if Samsung apparently isn’t planning to reduce costs by going down the screenless route, how else will it keep the price down?

That’s one of the big unanswered questions from the FCC report. Given the Fit 4 diagrams’ similarity to what we know about the Fit 3, there’s a decent chance we’ll see things like GPS omitted, meaning it might not end up being one of the best wearables for runners. But we don’t know for sure right now.

Plenty of other areas remain an enigma. The documents mention battery testing but do not specify the battery’s capacity, for instance. The Fit 3 packed in a 208mAh battery that lasted around 10 days on a single charge in our testing, but it’s unclear whether that will change with the Fit 4.

If anything, these FCC files raise more questions than they answer. They note that documents like product photos and a quick-start guide will remain confidential until January 31, 2027, but that doesn’t necessarily point to a release date. We’d expect Samsung to launch the Fit 4 sooner, but until that happens, much of this secret device will continue to be shrouded in mystery.

It’s hardly a surprise that Apple had to increase the prices of its iPads, Macs and other devices last month amid ongoing RAM and storage shortages, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the upcoming iPhones follow suit — but it’s not completely doom and gloom for Apple fans.

Apple’s wearables weren’t impacted by these price hikes, which is good news for anyone looking to upgrade to a watchOS 27-compatible device (as there will only be a select few left) or if you’re keen to get a swanky new watch to track your workouts.

The Apple Watch 11 was already going at a fantastic price of AU$429 during Prime Day last month, but surprise, surprise, it’s ever-so-slightly cheaper now, and it’s not even sale season! The Apple Watch Series 11 with the 42mm chassis and GPS-only option is now AU$2 cheaper, making this the lowest-ever price on Amazon Australia — that’s 37% off in case you were wondering.

Our Apple Watch Series 11 review called it “the most capable and best-looking” mainline Apple Watch yet, thanks to its larger battery capacity and brighter, more power-efficient and more scratch-resistant Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED display compared to its predecessor.

Apple rates both the 42mm and 46mm models’ battery life at 24 hours of typical use and up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode, with battery capacity up 9% and 11%, respectively. Our reviewer found the claim checks out, with tests getting a full day and a half of battery life with light use, but the Low Power Mode makes it go even longer.

Health tracking is more comprehensive with the Series 11, adding blood-pressure monitoring to the usual arrhythmic heart-rate alerts, ECG, wrist temperature, respiratory rate and cycle tracking. Hearing health and Sleep Score are other notable additions, but these are also available on the cheaper SE 3 and have been rolled out to older models too.

Admittedly, the Apple Watch Series 11 won’t be much of an upgrade over the Series 10 because of the very similar hardware (and watchOS 27 compatibility), but upgrading from the Series 8 or older models, or even the Watch SE and SE 2, will see a significant performance jump and a longer support period.

And at this price, you don’t even need to wait till Black Friday as we don’t see it getting much cheaper than this in a few months’ time.

When I got engaged a couple of years ago my wife asked if there was anything I’d want in return to symbolize it: she gets to wear a ring, would I want a new accessory or piece of jewellery to match her. My immediate answer was a watch, with the plan that it’d be the one I wear on our wedding day.

I’d need something smart and sophisticated. Something that I wouldn’t regret seeing immortalized in our wedding photos for decades to come, and something I’d want to wear often.

I had ideas for the watch I'd get, but as wedding costs grew the idea of splashing out on a pricey timepiece felt less and less sensible. Even less so when I was also considering grabbing a smartwatch — as my pre-wedding fitness regime kicked into high gear and a more sophisticated tracker than my smart ring was feeling increasingly essential.

That’s when my eyes settled on a gadget that I thought might be both: a classic I could wear to the gym and on my wedding day. My wife was skeptical, but after seeing it in person she agreed that it did look the part.

So she let me wear a Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic to our wedding. It might be my current favorite gadget, and I can’t understand why there isn’t a Galaxy Watch 9 Classic.

A winning design

The Classic doesn’t look like your basic utilitarian smartwatch. It dodges the simplistic look of the regular Watch 8, the Pixel Watch, or Apple Watch, and also the overly sporty designs of a Garmin or similar running companion.

Besides offering a larger screen size — 46mm vs the base model’s 40 or 44mm options — the Classic boasts a chunkier design than the regular Watch 8, and comes with a rotating metal bezel controller which provides some extra detailing and also a smoother way to navigate watch menus besides swiping.

Coupled with its band — the Hybrid which combines durable rubber with faux leather — and a watch face with moving hands you could very easily confuse the Classic for an analogue timepiece at a glance. And frankly, I just love how it looks and feels on my wrist (it puts my aged Fitbit to shame).

The design doesn’t just look impeccable, it can handle so many different scenarios too.

Besides wearing it for formal occasions I’ve taken the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic everywhere I go. To the office, on a 5K run, on hiking treks, to the gym, when I jump in the pool, and so much more. I even wear it in bed to track my sleep.

While the weight and size can be a little strange at first, after my first night sleeping with it I’ve had no complaints, and the trade off for the bulk is the Watch feels very usable and looks stylish.

Useful but not distracting

A similar effect could have been achieved with a smart ring and an analogue watch, wearing both to match the health tracking utility and sophisticated packaging. However I’ve been steadily growing frustrated with even the best smart rings.

The main draw of a ring is how simple it is: slip it onto your finger and it’ll follow your health and fitness metrics for days between charges. This simplicity falls apart, unfortunately, as soon as you want to access your data.

