Apple Watch sets the benchmark for smartwatches, captivating users with health-tracking features and a robust app library. Conversely, the Android smartwatch market has struggled with uninspiring options and minimal demand. However, Samsung’s collaboration with Google heralds a new era, epitomized by the Galaxy Watch 4’s debut.
The Galaxy Watch 4 introduces numerous features, expanding on its legacy, while abandoning its proprietary Tizen OS for Google Wear OS 3. This bold decision potentially positions the Galaxy Watch 4 against the new Apple Watch 7. So, how does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 perform in real life? Is Google’s Wear OS 3 superior to Samsung’s Tizen OS? Can this smartwatch surpass the Apple Watch 7? Having used the Galaxy Watch 4 for nearly three weeks, here are my insights on Samsung’s latest offering.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Review (2021)
Over the past weeks, I’ve thoroughly tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 in various scenarios. My usage included step tracking, constant notifications, and health data analysis. Specifically, I’ve been testing the Bluetooth-only 44mm variant, provided by Samsung to Beebom for this review. Here’s my take:
Galaxy Watch 4 vs Watch 4 Classic: Specifications
Before delving into the review, it’s worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic share identical software and hardware. Both offer the same experience with Wear OS 3, Samsung UI, and processor. So, what sets them apart?
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic introduces hardware enhancements like a stainless steel case for added durability and a physical rotating bezel to navigate screen and app tiles. This inclusion aims to deliver a premium user experience, complete with a satisfying click when rotating the bezel. Since the internal specifications remain consistent across both variants, this review applies universally. For a comprehensive understanding, refer to the specifications below.
| Variant Name | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 40mm/44mm | 42mm/46mm |
| Display | 40mm – 1.2-inch, 396 x 396 resolution 44mm – 1.4-inch, 450 x 450 resolution |
42mm – 1.19-inch, 396 x 396 resolution 46mm – 1.4-inch, 450 x 450 resolution |
| Dimensions | 40mm: 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8 mm 44mm: 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8 mm |
42mm: 41.5 x 41.5 x 11.2 mm 46mm: 45.5 x 45.5 x 11.0 mm |
| Weight | 40mm: 25.8 grams 44mm: 30 grams |
42mm: 46.5 grams 46mm: 51.9 grams |
| Battery Capacity | 40mm: 247mAh 44mm: 361mAh |
42mm: 247mAh 46mm: 361mAh |
| Processor | Exynos W920 | Exynos W920 |
| RAM + Storage | 1.5GB + 16GB | 1.5GB + 16GB |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) | Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) |
| Color Options | Black, Silver, Pink Gold, Green | Black, Silver |
| Price | starts at ₹23,999 | starts at ₹31,999 |
Design and Build Quality
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is versatile, suited to various scenarios, with unique intricacies in both models.
The Galaxy Watch 4 boasts a uniform screen design and a sleek frame. Two tactile buttons on the right side serve as Home and Back, with the Home button distinguished by a red outline. The aluminum black bezel enhances its premium appearance.
Underneath the watch lies Samsung’s all-in-one sensor, now equipped with an exciting new feature we’ll discuss later. The Galaxy Watch 4 comes with a silicone strap offering ample room on both ends. The extra strap neatly tucks inside the watch clasp, ensuring a tidy appearance and facilitating comfortable movement.
The Galaxy Watch 4 exudes a sportier aesthetic, catering well to fitness enthusiasts or casual users.
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is slightly bulkier with a physical rotating bezel for app switching. Made of stainless steel, it offers a more traditional design with traditional straps, reflecting its classic appeal. Both models boast 5ATM water resistance, an IP68 rating, and MIL-STD-810G durability.
While the Galaxy Watch 4 is attractive and functional, it can sometimes appear too simplistic. If simplicity is what you seek, the Galaxy Watch 4 is ideal. However, for those who appreciate craftsmanship, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the preferred choice.
Circular Display
Regardless of your choice between the different variants of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, you’ll receive a vibrant Super AMOLED display that’s visually stunning. The smaller option features a 1.2-inch display boasting 396 x 396 resolution, while the larger model offers a 1.36-inch display with 450 x 450 resolution. Both displays are equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass DX protection, ensuring superior durability and scratch resistance.
