Samsung starts testing the Galaxy Watch 9

A couple of months ago, we learned that Samsung is developing a new Galaxy Watch model called the Galaxy Watch 9. It will come as a successor to the Galaxy Watch 8, and sit right below the brand’s flagship smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Ultra (or Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, if the brand launches it before or alongside the Galaxy Watch 9). Now, it looks like the company has started testing it.

On Samsung’s server, a firmware file for a device with model number SM-L345U has been spotted (via Mohammed Khatri). According to a previous report, this model number belongs to the Galaxy Watch 9. It suggests that the brand has completed the smartwatch’s development and started testing it.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 8 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in July 2025. Considering that the brand follows a yearly refresh cycle for its smartwatches, the brand could launch the Galaxy Watch 9 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8 in July 2026. With only a couple of months remaining to launch the wearable, it makes sense that the company has started testing the device.

Recently, Qualcomm spilled the beans on the Galaxy Watch 9’s chipset, saying that it will use the Snapdragon Wear Elite. A couple of weeks ago, we also got to know the upcoming smartwatch’s battery capacity. Hopefully, as we get closer to its launch, more leaks about the wearable will hit the internet, giving us a better idea of what it will offer.