Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Review: A Missed Opportunity

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Greatest Costs At this time: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Even when you had been following Samsung’s July 2023 Unpacked occasion, it was simple to miss the Galaxy Watch 6.  

The foldable Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 had been the headline bulletins, with 4 new Tab S9 tablets not far behind. Even amongst smartwatches, the returning Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional and its bodily rotating bezel hoovered up a lot of the remainder of the eye. 

However regardless of this, the common Galaxy Watch 6 arguably has essentially the most mainstream enchantment of any of the brand new units. It’s a comparatively inexpensive watch that’s filled with premium options, together with a couple of notable upgrades in comparison with final 12 months. 

That plus the very fact it runs Google’s WearOS sufficient for it to turn out to be the brand new default smartwatch for Android customers, nevertheless it gained’t persuade anybody who wasn’t positive about final 12 months’s Galaxy Watch 5. 

Design & construct

• Light-weight but premium design
• Impressively sturdy
• Two bodily buttons on proper facet

If you happen to put the Galaxy Watch 6 subsequent to final 12 months’s Watch 5, you in all probability couldn’t inform them aside.  

That’s a typical criticism of recent merchandise, nevertheless it’s a great factor right here. Samsung is onto a winner with this slick, minimalist design, so there’s was no want for a revamp. 

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Regardless of persevering with with a premium mix of stainless-steel and glass, the Watch 6 stays impressively light-weight. The 40mm mannequin I examined is simply 28.7g, whereas the 44mm model isn’t far behind at 33.3g. 

At 9mm, it’s additionally barely slimmer than the Watch 5. The Watch 6 doesn’t really feel huge or cumbersome in any respect, to the extent that I typically forgot I used to be sporting it. Because of this, sleeping with the watch on is way more snug than most different smartwatches. 

After all, that additionally speaks to the consolation of the included silicone strap. Its color roughly matches the housing of the watch itself, which is offered in Graphite (black) and Gold on the 40mm mannequin or Graphite and Silver on the 44mm model. 

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I used to be involved about it accumulating mud or shedding its color, however there was no signal of both throughout my testing. Loads of different bands can be found on the Samsung web site, whereas the usual 20mm dimension means it is going to help many third-party choices.

The Watch 6 definitely isn’t a rugged smartwatch, however it’s nonetheless sturdy. The metal casing feels robust and sturdy, when you additionally get military-grade MIL-STD-810G compliance (albeit with none ensures). 

An IP68 ranking means it might probably face up to as much as 1.5m of recent water for as much as half-hour at a time and is totally protected in opposition to mud. Alongside a 5ATM ranking (can face up to pressures as much as 50m underwater), it’s an excellent alternative for swimming. 

Samsung has gone for a really minimalist aesthetic on the Watch 6, leaving the extra eye-catching design to the Watch 6 Traditional. However it retains two bodily buttons on the best facet – ‘Residence’ and ‘Again’ – each of which may be remapped in Settings.

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Show & audio

• 1.3- or 1.5-inch OLED shows
• Vibrant colors and glorious element
• Spectacular built-in speaker and mic

Impressively, Samsung has managed to incorporate bigger OLED shows on the Watch 6 in comparison with the Watch 5 with none adjustments to the general casing sizes.  

A slimming of bezels means you now get a 1.3-inch touchscreen on the 40mm mannequin and 1.5-inch on the 44mm. The decision of each can also be now increased, at 432×432 and 480×480 respectively. 

Will both of those adjustments make a noticeable distinction to your expertise? In all probability not. However they’re good refinements that make sure the Watch 6 has the most effective shows on any smartwatch.  

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Persevering with with OLED means you get wealthy, vibrant colors and deep blacks. The latter is especially spectacular on the Watch 6, with Samsung basing its One UI Watch software program round a black background. 

It additionally provides loads of element, with even small textual content clearly seen to me without having to carry my wrist as much as eye stage. That was the case even in direct daylight, with the Watch in a position to get impressively brilliant – Samsung claims as much as 200 nits. 

The sting of the show is touch-sensitive, enabling a digital model of the Watch 6 Traditional’s rotating bodily bezel. However I discovered it slower and fewer intuitive than merely swiping, besides when transferring to the top of the tiles abstract screens. 