The Galaxy Watch 4’s touch responsiveness is instant and fluid, which is amazing. The screen is plenty bright at the maximum setting outdoors, but it could have been a tad brighter. On the other hand, the display goes pretty low too, but a software glitch seemingly amped up the brightness randomly while lifting my wrist to check the time at night. However, regardless of the brightness setting you choose, text legibility is good, and colors are sharp and crisp.
The smartwatch boasts an Always-on Display, seamlessly functioning as a timepiece. Unlike certain competitors, the Galaxy Watch 4 promptly displays the time upon wrist movement, exhibiting the expected performance of a high-end device. Additionally, the screen can double as a flashlight in low-light environments by turning entirely white.
Testing the Galaxy Watch 4 revealed a virtual rotating bezel, operated by running a finger around the black screen bezel. While generally smooth, occasional lack of physical feedback can be bothersome, prompting a desire for a tangible alternative. For those seeking simplicity and tactile response, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is recommended. Despite some issues to address, Samsung delivers commendable display performance.
Software and Performance
By ditching Tizen OS, Samsung partnered with Google to integrate Wear OS 3 in its latest smartwatch lineup. Wear OS 3 on the Galaxy Watch 4 brings numerous improvements and new features. However, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy Watch 4 comes with the One UI Watch experience, providing a software experience similar to its predecessors.
The Galaxy Watch 4 is powered by Samsung’s 5nm Exynos W920 chipset, designed for enhanced performance and power efficiency. And I’m pleased to report that it delivers exactly that.
The Galaxy Watch 4 performs effortlessly, with smooth interactions and swift processes. Navigating the UI, swiping through menus, and using apps are all fast and fluid, without any noticeable lag. One downside is the extended boot-up time when restarting or turning off the Galaxy Watch 4. Although you won’t frequently restart your watch, this aspect stood out during my usage.
App Experience
With Samsung’s shift from Tizen to Wear OS 3, users can now effortlessly search and install numerous apps via the Google Play Store. I can easily find and download apps on the watch itself without any issues. The transition to Wear OS 3 has introduced new applications and integrations. For example, Google Maps on the Galaxy Watch 4 offers turn-by-turn navigation directly on your wrist, alongside a full-fledged YouTube Music app.
Third-party tiles support has expanded the capabilities of the Galaxy Watch 4, with many new apps integrating their Tiles experience for convenient access. For instance, apps like Calm provide quick meditation through tiles. Google Fit also includes additional features such as workouts and heart rate monitoring.
Google offers a curated section listing numerous apps for use. This selection, though currently modest, will expand as developers create apps for Wear OS 3 and grasp its nuances. The Galaxy Watch 4 boasts 16GB of storage and 1.5 GB RAM. While some storage is allocated to Wear OS, there’s ample space for app installation and music downloads for offline playback. Music streaming services such as Spotify enable song storage and offline listening on Wear OS 3 watches independently of your phone.
Samsung’s One UI Watch skin provides a solid foundation for the Galaxy Watch 4, offering easy navigation and familiarity. While reminiscent of Samsung’s previous version, users benefit from both a recognizable UI and enhanced features powered by Google’s innovations. Throughout testing, I encountered no usability issues. The seamless software integration ensures prompt and hassle-free notification mirroring from phone to watch. While not a fan of Samsung’s Watch 4 keyboard, alternative input methods abound, including voice dictation, text drawing, and customizable pre-set replies.
Currently, the Galaxy Watch 4 offers numerous watch faces accessible through both the Samsung Wearable app and Google Play Store. This selection is likely to expand over time. Samsung has streamlined the process of changing watch faces, ensuring effortless customization. For detailed instructions on altering and personalizing your Galaxy Watch 4’s face, refer to this comprehensive guide.
Lack of Google Assistant Support
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4’s software lacks a proper voice assistant, despite the switch to Wear OS 3. Bixby remains as the default assistant, but I find the Bixby experience on this smartwatch unsatisfactory. As a Google ecosystem user, I eagerly await Google Assistant support, which is forthcoming. Consequently, assistant automation is currently inconsistent.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Samsung’s Health software is necessary for maximizing health and fitness tracking capabilities, even with Wear OS 3. Therefore, Android users cannot fully transition ecosystems.
The Future Holds Many Variables
While I appreciate Google’s Wear OS 3 paired with Samsung One UI Watch, the future holds intriguing possibilities. This collaboration between tech giants opens doors for app developers, yet the full extent of the experience remains uncertain. Beyond performance, app variety and functionality hinge on Wear OS 3 and Samsung’s UI.