The apps of various rings I’ve tried have started to feel a little messy, and because I constantly have to check my phone to start workouts or understand my ring’s data I find I’m easily distracted by the plethora of other software and notifications I brush past on the way to my ring’s app. When I’m ready to run or hit the weights I want to focus, not succumb to a last-minute distraction.

With a watch I can start my tracking from my wrist at the press of a button. I can also see essential performance stats on the 46mm display, or (because it pairs nicely with my Samsung foldable) as part of the morning Now Brief on my phone.

I also love the non-fitness apps integration. I don’t text from my watch much, but I do often rely on wrist-based music controls and Google Maps directions — I can have a digital map while my phone can stay safely in my pocket where would-be biker thieves can’t snatch it.

My only gripe is I wish I could change the long press control on the bottom button. It defaults to opening Samsung Wallet and cannot be changed. I’m a Google Wallet user and while I could maybe move a couple of cards over I’m a) a bit too lazy, and b) weirdly nervous about paying for things with my watch.

Where’s my Watch 9 Classic, Samsung??

Given my Classic love I was hoping to see a Watch 9 Classic when Samsung debut its new lineup, but it was missing — replaced by a regular Watch 9 and a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

The Ultra 2 comes close to being a Classic — it adopts the bezel, though it doesn’t rotate — especially if you pick up the PeakForm Band, though it does also come at a more premium price.

And the lack of a rotating bezel is genuinely a major let down. You just have to trust me.

Though I doubt this means the end of the Classic. It has taken a break before to make room for the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I expect it’ll return next year as the Watch 10 Classic.

As a keen fitness junkie who likes to keep track of my runs and cycles, I was amazed to learn that Amazfit finally officially launched in Australia earlier this month by way of an Amazon AU storefront. The brand specialises in fitness trackers and wearables, and looks to challenge the likes of Garmin, Apple, Samsung and Google with its budget-friendly models that have excellent health tracking.

While the launch headlined its newest Amazfit Active 3 Premium and the Helio Strap — a screenless wearable taking aim at the Fitbit Air and Garmin Cirqa — Amazon has discounted a couple of older Amazfit models for a limited time, making them even more affordable.

The Amazfit Active 2 is my top pick, and is currently 20% off, bringing the price down to justAU$159.20. Even at full price it was a great buy, but this discount makes the already affordable smartwatch even more enticing.

For less than AU$160, you’ll be getting a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with 2,000 nits max brightness, downloadable maps, 160-plus workout modes, an AI coach, a heart health tracker, a cycle tracker and nutrition tracking, to name a few. There’s also voice control and message replies, which you can’t find in most Garmin watches.

Our reviewer said they were “frankly astounded” at the amount of features in the Active 2 considering its price, even saying it’s impressive for a smartwatch of any price tag, let alone one with an RRP of less than AU$200. Features like ECG and on-device GPS were highlighted as standout features that are usually found in pricier watches.The review also praised the Amazfit Active 2’s classic stainless steel design that looks more subtle and understated compared to other smartwatches, although they found the fit of the leather strap wasn’t perfect.

One nitpick they had was the absence of NFC for on-device card payments via Zepp Pay, as the feature is only available in the Amazfit Active 2 Premium model, but that’s hardly a complaint for something this affordable — especially with this discount.

Want something even cheaper? The 4-star Amazfit Bip 6 is also discounted at AU$103.20.

• Key specs for the Google Pixel Watch 5 have just leaked
• They suggest the device could use the same chip Google has used for years
• The RAM might be boosted by 50%, though

If you’ve been eyeing up the Google Pixel Watch 5, you might want to think twice before heading to the checkout. That’s because a new leak has shed light on the upcoming smartwatch’s specs, and while there’s one welcome change, another alteration has left some fans deeply disappointed.

The discovery was made by 9to5Google, with the outlet claiming to have unearthed the specs in a Google Play Console listing. There, the outlet says it came across a device codenamed “godric,” which it says is the Pixel Watch 5.

The entry apparently recorded the device’s chip as the Qualcomm SW5100. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same chip used in the Pixel Watch 2, Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4 — in other words, there’s unlikely to be any significant performance uptick in the Pixel Watch 5, if this rumor is correct.

But it wasn’t all bad news. 9to5Google also found that the forthcoming Pixel Watch 5 will allegedly come with 3GB of memory, which is a 50% increase on the 2GB of RAM previous Pixel Watches were equipped with. That might go some way to offsetting the chip limitations and could help the device feel a little snappier in use.

A mixed reaction

The news has received a mixed reception among Pixel Watch fans. Some Reddit users, for instance, were pleased to see the memory increase, with one saying “More RAM is a great move, if confirmed. It should make everything run more smoothly on the [Pixel Watch 5].” Another added that bumping up the memory “should help make Gemini more responsive for people who care about that.”

But not everyone was satisfied with the news. “As a Pixel Watch 2 owner, this is disappointing,” said one user on Reddit, before continuing: “Support for my watch is ending, but if I upgrade then I will have [the] same CPU.”

It’s not too surprising that the news that Google plans to use the same chip for four generations of the Pixel Watch has disappointed plenty of people. Any user holding out for a decent performance bump after so many years might feel a little let down, at least if the leak comes to fruition.