Nevertheless, in contrast to on the Galaxy Watch 5, it doesn’t really feel like a ineffective characteristic. The Watch 6’s bigger display and slimmer bezel means it takes up even much less house, whereas utilizing it hardly ever obscures vital on-screen content material. With quick response time and excellent haptic suggestions, you may be fairly exact along with your actions. 

Audio isn’t a precedence on smartwatches in any respect, nevertheless it’s surprisingly good on the Watch 6. A built-in speaker delivers clear sound for notifications and voice-based content material (together with elective spoken stats throughout a exercise), even when bass is nearly non-existent.  

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In the meantime, the mic was in a position to clearly perceive all the pieces I used to be saying, without having to carry the watch to my mouth. Whereas I wouldn’t advocate it for the built-in Bixby voice assistant, it’s good for calls and dictating messages. 

Software program & options

• One UI Watch 5 over WearOS 4
• Slick, optimised software program
• ECG and blood stress solely work with Samsung telephones

The Galaxy Watch 6 runs WearOS 4, the most recent model of Google’s wearable software program on the time of launch in August 2023. Samsung has added varied tweaks of its personal, identified collectively right here as One UI Watch 5, however will proceed supporting the watch with updates till 2027. 

Whereas clearly designed to work finest with different Samsung units, the Watch 6 works easily with any Android telephone working Android 10 or later. Intuitive software program is essential on a small watch show, and Samsung and Google have mixed to emphatically ship it. 

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The whole lot feels prefer it has a transparent place, so there’s no rummaging by means of menus to search out apps or settings you frequently use. A easy proper swipe reveals notifications, whereas left reveals a spread of customisable stay tiles. Swipe down to your fast settings (together with don’t disturb, bedtime and theatre modes) or up for a scrollable listing of apps – it truly is that easy. 

Speaking of apps, there are a couple of third-party choices accessible by way of the WearOS model of the Google Play Retailer. WhatsApp is the massive current addition, becoming a member of the likes of Spotify, Calm, Todoist and SoundCloud in being natively supported. The choice is sort of restricted, however you’ll be able to nonetheless obtain all telephone notifications to your wrist.

Whereas it’s irritating that Samsung’s personal inventory apps can’t be uninstalled, all Google variations are additionally accessible to obtain. That features Google Pockets for cell funds and the Google Assistant – no have to endure with Bixby! 

Google Maps is one which’s pre-installed, making it simple to get turn-by-turn instructions whereas strolling, biking or driving. Constructed-in GPS makes it simple to trace the place you’re going, however you’ll want your telephone paired and related to the web to start out navigation. 

For health, Samsung Well being provides all the pieces most individuals will want. You’ll be able to entry these utilizing the watch app itself, nevertheless it’s simpler to go by way of the stay tiles. Every day exercise, exercise shortcuts and a abstract of different metrics are the primary belongings you see right here, alongside the likes of sleep and physique composition knowledge. 

A few of this may be proven immediately on the watch face by swapping out the default possibility for one thing extra complicated. This may be executed by way of the Galaxy Wearable companion app, which is pre-installed on Samsung telephones however requires a separate obtain and further plugins to get it engaged on different Android handsets.

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All of your watch settings can be found right here, however nearly all well being and health knowledge is proven within the separate Samsung Well being app. It provides much more element than you’ll discover on the watch itself, and is helpful for monitoring developments over time. 

Nevertheless, a 3rd app is required for 2 key options which might be unique to Samsung telephones: taking blood stress and an electrocardiogram (ECG). You’ll want Samsung Well being Monitor for them, nevertheless it’s solely accessible by way of the corporate’s personal Galaxy Retailer, which isn’t accessible on different Android telephones. 

It’s disappointing to see Samsung limiting options on this means, however they aren’t precisely seamless anyway. For the ECG, you have to be sporting the look ahead to not less than 10 minutes, then transfer it increased in your wrist and relaxation your index finger on the house button for 30 seconds.

For blood stress (which nonetheless hasn’t been permitted to be used within the US), you could calibrate the watch 3 times utilizing any cuff-based monitor (that you could purchase individually), then recalibrate each 28 days to make sure accuracy. Out the field performance this isn’t.

