FCC filing suggests Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 will get fast charging

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

According to recent FCC filings, you can expect a big update to the next-gen watch, including faster charging.

FCC filings don't reveal a lot in terms of features, but they are a good indicator that a product is close to launch. There will be three models dubbed the SM-R900, the SM-R910, and the SM-R920, according to the filing. They confirm that the watches will support a number of wi-fi and payment options. The most eye-catching thing about the watches is their ability to charge at 10 watt speeds. Half of that is supported by theGalaxy Watch 4.

When it came to battery life, the watch was disappointing. If you enable all the bells and whistles, the watch can get past a full day. It only got worse after the arrival of the Google Assistant for Wear OS 3.

If the new watches need daily power-ups, adding fast charging could help avoid similar complaints. There is a feature on many other watches. Fast charging was added to Fossil's Wear OS watches several years ago.

Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge

There are a lot of reasons why a better battery experience could be prioritized by the company. Sleep tracking is one of the first things that comes to mind. Apple has tended to lag behind when it comes to this area compared to other companies because their watches can't make it through the night without a quick charge. Sleep tracking isn't everyone's top priority, but it is an increasingly popular feature and an area thatSamsung seems to be interested in. In February it added a coaching program. It's hard to make a splash if your sleep tracking device can't keep up.

The all-but-confirmed "pro" version of the watch may be the reason. The watch is rumored to have a 572mAh battery and a charging speed of 5W. Larger batteries are rumored to be in the standard model of the watch. Extending the charging times beyond two hours would be a big mistake.

It won't be too long until we know more about theGalaxy Watch 5 lineup. It's important that SAMSUNG gets this right The only Wear OS 3 smartwatch on the market last year was theGalaxy Watch 4, so there was some wiggle room. In a few months, that won't be the case.

Some existing Wear OS 2 watches are expected to get the upgrade to Wear OS 3 before the end of the year, as a result of the upcoming launch of the Pixel watch. More viable options are going to be available to users of the operating system. It can't afford to faceplant on fast charging because it doesn't need to nail multi day battery life. It doesn't want to be behind the pack.