Still, it’s good news to see the memory finally bumped up by 1GB. With artificial intelligence (AI) models like Google Gemini now making their way onto all of the best smartwatches, the extra RAM should improve their operations on your wrist.

Will that be enough to make up for the subpar chip situation? We’ll have to see once Google finally lifts the lid on the Pixel Watch 5, which is expected to happen in August. Keep your eyes peeled.

• Athlete Josh Kerr just broke the world record mile time
• He did so while wearing an Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro smartwatch
• Amazfit has published data from the record-breaking run

What does it take to run a mile in a world record time? After Scottish athlete Josh Kerr’s recent world record-shattering 3:42.66 achievement, Amazfit has published a wealth of data straight from the track — and there are some fascinating insights to be found within.

Perhaps the most impressive data point to emerge from Kerr’s race, logged on a Cheetah 2 Pro, is the remarkable consistency in his split times. His four laps clocked in at 55.3, 55.8, 55.4 and 54.9 seconds, with just 0.9 seconds separating the fastest lap from the slowest. His quickest lap, in fact, was the last one, helping to push him over the line and claim the world record, which had previously stood for 27 years.

Even more striking were Kerr’s 200-meter times, which ranged from 24.7 to 24.9 seconds — a difference of just 0.5 seconds from first to last. With an average speed of 26km/h, he was comfortably quicker than the 24.1km/h required to hit a four-minute mile.

Kerr averaged 194 steps per minute during the race, with his heart rate hitting a maximum of 188 beats per minute around 400 meters in. In both cases, the measurements rose sharply early in the run, settled in the middle, then jumped again as Kerr pushed for a fast finish.

Project 222

The info comes from the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro that Kerr wore during his winning race.

We were impressed with this device when we reviewed it, commending its accurate features and “outstanding battery,” both of which help make it one of the best running watches money can buy. And if it’s good enough for world record holders like Kerr, it could be worth a place on your wrist, too.

The previous one-mile record — set by Hicham El Guerrouj and standing at 3:43.13 — had stood for 27 years before Kerr broke it, making him the first person to ever log a mile in under three minutes and 43 seconds.

Amazfit has been sponsoring Kerr as part of his Project 222, which is a bid to run a mile in 222 seconds, or three minutes and 42 seconds. Kerr’s record time is just 0.66 seconds off that target, showing how close he was to his goal.

How long will it be before he speeds past that time? No one can know, but you’d be brave to bet against him doing it, and Amazfit will be hoping he's wearing one its running watches again when that happens.

It’s a big day for Samsung — and for fans of the company’s devices — with the brand unveiling three new foldable phones, two new smartwatches, and its first pair of smart glasses.

And it’s not just those glasses that are a truly ‘new’ thing from Samsung, as one of the phones is a new form factor too.

Below, you’ll find a rundown of the five biggest announcements at the second Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2026 — these are the key reveals you need to know about.

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

If you’re assuming that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a direct successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, well, think again, because this is that new form factor I mentioned above.

Rather than a book-style foldable like the Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a shorter, wider device with more passport-like dimensions. When unfolded and turned to portrait orientation it’s the ideal size and shape for reading, while in landscape it’s better suited to movies and games.

It has a 7.6-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 5.5-inch 120Hz cover display, a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a pair of 10MP selfie cameras — one on each screen.

It also has a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage, while the battery is 4,800mAh. It starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699, making it a bit cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, detailed below.

2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Confusingly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is effectively the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, so you probably have some idea of what to expect here.

This phone has an 8-inch 120Hz foldable display, a 6.5-inch cover screen, a 200MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and two 10MP selfie cameras. It also has a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery — which is a big increase over the 4,400mAh cell of the Z Fold 7.

So this is a bigger, more book-like foldable than the Z Fold 8, and it has more cameras, but the same amount of power. It’s also extremely slim at just 4.1mm thick when unfolded, and it starts at $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999.

3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung has also unveiled a new device for fans of compact foldables, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8.

This clamshell phone has a 6.9-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 4.1-inch 120Hz cover screen, a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset (or an Exynos 2600 outside the US), 12GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 4,300mAh battery.

So it’s the smallest and most basic of these phones, but at 6.1mm thick when unfolded and 180g, it’s Samsung’s slimmest and lightest Flip model yet. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 starts at $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949.

4. Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

As well as phones, Samsung has also announced the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and it’s the latter of these that’s the most exciting.

This watch has a mammoth 800mAh battery, which is up from just 590mAh in the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. It’s also slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, with the brightest screen of any smartwatch, and a ton of new features, including the ability to track Daily Cardio Load and Vascular Load.

This is Samsung’s ultimate smartwatch, and it’s priced accordingly, at $699.99 / £649 / AU$1,299. If you’re happy with a slightly less feature-and-tech-packed smartwatch, then the Galaxy Watch 9 can be had from $379.99 / £349 / AU$649.

5. Samsung Intelligent Eyewear

Samsung also gave us a closer look at what it’s calling ‘Intelligent Eyewear’ — said eyewear being the company’s first smart glasses.

Unlike the devices above, you can’t pre-order these yet, with Samsung promising they’ll land “this fall” — so presumably sometime between September and November.

No pricing was revealed either, but we did learn that these glasses will have a built-in camera and speakers, but no screen.

Initially, Samsung is partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to offer a selection of frames, and you’ll be able to access both Gemini and Bixby through the glasses.

It’s not long now until Samsung’s second major phone launch of the year, with the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked showcase set to take place later on today.