As the Galaxy Watch 4 emerges as the latest contender, the evolution of its app ecosystem and support will be fascinating to observe. Potential obstacles arising from this partnership warrant consideration. Moreover, once this partnership extends its benefits to other Android smartwatch manufacturers, we anticipate an ecosystem expansion rivaling that of the Apple Watch.
Health and Fitness Tracking
Samsung, known for its rich history of integrating numerous health features into its wearables, has elevated its game with the introduction of the BioActive sensor on the Galaxy Watch 4. This sensor, a fusion of various components, comprehensively addresses bodily metrics.
Beyond tracking heart rate, the Galaxy Watch 4’s BioActive sensor records blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, and conducts ECGs to assess cardiac health. Additionally, it includes a stress testing feature for real-time monitoring and presentation of stress levels, particularly beneficial during challenging periods such as the pandemic.
My testing of the watch’s health sensors yields positive results. To gauge its accuracy, I compared it with a medical-grade blood oxygen monitor and my Mi Band 4. The Galaxy Watch 4 recorded my heartbeat and blood oxygen percentage accurately in real-time. Users seeking continuous monitoring can opt to measure heart rate and collect stress data continually.
The revamped Samsung Health app integrates seamlessly with the Galaxy Watch 4, serving as a comprehensive control center. For those accustomed to checking their phones for health data, the app provides complete graphs and a 12-month data history.
Price of the Samsung Ecosystem
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 offers a comprehensive range of health features with precise ratings. However, there’s a caveat to note. Although the watch is compatible with any Android smartphone, Samsung has chosen to restrict certain health features on non-Samsung phones.
Features such as the ECG test, blood pressure monitoring, and camera controller won’t function without a Samsung device. This limitation is a significant downside to consider. My OnePlus 8T couldn’t utilize these features, thus reducing the Galaxy Watch 4’s effectiveness. While Samsung may unlock them in the future, Android users must realize that not being within the Samsung ecosystem comes at a cost.
Body Composition Analysis
Among the health features in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the standout is the new BIA sensor designed for measuring body composition. By passing a weak electrical current through two fingers, the Watch 4 can analyze body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, body water percentage, and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). It only requires placing two fingers on the buttons and standing still for about 15 seconds.
The BIA sensor is a significant addition to the Watch 4, demonstrating Samsung’s commitment to enhancing its wearables lineup. The body composition feature proves valuable for individuals seeking precise body data effortlessly. However, during testing, the Galaxy Watch 4’s BIA sensor exhibited a 5% body fat discrepancy compared to a BMI scale. Additionally, individuals with a pacemaker or pregnant women should avoid using the Watch 4 for body composition measurements.
The new body composition feature is highly informative.
User should utilize Samsung Galaxy Watch 4’s body composition feature as a reference guide, not ironclad proof. Consult a doctor if something feels off. Galaxy Watch 4 is new and should improve with upcoming software updates.
Wellness Suite
My brief experience with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 reveals its role as a central hub for health data among Android users. As someone who regularly monitors health metrics, the smartwatch provides real-time insights into my body, prompting me to take actionable steps for improvement. Individuals seeking to monitor their health will appreciate the BioActive sensor. Additionally, fitness enthusiasts aiming for weight loss will find the BIA analysis useful.
Although the Galaxy Watch 4 excels in most health features, enhancements are required for body composition analysis. Furthermore, the absence of certain features on non-Samsung smartphones is a drawback, placing users at a disadvantage. Despite this, purchasing the Galaxy Watch 4 for health tracking remains viable, albeit with some limitations.
Activity Tracking
Step tracking is essential to me. Since adopting regular walking in 2020, I average around 14,000 steps daily. I mainly rely on Google Fit to monitor my walking and calorie burn. Recently, I tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for two weeks to track my walking and heart-intensive exercises. The Galaxy Watch 4 offers numerous workout options, from walking to specific exercises like arm curls, bench press, and lateral raises. You can also customize additional workouts.
During my testing, Watch 4 accurately recorded my workouts. Losing steps due to Google Fit hibernating in the background, step tracking was especially helpful on the smartwatch. Besides my step count, I could see calories burned, distance traveled, and my real-time heart rate. The results screen even displayed various fat-burning zones, which I appreciated. This was enabled by the BioActive sensor.
