At a lookKnowledgeable’s Score
Execs
- Premium metal design
- Sharp, brilliant display
- Wonderful health monitoring
- Can handle two days of battery life
Cons
- Cumbersome
- At all times-on show destroys battery life
- Some options just for Samsung telephones
Our Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic is one of the best Android smartwatch you should purchase. It has a wonderful display, nice health monitoring and choices, and respectable battery life when you fiddle with the settings. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless annoying you want a Samsung cellphone to make use of each function.
Worth When Reviewed
From $399.99
Finest Costs Right this moment: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic
$399.99
In case you have an iPhone and desire a smartwatch, then the Apple Watch is a simple alternative. It’s not so easy if in case you have an Android cellphone.
Although the primary Google Pixel Watch is an effective wearable general, it has poor battery life and forces you to purchase into the Fitbit ecosystem for health monitoring.
I’ve used each an Apple Watch Collection 8 and Pixel Watch extensively during the last 12 months and loved each, so I’ve been pleasantly stunned to search out that after per week with it, the Galaxy Watch 6 Basic may be my favorite of the three.
It’s one of the best Android smartwatch by a distance, beating Google at its personal recreation. With good design, prime {hardware} together with a intelligent rotating bezel and real two-day battery (with one caveat), it’s going to be onerous for the upcoming Pixel Watch 2 to beat.
Design & construct
- Wonderful rotating bezel
- Casing thick on smaller wrists
- High quality strap
Many earlier Samsung smartwatches have had a bodily rotating bezel, however the firm ditched it in 2022. Fortunately it’s again on the Watch 6 Basic.
It’s an amazing function that I’m stunned extra firms haven’t copied. It helps that Samsung’s model of WearOS relies round scrolling left to proper, that means you flip the bezel to scroll by tiles of helpful info, or to scroll up or down in menus or screens of textual content.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
I reviewed the bigger 47mm model of the Watch 6 Basic, however you may get a 43mm mannequin that has a smaller display and battery. I fairly like the massive feel and look of the stainless-steel casing on my wrist, however you may need to strive one on earlier than shopping for as each sizes dwarf smaller arms. If that’s the case, you may be higher off with the common Galaxy Watch 6.
Many earlier Samsung smartwatches have had a bodily rotating bezel … it’s again on the Watch 6 Basic
The strap that Samsung contains within the field is a pleasant fake leather-based on the surface however rubberised on the within so you may nonetheless sweat in it when exercising and simply clear it after. One quibble is the straps jut out fairly far due to the angle of the lugs, which paired with the peak of the watch itself means on smaller wrists there are massive gaps the place the strap doesn’t wrap tight to your arm.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Show & audio
- 1.3in or 1.5in display
- Very brilliant show
- Speaker for on-wrist calls
The 1.5in AMOLED show on the 47mm mannequin I examined is great. It has a peak brightness of two,000 nits, and is completely legible in direct daylight, a uncommon feat for any OLED display. It goes proper to the sides of the bezel, with no black area across the outdoors such as you’ll discover on the also-circular Pixel Watch.
Colors look brilliant and sharp, and the software program relies on a largely black background, which appears to be like good and makes use of much less battery than if it have been at all times white.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
You possibly can navigate round it utilizing the bezel or your finger because it’s a full touchscreen. It’s important to faucet on sure prompts or buttons at occasions, and I discovered issues responsive.
Though squared-off smartwatches such because the Apple Watch or Amazfit GTS 4 Mini can show extra vertical textual content on their screens without delay, I choose a round smartwatch – although textual content can get reduce off if you’re studying a full-screen textual content message or e-mail. I not often sit there studying heaps on the watch anyway as a result of it’s a health monitoring and notification gadget. I’m not going to fireplace up an e-book on it.
The 1.5in AMOLED show … has a peak brightness of two,000 nits, and is completely legible in direct daylight
I a lot choose the round, certainly ‘basic’ look that Samsung actually places within the identify of the product. It’s clearly a smartwatch, however it may possibly move as a conventional watch at first look.
Taking calls in your watch continues to be not precisely the social norm, however you are able to do it with the in-built speaker, which additionally blurts out exercise updates like an Apple Watch until you flip it off (I did). You possibly can’t play music out of it, needing as a substitute to attach Bluetooth headphones.
Specs & efficiency
- Exynos W930 chipset
- 2GB RAM/16GB storage
- A contact laggy at occasions
Regardless of utilizing the brand new and up to date Exynos W930 chipset and 2GB RAM, the Watch 6 Basic generally is a little laggy. Generally turning the bezel when the display is asleep doesn’t instantly wake the display, which then sputters into life and scrolls a couple of tiles into your menu to catch up.