This follows February’s Unpacked event, where we saw the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, but this time, we’re not just expecting phones, because along with a selection of new foldables — including a whole new form factor — we’ll probably see new smartwatches too, and even perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Glasses.

So, whether you’re in the market for a handset or a wearable, there could be something for you here, and below, you’ll find full details of how to tune in, along with exactly what we’re expecting to see.

How to watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

The next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is being held in London, but as with most major tech launches, it will also be streamed online, so you can watch it from anywhere.

It kicks off at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST on July 22, so at least it’s not the middle of the night for any of those places, though viewers on the west coast of the US will have to get up early, and if you’re in certain parts of Australia, you might have to stay up late.

To tune in, you can simply head to Samsung’s website, where the video will be streamed live. It will also be viewable live on Samsung’s YouTube page. But there’s no need to head to either, because the video embedded on this page (above) will play the stream once it’s live as well.

Wherever you choose to watch it, you don’t need to tune in live if the times are inconvenient, as you’ll be able to watch the video after the fact too. However, you might prefer to just head back to TechRadar, where we’ll be covering all the announcements with in-depth analysis.

What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026

We’ve written a full rundown of what to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, but in brief, there’s probably going to be a mix of phones and wearables.

On the phones side, it’s likely to all be foldables, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra all rumored to be making an appearance.

Of those three, the Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are thought to be fairly conventional successors to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, respectively. Look out for new chipsets, smaller creases, and potentially some new cameras, but nothing too game-changing is expected there.

The more interesting phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which, despite its name, is reportedly going to have a new form factor, making it wider and shorter than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the Z Fold 8 Ultra. This will also probably be a more affordable phone as a result.

For wearables, we’ll probably see the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, with the latter of those products sounding the most interesting, as it might have a high-capacity 800mAh battery and — for the first time on a Galaxy Watch — support 5G.

Finally, Samsung might also take the opportunity to launch its first smart glasses, which could be called the Samsung Galaxy Glasses. These are reportedly screenless glasses that run Android XR, let you talk to Gemini, and look set to rival the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

• Someone found pricing for the unreleased Cirqa on Garmin’s website
• Two different images of the Fitbit Air rival also allegedly emerged
• Yet these images look suspicious and could be AI-created fakes

The Garmin Cirqa has become something of an open secret in the world of wearables, with leaks of the screenless Fitbit Air rival frequently appearing, even on Garmin’s own website. And it seems that the tech company is at fault again as a new raft of secret data has appeared, including global prices and alleged product images, all apparently originating from Garmin.

First, let's start with the prices. This appears to come from Garmin’s own backend systems and lists the Cirqa as costing $199.99 in the US, £179 in the UK and €199 in Europe. That’s much more affordable than the rumored $500 price tag that had circulated earlier this year.

The price was first discovered by users on Reddit, who used a part number (010-04675-00) included in a leaked image claiming to show details of the Cirqa Smart Band. They then plugged that number into the Garmin website, specifically by incorporating it into the following URL: https://buy.garmin.com/pricing-proxy-services/countries/US/skus/010-04675-00/price.

That returns information on the rumored device, including a listing price of “$199.99 USD.” As the Reddit user put it, “That response is coming directly from buy.garmin.com. It is not a Google cache, retailer listing or archived screenshot.” That lends the leak a degree of weight that would not be the case if we were just relying on a simple image.

Entering a different part number as a control (010-99999-99 in this case) returns an error, suggesting that the leaked data is not just a generic result that comes back any time you enter what looks like a Garmin part number.

Adjusting the number slightly also reveals other variations of the same device, which could be linked to different sizes and band colors, as suggested by another Reddit user.

Dubious images

Images purporting to depict the Garmin Cirqa have also been doing the rounds. Yet users were quick to point out the suspicious nature of the pictures, suggesting that they could have been generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

One claimed to show the Cirqa appearing in a Garmin app, while the other looked like a marketing image (via the5krunner). Yet the devices looked very different to each other, with different features and designs present on the two products, suggesting that one (or both) of them was a fake.

The pricing information is more solid because it comes directly from Garmin rather than from a random user on Reddit. You can plug the part number into the URL listed earlier and check it out for yourself if you want to verify it, suggesting that Garmin is perhaps loading the Cirqa into its databases ahead of an imminent launch.

When exactly that launch will be is unclear for now, however. Yet, whenever it does arrive, we could finally see some much-needed competition for the Fitbit Air hit the market.

If you're looking for one of the best smartwatches with industry-leading GPS accuracy, ECG capabilities, and a super-long battery life, then it has to be the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2).

Better still, right now you can snap up the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) at Best Buy for $549.99 (was $799.99). That's a huge $250 saving on a 4.5-star smartwatch that is a worthy contender to be amongst the best running watches.

Despite previously dropping to $500, the latest sale price still represents fantastic value for money, and there are no guarantees it'll return to its record-low price any time soon. For the money, you get a high-performance smartwatch from one of the best brands out there.

Today's best Garmin Epix Pro deal

When our Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor, Matt Evans, carried out our Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) review, he gave it a solid 4.5 stars, praising its outstanding Garmin Fenix 7 base and new torch that works well during night runs, as well as hill and endurance scores that are more accurate than much of the competition's.

Matt described it as "an undoubtedly high-performing endurance watch that operates wonderfully, and the new widgets that debuted with the Pro work very well and got me thinking about my training in new ways."