Even then, the outcomes you get aren’t going to be as dependable as utilizing permitted medical tools. However with irregular coronary heart rhythm notifications, telephone separation alerts and the digital camera controller app additionally unique to Samsung telephones, you’re definitely not getting the complete expertise with a special handset. 

Health & monitoring

• Intensive exercise help
• Tons of knowledge accessible
• Good sleep monitoring

The Galaxy Watch 6 really excels in the case of health monitoring. Greater than 90 totally different exercises are supported, and you may even create your personal for something that’s lacking.  

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Just a few key metrics are recorded whatever the train you select: whole period, full coronary heart price knowledge (together with how lengthy you spent in every zone), and an estimate of energy burned. Distance lined may also be proven the place related, plus location knowledge if the built-in GPS is enabled. 

However by way of sheer knowledge, working is undoubtedly essentially the most spectacular exercise on the Watch 6. Alongside all the knowledge above, you get an summary of tempo, cadence (the variety of steps per minute), elevation change, VO2 max (most price of oxygen consumption), estimated sweat loss and varied different superior metric. It actually looks like this might make a distinction to the best way I run over time.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

I additionally actually loved utilizing it for swimming, the place there’s particular knowledge on kind and whole variety of strokes and an total SWOLF rating (a ranking that measures swimming effectivity). Quite than the same old proper swipe to finish a exercise, you maintain down the bodily Residence button as an alternative, at which level it’ll robotically expel water.

No distinctive knowledge was supplied for my two-hour tennis session, nevertheless it nonetheless recorded flawlessly and confirmed in-depth coronary heart price data.  

Strolling stats are additionally pretty primary, nevertheless it’s considered one of seven exercises that may be tracked robotically (alongside working, biking, elliptical coach, rowing machine, swimming and dynamic exercise). It took round 10 minutes to set off in my expertise, however supplied all the same old knowledge and ended promptly after I sat down. 

Monitoring for all of the exercises depends on steady coronary heart price monitoring, which was liable to some erratic moments however typically appeared dependable. It’s set to measure each 10 minutes whereas nonetheless, although you’ll be able to set it set off repeatedly or solely whenever you select. Your steps are counted robotically. 

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Stress, physique composition and blood oxygen also can all be measured, with the latter and pores and skin temperature elective metrics whereas sleeping. If you happen to don’t thoughts sporting the watch at evening, loads of data is offered. 

Within the Samsung Well being app, whole sleep time, sleep cycles (and levels), wakefulness and estimates of bodily and psychological restoration are mixed to offer an total ‘Sleep rating’. If you happen to preserve your telephone beside you, you’ll be able to even report loud night breathing through the evening. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

It’s not clear how correct all this knowledge is, nevertheless it appears to roughly match how I felt. Monitoring sleep over time can assist you determine developments and turn out to be extra constant – you’ll even be assigned a ‘Sleep animal’ and supplied teaching after seven days.

Specs & efficiency

• Exynos W930 and 2GB RAM
• Strong all-round efficiency
• 16GB of storage is a lot

Each the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 6 can be found in two totally different variations. I examined one with simply Bluetooth, which depends in your telephone for an web connection. However including 4G LTE (by way of eSIM) means it might probably function utterly independently, and you may typically go away your telephone at residence. 

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All variations of the Watch 6 are powered by Samsung’s personal Exynos W930 chipset, a slight improve on the W920 discovered within the earlier two generations. Alongside 2GB of RAM (up from 1.5GB), it delivers strong all-round efficiency. 

It gained’t blow you away, however swiping between screens and tapping buttons typically feels easy and responsive. There’s typically slight hesitation when opening an app, although ready for a second or two is hardly a problem.

Samsung has additionally doubled the interior storage on the Watch 6 – it’s now 16GB. Given the apps listed here are a lot smaller than on telephones, you’ll have to obtain a ton of music to get even near capability. 

Battery life & charging

• 300mAh battery on 40mm, 425mAh on 44mm
• Disappointing battery life
• Helps Qi wi-fi charging as much as 10W

Battery life is undoubtedly essentially the most disappointing facet of the Galaxy Watch 6.  

The identical was true of its predecessor, however I hoped the bigger battery (300mAh on 40mm, 425mAh on 44mm) would make a distinction. Sadly, these bigger shows seem to have cancelled out any potential enhancements, and it would now be even worse. 