The one distinction from the last-gen chip is a barely larger processor velocity. Typically, the watch is responsive and feels fluid, although throughout runs I discovered there to be a lag when utilizing the touchscreen each to swipe to music controls and to skip to the following tune whereas utilizing wi-fi earbuds.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
This was with music downloaded straight onto the watch’s 16GB storage utilizing the Spotify app. It’s an amazing function that meant I may go away my cellphone at residence, however with the lag it pushes the bounds of the {hardware} if you truly come to make use of it.
In any other case, notifications arrived very promptly and on the whole day-to-day use I had no additional qualms with the efficiency.
The guts fee sensor is steady, so it tracks your pulse all day, which I like. This will have an effect on battery life, however I stored it on as I discover the information fascinating.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Health & monitoring
- Wonderful train monitoring
- Steady coronary heart fee monitoring
- Personalised coronary heart fee zones
I’ve been impressed with the health monitoring options of the Galaxy Watch 6 Basic. When you really need one of the best in on-wrist monitoring then it is best to nonetheless go for a Garmin, however that is one of the best Samsung smartwatch but for train monitoring.
I actually just like the auto-tracking on the Basic, which kicks in after ten minutes of brisk strolling by default. You may need to flip this off when you discover it annoying, but it surely ended up encouraging me to stroll extra usually through the day to log quick bursts of train. I discovered it way more motivating than the reminders to face up.
Run monitoring with the built-in GPS can be strong, and the information displayed throughout a exercise is obvious and helpful, with tempo, length, coronary heart fee and time all featured. I ran 5km with a Garmin Forerunner 265 on my different wrist, and the 2 gadgets assorted barely on general distance and time, however the coronary heart fee was persistently equivalent. I are likely to belief the Garmin to be extra correct, however the Watch 6 Basic was not far off.
GPS route monitoring confirmed that it nonetheless thinks I’ve run by buildings, however that is nearly as good because it will get on a tool that isn’t solely designed for health. It’s actually rather a lot higher than the Fitbit Sense 2 in relation to run monitoring.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s an enormous listing of different trackable sports activities together with open water swimming, biking, and mountaineering that every one use GPS to trace your route. You additionally get Samsung Well being’s strolling or working coach that makes use of on-wrist prompts and audio suggestions (by way of the onboard speaker or related Bluetooth headphones) to get you hitting your objectives.
For the primary time on a Galaxy Watch you too can set and monitor personalised coronary heart fee zones when understanding. You should utilize presets or set your personal, and the watch will warn you when you go above or beneath your set coronary heart fee zone, which you may need to keep on with for sure forms of coaching. It’s good to see extra specialist health options like this.
… that is one of the best Samsung smartwatch but for train monitoring
Connectivity is by way of Bluetooth 5.3, in addition to Wi-Fi if related by way of your cellphone. There’s additionally NFC for cell funds, and GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo for world route monitoring. I didn’t check the LTE mannequin, but when your community supplier permits it, this model can connect with 4G so you should utilize the watch when not related to your cellphone for information and name companies.
Although the watch is uncomfortable to put on at evening attributable to its measurement, sleep monitoring by way of Samsung Well being is correct and helpful. After sporting it for seven nights, it assigned me a sleep animal, a brand new function Samsung appears to have shamelessly nicked from Fitbit.
I’m a lion as a result of I am going to mattress at constant occasions and for lengthy sufficient, apparently.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
Software program
- WearOS 4
- Samsung One UI 5 Watch overlay
- Can swap telephones simply
The Watch 6 collection is the primary to make use of Google’s WearOS 4 software program, and it’s nice. It’s nonetheless not as polished as watchOS on Apple Watch, but it surely’s as shut as an Android various has come.
The Watch 6 Basic will work with any cellphone working Android 10 or later, but it surely doesn’t work with iPhones.
I like the power to customize the tile menu to place issues like media controls, Google Preserve notes, calendar, and sleep monitoring on the entrance of the stack, however it’s a bit annoying to must scroll by plenty of tiles, so I stored it minimal.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
You possibly can swipe up from the clock face display to entry an icon grid of apps. WearOS is getting higher at third-party apps, but it surely’s nonetheless slim pickings. I used to be pleased with Pocket Casts and Spotify each being standalone apps and having the ability to obtain podcasts and songs to the look ahead to offline play, however you’ll end up largely utilizing Samsung’s personal apps like Well being, Clock, and Climate, together with Google Pockets for funds.