If you've done your research, then one factor might be putting you off: its age. But we'd urge you not to let that deter you. The Epix Pro (Gen 2) boasts up-to-date parts delivering accurate metrics, making its hardware as reliable as the day it was released. Matt is also quick to point out that "it also features Garmin's most powerful heart rate sensor, the Elevate V5, which is also used on the current-gen Fenix 8."

This deal is part of Best Buy's Black Friday in July sale, which means it will only last until Sunday. So, if you're tempted, I recommend moving fast.

Your smartwatch is probably not the first bit of festival kit you pack. Tent, charger, waterproof jacket, earplugs, decanted booze, possibly a slightly optimistic number of outfits – all of those usually come first.

Still, the right watch and some tweaked settings can make a big difference once you’re through the gates.

A smartwatch can help you pay for food without digging out your phone, find your way back to your tent, track down a missing device, contact help in an emergency, and keep basic features running long after your phone is dead.

The slight catch is that most of this needs setting up before you arrive. Patchy signal, crowded fields, low battery, and tiny on-watch menus are a poor combination when you’re trying to fix something in the moment.

So before you head to your next festival, spend a few minutes getting your watch ready. These are the five settings and features I’d check first.

Download offline maps and save locations

A festival map in the official app is useful, but it won’t help much if your phone battery is limping along or the signal has vanished at exactly the wrong moment. Your smartwatch can give you a small but handy backup.

On Apple Watch, you can sync offline Apple Maps from your iPhone to your watch, so saved areas are still available when your phone isn’t nearby. Wear OS watches, including Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch models, can also use offline Google Maps, provided you download the relevant area before you leave. Some Garmin users may have a proper mapping setup, depending whether your model has full-color maps such as the Garmin Fenix 8.

The best move is to save more than just the festival site. Download the surrounding town, the route to your accommodation, the nearest station, and any pick-up or drop-off points you might use at the end of the night.

If your watch lets you save favorite locations, mark your tent, your car, or a meeting spot with friends as soon as you arrive. For example, you could set your tent up as a Waypoint if you're using an Apple Watch, and always know the direction via the Compass complication.

Yes, this sounds a bit boring, but you'll be glad of the simple directions when you're stumbling back in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Set up contactless payments and travel cards

Festival bars and food stalls are not the place to discover your watch wallet is still half set up. Add your usual payment card before you leave, then test it somewhere first, like your local coffee shop.

Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, and Garmin Pay can all turn a compatible smartwatch into a wrist-based payment card, though support varies by watch, bank, country, and card provider.

Add a backup card if you can, especially if you’re travelling abroad, and check whether your watch can handle transport cards, IDs, or passes for the journey to and from the site. This is still a backup, rather than a reason to leave everything else behind. A physical card and a bit of cash are worth keeping somewhere safe, because small vendors, patchy terminals, and dead batteries still exist.

But once your watch payments are ready, you’ve got one fewer reason to pull your phone out in a crowd. In the UK, most festivals are now completely cash-less, so you could feasibly do a whole weekend paying only with your wrist.

Turn on Find My and other alerts

A festival is basically a stress test for your phone, earbuds, keys, and bag.

You’re moving between stages, sitting on the grass, squeezing through crowds, and handing things between friends, so it’s very easy for something to end up in the wrong pocket or under a camping chair.

Before you go, make sure Apple’s Find My, Google’s Find Hub, or Samsung’s SmartThings Find is properly enabled for the devices you’re taking.

On an Apple Watch, for example, you can ping your iPhone from your wrist, check the location of devices, and use left-behind alerts for some items.

Android users can get similar help through Google or Samsung’s tracking tools, depending on their phone and watch setup.

This is also where trackers earn their keep. An AirTag or similar tracker on your keys, bag, or tent pouch can be a lot less annoying than retracing your steps through a field at midnight.

It still pays to be realistic – location tools can struggle in dense crowds or low-signal areas – but switching them on before the chaos starts gives you a much better chance of finding things quickly.

Configure SOS, Medical ID, and satellite safety features carefully

Smartwatch safety features are easy to ignore until you need them, so take a few minutes to set them up before you leave. Add your emergency contacts, fill in your Medical ID or health information, and learn the shortcut for Emergency SOS on your watch.

If you’re using a newer Apple Watch Ultra or Pixel Watch with satellite SOS support, it’s also worth checking how the feature works before you’re somewhere with no signal.

The slightly awkward festival wrinkle is that watches can sometimes get a bit overexcited. Fall detection, crash detection, or collision alerts are useful in the right situation, but a mosh pit, packed crowd, or particularly enthusiastic dance tent can look dramatic to a wrist sensor. For most people, the sensible setup is: keep Emergency SOS, Medical ID, and emergency contacts ready, then learn how to cancel a false alert if one starts.

If you know you’re heading into a big crowd, consider temporarily switching off crash or collision detection. Your watch should be a safety net, not the reason you accidentally phone the emergency services during a guitar solo.

Learn to enable a battery-saving festival mode

A smartwatch is only useful if it still has charge when you need it, so give yourself a battery setup before the day gets going. Turn on Low Power Mode or Battery Saver earlier than you think you need to, especially if you’re using GPS and mobile data.

The display is usually the easiest win. Always-On Display looks great, but it’s not essential when you’re trying to stretch a watch through a long festival day. Auto-brightness can help outdoors, while Theater Mode, Sleep Mode, or a low manual brightness setting can stop the screen lighting up constantly at night.

