Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 band lineup leaks with more updates than the smartwatch [Gallery]

Ben Schoon | Jun 29 2026 - 12:05 pm PT

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch 9 really doesn’t look all that different from the Watch 8, but new leaks show off updated watch bands that actually deliver some notable changes.

Galaxy Watch 9 leaks so far have been underwhelming to say the least. The standard model has the same circle-on-a-square look as the Galaxy Watch 8, while design tweaks on Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are so subtle, you’d be hard-pressed to notice the difference between the three generations released so far.

But there are some updates to the bands, as new images posted by Android Headlines reveal.

Bands meant for Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 now have an “Ultra” wordmark on the outer portion of the band with an orange outline, which looks pretty out of place in my own personal opinion.

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There’s also a “Hybrid” band that looks like leather on the outside and silicone on the inside, or materials that look like that at least.

Some active bands include one with translucent elements and colors underneath, a sport band in multiple colors, and a pair of fabric bands – one that looks like a fabric band in the same vein as Pixel Watch’s Performance Loop (also the Fitbit Air’s default strap), the other being the Ultra’s “Trail” band.

All of the designs here are clearly updated from the previous generation, either with tweaks to the design, the connectors, or introducing new styles entirely. It’s certainly a way to breathe some extra life into the new portfolio without doing much to the actual smartwatch.

The best news here is that it doesn’t look like Samsung is changing the band mounting mechanism again, so bands from the last generation should, in theory, work on Galaxy Watch 9, but we don’t know for sure just yet.

We’ll find out more on July 22 when these new smartwatches are rumored to go official.