It’s actually annoying you can’t change the Samsung Pay shortcut (press and maintain the again button) to do anything, however Samsung gonna Samsung. Fortunately you don’t have the identical drawback in changing the button shortcut for Bixby (ineffective) with Google Assistant (nice).
It’s extra irritating that the ECG, irregular coronary heart fee notifications, and blood strain monitoring will even solely work on Samsung telephones – however all three are additionally solely out there in sure areas in response to native licensing, so that you won’t care anyway.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
However if in case you have a coronary heart situation and need the security web of those options, you want a Samsung cellphone, which is consumer hostile. Android is an open platform, however Samsung needs you absolutely in its ecosystem. The one different factor that didn’t work for me on a non-Samsung cellphone was the Do Not Disturb standing didn’t sync between watch and cellphone, which was annoying.
The blood strain function additionally requires you to personal a separate, non-Samsung blood strain monitor to calibrate it, so it’s ineffective out the field for many consumers even with a Samsung cellphone.
A brand new function enables you to swap to a different cellphone with out having to reset the watch, which as a cellphone reviewer I discovered a complete godsend. You won’t care as a lot, but it surely was fast and straightforward to do between telephones.
The watch can obtain two days of battery life, however solely with the always-on show turned off
Battery life & charging
- 425mAh battery
- Wi-fi charging cable in field
- Can stretch to 2 days battery life
The Watch 6 Basic has a essentially small 425mAh battery that Samsung says can last as long as 30 hours with the always-on show (AOD) off, and 40 hours with it on.
I discovered the previous declare virtually unachievable however managed to raised the latter.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
With the stunning AOD on, the battery life tanks if you’re utilizing the watch rather a lot. With 100% at 8am with some strolling monitoring thrown in and no music performed from it, the watch was at 36% by 9pm. Once I awoke the following morning, it was on 9% – 24 hours and almost useless.
Fortunately, I may nonetheless go on a run that morning as a result of a 20-minute cost acquired it as much as 35%. A 30-minute run used 7%.
On different days, the battery was higher than this.
I examined the identical type of day with the AOD off, and at 9pm the battery was at an enormous 80%. I didn’t must cost once more till the morning of the third day, over 48 hours later. The watch can obtain two days of battery life, however solely with the always-on show turned off, counting on elevating your wrist to wake the display.
Worth & availability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic prices from $399.99/£369. There are 4 completely different fashions priced thus:
- Watch 6 Basic 43mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi solely: $399.99/£369
- Watch 6 Basic 43mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and 4G LTE: $449.99/£429
- Watch 6 Basic 47mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi solely: $429.99/£399
- Watch 6 Basic 47mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi and 4G LTE: $479.99/£459
You should buy the Galaxy Watch 6 Basic within the US from Samsung, Amazon, Finest Purchase, and by way of cell carriers similar to T-Cellular, Verizon, and AT&T.
Within the UK you may it from Samsung, Amazon, Argos, Currys, John Lewis, and the cell networks O2, EE, and Vodafone.
All fashions are pricier than the Google Pixel Watch however I like to recommend the Galaxy each time. You may go for the Mobvoi TicWatch Professional 5 at £329.99, but it surely has older software program, a worse app, and no LTE model.
Fitbit smartwatches just like the Versa 4 and Sense 2 aren’t well worth the excessive costs as Google strips away their sensible options. The common Galaxy Watch 6 is a greater purchase over any Fitbit when you don’t need to pay out for the Basic.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Verdict
Regardless of holding again ECG and irregular coronary heart fee notification options from non-Samsung telephones, the Galaxy Watch 6 Basic is one of the best Android smartwatch you should purchase, besting each the common Watch 6 and the Google Pixel Watch.
The Basic has a wonderful premium design, can stretch to 2 days of battery life, has a whole set of sensible and well being options, a really brilliant and sharp display, and strong efficiency.
The 47mm model may be a contact massive for small wrists, however it can save you some money and go for the 43mm as a substitute on the expense of display and battery measurement. WearOS 4 has nice app choice, whereas the addition of 24/7 coronary heart fee monitoring, higher train recording, and an improved sleep monitoring function makes the Basic a smartwatch you’ll need to put on all day and evening.
Specs
- 1.3in 432×432 (43mm) or 1.5in 480×480 (47mm) 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 fee 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 (43mm) or 425mAh battery (47mm)
- 10W Qi wi-fi charging
- 42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9mm (43mm) or 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9mm (47mm)
- 52g (40mm) or 59g (44mm)
- Colors: Black, Silver
- Appropriate with Android 10 or larger (gadgets require greater than 1.5GB RAM)