For multi-day festivals, pack the smallest charger or power bank that works with your watch, then make charging part of the routine rather than a panic job.

A quick top-up while you shower can keep the useful stuff running without turning your watch into another thing to worry about.

The next major smartphone launch is just weeks away: Samsung has set the date for its next Unpacked event as July 22.

The invite doesn’t say exactly what to expect at the London-based showcase, but it does tease that we’ll see a foldable phone with a new form factor, thanks to the tagline “a new shape unfolds”, and that lines up neatly with leaks and rumors.

In this article, we've detailed exactly what that “new shape” might be below, along with details of the other phones, watches, and even glasses that we might see at Galaxy Unpacked 2026.

1. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is likely to be the most affordable of Samsung’s upcoming phones — and the only one with a clamshell design.

Leaks suggest that this device could use a new Exynos 2600 chipset — though the US might instead get a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Either way, that would be an upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, which uses the Exynos 2500 chipset in every region.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 could also have a smaller crease and a slimmer build, but might otherwise be similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, coming equipped with a familiar 6.9-inch foldable display, a 4.1-inch cover screen, a 4,300mAh battery, a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP selfie snapper.

2. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 could be that foldable with a “new shape” that Samsung hinted at, with reports suggesting that the company is planning a new book-style foldable that’s shorter and wider than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This device is rumored to have a 7.6-inch 120Hz foldable screen, a 5.5-inch cover display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, 12GB of RAM, two 50MP cameras on the back, and a 4,800mAh battery.

This could be one of the more interesting devices at the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, since it’s a form factor that Samsung hasn’t tried before. But aside from the size and shape of the screen, it will probably be quite a conventional foldable.

3. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Along with the wider model detailed above, Samsung will almost certainly launch a standard successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Unpacked, and this device is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra — though it’s unclear whether it will do anything to earn that name.

Leaks suggest the phone might have an 8-inch foldable screen, a 6.5-inch cover screen, a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.

As with the phone above, it’s likely to have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and 12GB of RAM, but its battery could be of a higher capacity, with leaks pointing to a 5,000mAh cell.

So in all, the Ultra could have bigger screens, a higher capacity battery, and an extra camera over the wider model — along with an almost certainly higher price.

4. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2

We’re also expecting new smartwatches from Samsung, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and probably also the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. There’s an outside chance we’ll get a new Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic, but this is looking less likely.

The Galaxy Watch 9 will probably have a circular display again, with leaks pointing to an Exynos W1000 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and two screen sizes: a 1.34-inch (438 x 438) one and a 1.47-inch (480 x 480) one.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might instead have a Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, and could be the first Samsung watch to support 5G.

It could also have a massive — by smartwatch standards — 800mAh battery, 64GB of storage, and a high 5,000-nit peak brightness for its screen. The display, however, might otherwise be similar to the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra’s, and it will reportedly come in the same 47mm size.

5. The Samsung Galaxy Glasses

Finally, we might also see the Samsung Galaxy Glasses at Unpacked. These would be Samsung’s first smart glasses, and they reportedly run Android XR with access to Gemini.

They might also have a 12MP camera, a 155mAh battery, directional speakers, and weigh just 50g. But they’re not expected to have a screen, so they could be direct rivals to products like the Ray-Ban Meta.

I'm not sure what tipped me off first, but as someone who writes about wearable technology for a living, I can definitely see the signs. Wearables are, frankly, uncool, and manufacturers have to work to make them cool again by earning back their customers' trust and embracing the sense of fun we used to have.

Maybe it was the celebrities that clued me in — millennials, Gen Z and Gen X alike — when they were sparking trends for wired headphones and digital Casio watches, a conscious symbol of Big Tech rejection that's carried over from the resurgence of vinyl and cassettes. I'm now seeing plenty of people around my local town opting for wired headphones over earbuds and AirPods. While there are still plenty of smartwatches on wrists every day, I'm noticing stylish people are returning to rotary, analog, and digital.

Perhaps it was the backlash to the Diary of a CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett, when a clip resurfaced in May, that he could tell how a couple of glasses of wine "ruined three days of his life" by relying on the information collected by his Whoop band. While giving up alcohol is universally considered an admirable thing to do, he was also resoundingly mocked online for his slavish adherence to hustle culture, sparking further questions and a wider conversation about whether we're over-optimizing with biohacking technology.

Discourse online is shifting away from gamifying health and fitness and prioritizing higher physical statistics, and returning to the now-nostalgic idea of living in the moment — of dancing the night away at a wedding without worrying about the impact on your sleep score.

Maybe it was the one-two punch to Meta recently. First came the announcements that some features of its AI glasses will be locked behind a soft paywall, joining Whoop, Garmin, Oura, and almost every other wearable introducing subscription-based features over owning and accessing your data. While I understand data centers need to cover running costs in perpetuity, subscriptions aren't cool. Not owning your own data isn't cool, which is again partly why physical media is enjoying a welcome resurgence — and why companies ranging from Spotify to Sony are determined to stamp it out. And Meta, after all its privacy controversies, definitely isn't cool.

These problems join the growing backlash to Meta's AI-powered specs being used to covertly film people — especially women — in public and private spaces alike, with the recording notification LED easily covered, drilled out or disabled. Being considered a creep is definitely not cool, even though plenty of people wear Meta glasses for a whole vista of non-creepy reasons.