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Throughout my testing, the Watch 6 barely made it by means of a full day on a single cost. That was even with the helpful always-on show turned off – it’s even worse with it on.

That day normally concerned monitoring a stroll and longer exercise, plus receiving and responding to notifications and measuring coronary heart price as soon as each 10 minutes all through the day. None of those actions ought to deplete the battery life so rapidly.

You may nearly make it to the top of the day earlier than charging, albeit with a point of battery nervousness. However if you wish to use it for sleep monitoring, it’ll should be related to the ability – I discovered the battery dropped by round 30-40% in a single day. 

The magnetic charger included within the field solely connects by way of USB-C, however the Watch 6 helps Qi wi-fi charging as much as 10W. It went from 0-59% in half an hour, with a full cost taking round 70 minutes – that’s not unhealthy in any respect, however might be fast as a result of the battery is so small.

Value & availability 

The Galaxy Watch 6 begins at $20/£20 greater than the Watch 5, nevertheless it’s nonetheless competitively priced: 

• 40mm, Bluetooth solely – $299.99/£289 
• 40mm, Bluetooth and LTE – $349.99/£339 
• 44mm, Bluetooth solely – $329.99/£319 
• 44mm, Bluetooth and LTE – $379.99/£369

Within the US, you should buy it from Samsung and Amazon outright, or on contract from AT&T and Verizon. Within the UK, there are a great deal of retailers to select from, together with Samsung and Amazon outright and O2, EE and Vodafone on contract.

See the complete vary of choices in our Galaxy Watch 6 information.

That beginning value considerably cheaper than the Watch 6 Traditional, which begins at $399.99/£369. Its most evident opponents are the Google Pixel Watch (from $349.99/£339) and Mobvoi TicWatch Professional 5 ($349.99/£329.99), each of which run WearOS. Neither provide fairly the identical vary of options, although, so the Watch 6 is nice worth for cash.

You probably have an iPhone, go for the Apple Watch SE (from $249/£259) or Apple Watch Collection 8 as an alternative. However there are many different smartwatches to contemplate.  

Verdict 

With the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung has taken what was good in regards to the Watch 5 and made it even higher. 

You now get a bigger, higher-quality show with slimmer bezels, improved efficiency and extra inner storage. An array of sensors allows in-depth health and sleep monitoring, all of which is accessible by way of WearOS 4 software program and companion apps which might be simple to make use of. 

However regardless of a bigger battery capability, precise battery life is simply as unhealthy on the 40mm mannequin. Options comparable to blood stress and ECG additionally stay unique to Samsung telephones, so it’s not fairly the complete expertise on different Android handsets. 

The Galaxy Watch 6 nonetheless provides loads to your cash, however you may wish to suppose twice earlier than shopping for one. 

Specs 

• 1.3in 432×432 (40mm) or 1.5in 480×480 (44mm) round AMOLED always-on show 
• Gorilla Glass DX+ 
• Exynos W930 5nm processor 
• 2GB RAM 
• 16GB storage 
• One UI Watch 5 over Put on OS 4 
• Bluetooth 5.3 
• NFC 
• GPS 
• Wi-Fi 
• 4G LTE (elective) 
• Microphone 
• Speaker 
• Optical coronary heart price sensor (PPG) 
• Electrical coronary heart sensor (ECG) 
• Bioelectrical impedance evaluation sensor (BIA) 
• Blood oxygen monitoring 
• AFib irregular heartbeat detection 
• Sleep monitoring 
• Snore detection 
• Physique composition evaluation 
• Guided exercises 
• Bixby Voice 
• Gesture controls 
• Chrome steel casing 
• 5ATM swim-proof 
• IP68-certified mud/water resistance 
• MIL-STD-810G examined 
• Wi-fi charging 
• 300mAh (40mm) or 425mAh battery (44mm) 
• 10W Qi wi-fi charging 
• 38.8 x 40.4 x 9mm (40mm) or 42.8 x 44.4 x 9mm (44mm) 
• 28.7g (40mm) or 33.3g (44mm) 
• Colors: Graphite, Gold (40mm solely), Silver (44mm solely) 
• Suitable with Android 10 or increased (units require greater than 1.5GB RAM)