However, a feature of the activity tracking I loved was the watch’s auto-recording. There were times I forgot to choose a workout, and the watch detected my movement, giving me a small buzz to signify that it’s tracking my activity. Like before, I could see real-time data, making things more convenient.
All activity data synced to the Samsung Health app, enabling easy daily goal tracking. While the Galaxy Watch 4 integrates with Google Fit, I might switch to Samsung’s app for effortless cross-sync capabilities.
Sleep Tracking
Among the improvements Samsung introduced on the Galaxy Watch 4 is sleep tracking. As a restless sleeper, I was eager to see its accuracy. After a week of wearing the Galaxy Watch 4, I’m amazed by its precise sleep tracking.
The smartwatch accurately recorded my sleep session and tracked how often I woke up during the night and the exact time I went back to sleep. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 4 recorded my blood oxygen levels once every minute and could also track my snoring habits if the setting was enabled.
All this data was compiled and displayed in the Samsung Health app, as depicted in the screenshots above. The report operates on a sleep score metric, showing not only the timeline but also different sleep stages and SpO2 rating. The sleep tracking data gathered by the Galaxy Watch 4 is comprehensive.
One significant downside here is the lack of direction. Besides the report that provided a score out of 100, there were no tips to help improve my sleeping habits. While I learned more about how often I wake up or dream, the absence of pop-ups or videos for guidance was disheartening. I understand Samsung won’t give medical advice, but some simple tips should have been included.
There are short meditation videos from apps like Calm available in the Samsung Health app, but that’s it. The sleep tracking feature on the Galaxy Watch 4 is accurate but falls short, leaving the responsibility to improve habits on the user.
Battery Life and Charging
Subjectivity surrounds smartwatch battery life. Some users accept nightly charges, while others seek multi-day endurance. The Galaxy Watch 4’s 44mm Bluetooth model, under scrutiny here, boasts decent battery life. Larger models offer greater capacity, with Samsung pledging up to 40 hours per charge across all variants. This holds true.
Testing with the always-on display, auto-brightness, tilt, and touch to wake features, along with all new sensors tracking health data on the Galaxy Watch 4, I found it lasted approximately 25 hours before activating power-saving mode. Despite the watch projecting an additional 8 hours in this mode, I achieved a total usage time of around 29-30 hours before depletion.
Depending on your user type, the above results may impress or disappoint. In my view, the Galaxy Watch 4 lasts quite a while, considering my usage demands. However, smaller models require more frequent charging. If you prefer extended battery life, opt for larger variants.
What truly disappoints me, though, is the slow charging time. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 takes about 2 hours to reach full capacity. As I prefer a fully charged device when leaving home, waiting hours for the battery to fill is particularly frustrating.
If the Galaxy Watch 4’s battery lasted longer, its frequent need for charging would be excusable. However, requiring a recharge every 1.5 days is undeniably inconvenient. While Wear OS optimization might extend battery life, as it stands, the battery performance is unsatisfactory. Charging the watch overnight is an obvious workaround, but it prevents sleep tracking, which is disappointing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Pros and Cons
- Beautiful, slim design
- Comfortable, secure fit
- Wear OS 3 offers a breath of fresh air
- New body composition analysis sensor
- Accurate workout tracking
- Larger models boast good battery life
- Some health features are limited to Samsung phones
- No Google Assistant integration yet
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Still the Best Smartwatch for Android Users!
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 debuts with Google’s latest Wear OS 3 update, offering numerous new features. With the introduction of the BIA sensor and notable enhancements in heart and sleep tracking, this smartwatch stands out. The Galaxy Watch 4 boasts a fluid user experience and improved sleep tracking, along with a commitment to future updates from Google. Yet, Samsung must refine the software and unlock all health features to attract a broader Android user base.
Moreover, the Galaxy Watch 4 is more affordable than its predecessor, with the 40mm Bluetooth version starting at Rs. 23,999. Alternatively, for a bit more, consider the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which includes a physical rotating bezel and starts at Rs. 31,999. Samsung loyalists eager for the latest Wear OS 3 experience should opt for the Galaxy Watch 4 immediately. However, non-Samsung Android users have compelling alternatives like the Fossil Gen 6 (starting at Rs. 23,995) and other upcoming Wear OS 3 smartwatches for greater variety.
Pritam Chopra is a seasoned IT professional and a passionate blogger hailing from the dynamic realm of technology. With an insatiable curiosity for all things tech-related, Pritam has dedicated himself to exploring and unraveling the intricacies of the digital world.