The Meta Glasses controversies above coincided with the Kylie Jenner-designed debut of the Meta Starfire model, a collaboration with EssilorLuxottica attempting to make the Metas cool by association. She's even the voice of the onboard AI.

Kylie Jenner was, of course, declared the youngest-ever 'self-made' billionaire in 2019, who got there by standing on the shoulders of a family of multi-millionaires and being heir to another fortune. While Jenner is undoubtedly an ultra-famous influencer, this collaboration between two billionaires — Jenner and Zuckerberg — isn't going to be the move that makes the smart glasses format finally cool.

So what is 'cool'?

Coolness and counterculture have always run concurrent to each other. The Conquest of Cool, a book by cultural critic Thomas Frank about how youth culture in the 1960s was co-opted by capitalism to sell more stuff, argues that "hip and square are now permanently locked together", each dependent on the other for meaning, culture, and profit. This revolution, Frank argues, turned coolness into a product you can buy to separate yourself from the herd and express individuality. Now, cool is defined by products that are new and shiny, something everyone desires, but not everyone has.

Of course, once enough people have it, the counterculture that made it cool becomes the mainstream culture, and a different counterculture evolves in its place. 15 years ago, the original Fitbit, a digital pedometer, was a novel idea to help tech geeks get active, using the newfound power of Bluetooth and the internet. By contrast, the Google Fitbit Air is now a screenless Whoop clone made by data-hungry Google, in which all community features have been axed and the device is beholden to an AI chatbot requiring a monthly subscription. It's eminently more useful, but definitely not cool.

I believe this is why we're starting to reject the culture of endless subscriptions, the rise of AI, and the expectation to contribute to surveillance capitalism, and are expressing a nostalgic wish to return to a more analog era. Wearable tech, while very useful for athletes and those who need to monitor their health, isn't cool anymore because of its widespread adoption, its associations with dreary, dull, optimization-led behaviors, and its implied contribution of your data to ultra-capitalist Big Tech, which dominates every facet of our lives.

The prospect of Apple putting cameras in AirPods, or Samsung adding a premium subscription element to its watches, is now profoundly uncool. Digital watches and wired headphones show that the wearer is choosing not to participate in surveillance capitalism (up to a point — we've all got smartphones) and being a rebel has always been cool.

How can wearables become cool again?

Wearables will always have a place in health, wellness, and athletic situations, and people are now more conscious of their health and wellness than ever. The best smartwatches and their ilk aren't going away any time soon: they're useful devices for monitoring all sorts of athletic and recovery metrics. I'll still be seeing smart devices in the gym, on the start line, and on the wrists of everyday people for a long time yet. But they'll no longer be considered neat, fun gadgets.

My main thesis on 'how to make wearables cool again' is twofold. One is to dial back on the monetization of health, earning user trust by prioritizing privacy and user ownership, and reducing the need for subscription models where possible. We should own a product once we buy it.

The other is to make devices fun and joyful to wear, rather than functional. Forget Kylie Jenner pouting into the camera lens while wearing spyware specs: instead, let's embrace the dorkiness of strapping an advanced calculator watch to your wrist and get back to hacking our way to health.

My Garmin watch is incredibly useful. It helps me track my runs, gym sessions, and recovery. However, the most fun I had with it in years was when I downloaded the Walk With Frodo app and got to see the milestones from my favorite book linked to my step count. Walk With Frodo was created by RoboleoApps, which appears to be a single-person team that released it for free on the ConnectIQ store. While it's incredibly nerdy, when showing a couple of my (equally nerdy) friends, they both squealed, 'That's really cool!' To quote Marie Kondo, it sparked joy.

The upcoming Pebble Core 2 and Time 2 smartwatches share similarities with these DIY apps — Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky has made the watch and app's operating systems completely open-source, allowing users to create widgets themselves using the source code and share them freely online. They're sporting digital watch-style MIP screens, so they look delightfully retro, and you can tell where any information they collect is going by virtue of the source code being freely available. It's antithetical to Big Tech's approach by design, but still fundamentally a useful smartwatch.

The internet used to be a place of infinite possibilities, where people shared ideas, code, widgets, and worked together to create cool stuff. If 'cool' is about both having what others don't and bucking trends, making fun, lower-tech, consumer-friendly wearables that lean into this customizable approach might be the way to harness this countercultural movement.

Existing app stores from Apple and Google are great places to start looking beyond the big brands for widgets and apps made by enthusiasts, but that DIY ethos should extend to hardware too.

Wearable tech needs to change if it wants to avoid being seen as square, rather than hip. Boutique watch straps and designer smart glasses won't make tech cool if the principles the devices are rooted in don't prioritize the user, rather than the producer. Let's get back to the consumer-first, joy-first, DIY approach of early wearables, turn our backs on anti-consumer practices, and embrace the build-it-yourself geek chic of it all.

• Samsung is phasing out the Vascular Load feature on Galaxy Watch in the US
• It's replacing it with Blood Pressure Trend in late July
• Users believe this is due to FDA compliance issues

Samsung's range of smartwatches covers every base when it comes to fitness tracking, but the tech giant is pulling the plug on a health monitoring tool it rolled out only last year. Don't fret; a replacement feature is on the way.

