I tested Samsung's most affordable smartwatch with LTE – and it was highly capable

I feel like Samsung made the Galaxy Watch Ultra just for me, given its enhanced durability, advanced features, and big bold design. I’ve spent a couple of weeks with a much smaller and more petite watch that is clearly not built for my wrists, but is a compelling option for many other people who want to explore the world of smartwatches.

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The Watch Ultra weighs 61.5 grams, while the Watch FE LTE is only 25.9 grams. The Watch Ultra has a 47mm main dimension, while the Watch FE is only 40.4mm. This means the Watch FE LTE feels tiny on my wrist, but I find the silicone band very comfortable and the size makes it very easy to use for sleep tracking.

Samsung offers FE (fan edition) smartphones and tablets, but this year’s Galaxy Watch FE is the first smartwatch with the moniker. The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE LTE is a $250 smartwatch that you can use on the go without having a phone connected via Bluetooth.

The entry-level smartwatch is priced just right, given that it offers most of the functions in the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. The 40mm Watch 7 with LTE is priced at $350, meaning you can pick up the FE for $100 less without compromising too much.

The processor is the same as in the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro. I used the Watch 5 Pro for a couple of years before upgrading to the Watch Ultra, and it’s a perfectly capable processor that lets you zip around the user interface.

Samsung’s BioActive sensor is the key component to measuring your health and wellness data. The sensor found in the Watch FE LTE helps track your sleep, ECG, irregular heart rhythms, blood oxygen, and more. It does not track skin temperature, so that is one trade-off you have to make for the smaller and less expensive watch.

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE LTE offers the same Wear OS 5.0 and Samsung features as the company’s other watches. The software supports all the Google apps, such as Messages, Google Assistant, and Google Maps.

The Galaxy Watch FE’s sleep tracking matched what I measured for other watches. After you record seven days of sleep, Samsung Health will indicate what kind of sleeper you are, denoted by an animal and a description of your sleep patterns.

The watch’s small size may also help keep the heart rate sensor firmly planted against your wrist during movement, where sometimes large watches tend to shift. I found that the heart rate sensor closely matched other watches, too.

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That said, GPS tracking was not as accurate as every other watch I tested over the past couple of weeks, with distances often showing up as longer than I actually ran and the track not following the path I actually ran. The Watch FE LTE supports four GNSS networks for positioning, but unlike more expensive watches, it does not support dual frequency bands. If you need precise positioning, the Galaxy Watch FE LTE may not be the best fit for you.

The watch is great for tracking steps, indoor activities, and other workouts that don’t require precise positioning. Samsung Health works with the Samsung Wearable app to provide a full health and wellness experience based on the data the Watch FE LTE collects. Samsung Health also includes loads of fitness programs for free, so you can enjoy various workouts at three fitness levels and with different selected fitness goals.

Finally, the included silicone band is very comfortable and attractive. It’s quick and easy to switch out the bands, too, with the single button press mechanism on the back of the watch band.

ZDNET’s buying advice

While I tend to focus on big watches that fit my wrist, I have been enjoying the opportunity to try out smaller watches this year as I evaluate watches that my wife and daughters would enjoy using. Smartwatches can be useful for staying in touch, raising awareness of your health and possibly identifying oncoming health challenges, monitoring women’s health metrics, and motivating you to improve your fitness and performance.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE LTE is an affordable, small watch option for the masses, and it’s good to see Samsung continue to offer a range of watch options to fit each person’s lifestyle and price point.