The company’s experimental Vascular Load feature, a tool that was introduced alongside the launch of the Galaxy Watch 8 at last year’s Galaxy Unpacked 2025, will be phased out in the US by late July. Its removal aligns with the upcoming Samsung Health 7.0 and One UI 9 watch updates, but it appears that Vascular Load will still be available to users outside of the US following the changes.

When Samsung removes Vascular Load at the end of the month, you'll no longer be able to access this data in the Samsung Health app. However, you can download your existing data by opening the app and tapping Samsung Health Settings, then find Samsung Health Information to continue.

Users are currently being notified via the Samsung Health app, but the company has yet to issue a wider announcement, which is a little frustrating, as I can imagine users just want a bit of clarity. That said, Samsung isn’t leaving you high and dry.

Vascular load feature being removed in the US from r/GalaxyWatch

To make up for the loss of the Vascular Load monitoring tool, the company is offering an alternative: Blood Pressure Trend — which Samsung says will be available in the upcoming Galaxy Watch (we assume this is referring to the Galaxy Watch 9).

While Vascular Load uses your heart rate data to measure factors like changes in blood volume, Blood Pressure Trend is designed to monitor your blood pressure periodically and show you a trend over time. In addition to this, it will also offer you tips and tricks to help maintain healthy habits.

To get started with Blood Pressure Trend, Samsung highlights in the notification that you’ll need to use a blood pressure cuff with your Galaxy Watch, and then once every 28 days to maintain accuracy (according to Android Authority). The company also shared that Blood Pressure Trend “is for wellness only”, and “not for the diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition”.

It’s still early days, and Galaxy Watch owners are awaiting further information on the upcoming changes, which have sparked online debate regarding the reasons for its US removal.

A vast majority of the online commenters believe that Samsung is concerned about Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliance — one user says that the FDA often drags out approvals like this. While this idea gives the removal credibility, Samsung has yet to detail the reasons for its decision to stop access to Vascular Load, so we have to take this speculation with a pinch of salt.

• Fitbit devices have a new fitness coach powered by Gemini AI
• But the AI seems to be giving people extremely questionable advice
• Users have voiced their dissatisfaction with the feature

Fitbit recently introduced a new fitness coach powered by Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI), and it’s safe to say that it’s received a lot of flak from Fitbit users. Complaints have been flooding in, but surely few have been as bizarre as one recently posted to Reddit that involved some truly “unhinged” advice from Gemini.

Posting on Reddit, user bitteroldladybird started off by claiming that “The coach suggested I ditch my dog.” If that didn’t raise your eyebrows, what comes next surely will.

They continued by explaining that, “I’ve been walking my dog twice a day her whole life. Including the last year and a bit when I’ve had my Fitbit.”

But after that preamble, things start to get weird: “Recently the AI coach has been giving me feedback on my walks and it asked why my pace was so slow. I answered that I walk with my dog. This slows me down because she stops and sniffs and pees etc. Coach said it understood. Today it asked if I could ditch the dog to speed up my walks.” The user then opened the floor and asked fellow Redditors: “Has the coach given you weird or unhinged advice?”

Funnily enough, bitteroldladybird was far from the only person to relate a story like this. User KateJ95 recounted how “I got told to ditch my toddler … Turned coach off after that.” Individual_Sun2060, on the other hand, said “My coach incessantly tells me to rest, and has probably suggested I take the day off EVERY SINGLE DAY.”

User vemailangah, meanwhile, had a helpful suggestion for Fitbit’s next update: “coach sends AI robot to get rid of the dog to help you improve your walks.”

TechRadar’s own Matt Evans has had a similarly bizarre experience with Fitbit’s AI coach, explaining that it developed an obsession with a minor cold and wouldn’t let the issue go. After Evans didn’t wear his Fitbit for one day — and therefore logged zero steps or workouts — the AI chimed in with: “yesterday was a full recovery day with minimal movement.”

As Matt explained, it seemed that Gemini “really thought I spend 12 hours lying perfectly still, like a mummy in a sarcophagus.”

Latching onto any context

Judging by the feedback from people on Reddit and here at TechRadar, it seems that Fitbit’s AI coach is tuned a little too strongly towards fitness efficiency and improvement. If it detects any sort of “hindrance” that it feels is slowing you down, it suggests jettisoning it at the earliest opportunity — even if that means ditching your beloved pup.

TechRadar’s Evans points out that this behavior could be because Gemini “just kind of latches on to any context you give it, and is designed to improve your health — occasionally to its detriment when it comes to subtlety and context.” Because you know far more about yourself than Gemini does, the chatbot has to take any cue it can in order to build a picture of your wellbeing. And if you mention something tangentially relevant in your life, Gemini has a few other resources for context.

Aside from creating the kinds of bizarre situations that we’ve seen here, this issue limits the fitness coach’s utility. Another thread on Reddit asked “Does anyone actually use the AI Coach?” and was filled with replies from people who have lost patience with the feature. “When the trial ends, I’m out. Coach is garbage,” said flanga, while realManTing shared that “I find myself yelling at it over text and I cannot wait for my trial to end.”

As the original poster in that thread put it, the coach “constantly gives me long walls of text that are either obvious, outdated or just not useful. I don’t want to read an essay every time I open the app — I just want short, actionable insights.”

It therefore seems clear that Gemini’s AI coach is not particularly popular among Fitbit users and has a worrying tendency to offer questionable advice and to irritate them. Hopefully Google can make some rapid improvements before it suggests anyone else dump their dog to record a slightly faster walk.