Can I easily move from Apple Watch Ultra to Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic? The answer is yes! I've been using this watch for a few weeks along with my Galaxy Z Flip5. This is a real Wear OS watch, not a TicWatch or Pixel Watch. Samsung has found a near-perfect smartwatch strategy. In this article I will share my usage experience and opinion on why you should buy this watch.
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
1.5″ Super AMOLED Screen, 480 x 480, Sapphire Glass
Exynos W930 processor (5nm)
Dual-Core 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A55
Mali-G68
Memory 1GB RAM + 16GB
One UI Watch 5 Operating System (Wear OS 4)
IP68 protection
Accelerometer Sensor, Barometer, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor, Cardiac Electrical Sensor, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic, Hall, Infrared Temperature, Light Sensor, Optical Pulse Scanner
Others GPS + Bluetooth 5.3
Physical Haptic Rotating Bezel
Speaker, Microphone
425mAh battery, reach 40 hours (without AOD), 30 hours (AOD)
Qi charging
Construction Materials Aluminum frame, Sapphire glass
Price of Watch6 Classic 43mm, Bluetooth – RM1399
Watch6 Classic 43mm, LTE – RM1699
Watch6 Classic 47mm, Bluetooth – RM1499
Watch6 Classic 47mm, LTE – RM1799
The design of the watch is the same as the name of the watch, which is Classic. A round screen, tactile buttons and a rotating bezel that aren't just gimmicks. The watch is constructed from aluminum and the screen is protected with sapphire glass giving a premium value to this watch. In the hand, this watch looks elegant, masculine and stylish.
The 1.5″ AMOLED screen is quite bright and also smooth. No issues with touch, beautiful color, and easy to see in sunlight. Always-on display support is also good and quick to switch to live screen. It's just that we hope Wear OS will one day include an Apple Watch-like night mode for a more battery-friendly AOD.
The rotating bezel on this watch provides maximum level of satisfaction. It's like playing with a fidget spinner because there's a physical haptic effect that's not from the software. Every rotation is delicious and paired with a watch face that has the sound of a ticking needle, all stress can be lost by simply rotating the bezel of this watch endlessly.
The watch does feel a bit thick on the hand, but on my large hand it's no problem. Again, this watch model is 47mm which suits me very well. All day use including sleeping did not cause my wrists to ache, sweat or itch.
The faux leather watch strap I use is very soft on my skin. It makes the use of this watch more comfortable no matter what type of activity. There are various watch strap options such as silicone for sports or fabric with velcro like on the Apple Watch. Samsung also uses a new watch strap connection, where it still uses the pin system but now with a single button to remove or attach.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
This is my first time using the Galaxy Watch for an extended period of time. One UI Watch is the best iteration of Wear OS I've ever used. Its use with Samsung devices is approaching the iPhone and Apple Watch, but it is still not perfect. The ecosystem that is tried to be given such as parallel use with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 or other Samsung devices is very user-friendly.
There are actually not many features of Wear OS 4 compared to Wear OS 3. The big change is that the watch no longer needs to be formatted and do full settings when wanting to connect to another phone. Others are still Wear OS 3 with the One UI interface design that everyone already knows on Samsung devices.
The main settings and controls of this watch are with the Galaxy Wearables app. It is very simple and easy to use compared to the Watch app on iOS or Mobvoi Health for TicWatch. Samsung only uses bright icons with simple text for each setting.
The Galaxy Watch6 Classic also comes with an NFC feature for Google Pay or Samsung Wallet support. A simple and fast method of use, that is, press the button below for a few seconds to continue paying in the store. It's just that even though there are already a lot of Samsung Points accumulated, Samsung Malaysia still doesn't list the rewards that can be redeemed.
All this time I've relied on the Apple Watch for my ECG, heart rate and other fitness data. The Galaxy Watch6 Classic looks like it could replace my Apple Watch. My favorite feature is Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis or BIA to get body composition data.
The ECG feature is also very useful for me to monitor my heart rate. Like Apple, the collected data can also be exported to document form for reference with the doctor. Features like this help me to increase my knowledge about body health more deeply.
All data can be monitored with the Samsung Health app. The way the data is displayed is in the form of colorful graphs and charts as well as text with easy-to-understand information. Activity and sports monitoring can also be done and interestingly Samsung also provides advice for a healthier body. The Samsung Health application also has a feature to help you sleep more soundly, namely White Noise.
Speaking of sleep, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic is the best watch for getting the best sleep possible. I have been trying to improve my sleep cycle for months because the inconsistent sleeping hours have affected my health. After only one week of sleep I was already at an almost perfect level (I feel).
Samsung labels each user with a different animal based on sleep patterns. Each animal has its own advice and method of getting the perfect sleep that is different from other animals. It can also detect snoring and tell users whether they are sleeping well or not.
A bonus that other watches don't have is measuring blood pressure. This feature however cannot depend entirely on the clock. A blood pressure monitoring device such as the OMRON in the HEM series is a must-have to synchronize heart rate patterns and systolic and diastolic data.
WHAT IS NOT THE BEST?
The only thing I want to complain about is the performance. True, the performance of this clock is very fast. It's between the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1, where there's still a slight lag in animation transitions. I feel this is an issue with Wear OS itself not Samsung. Compared to watchOS, the animations are so smooth that even a five-year-old model watch still feels as smooth as a new watch. Google still needs to optimize Wear OS to compete more fiercely with Apple.
BATTERY
Normally, Wear OS watches only last a full day. Except for Galaxy Watch5 and TicWatch Pro which can reach around 2-3 days. As for the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic, after using it for a few weeks as a daily watch I found it only lasted about a day and a half.
This is for heavy usage including Samsung Wallet, controlling music, camera, replying to WhatsApp, checking emails, using while sleeping as well as using other fitness features. Charging on me is still slow which is around 1 hour 30 minutes or 50% battery with 30 minutes of charge.
Light use can give this watch almost two days but during the second day it will be running around looking for a charger. The watch can also be charged with devices that support reverse wireless charging but strangely not all Qi chargers can be used.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Here's what you'll get with every purchase of the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic;
1x Galaxy Watch6 Classic
1x Watch strap set according to the type purchased.
1x Charger cable
1x Manual
CONCLUSION
As a Wear OS watch enthusiast who has been using it since 2017, the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic is the best Wear OS watch I have used so far. What Samsung brings to their One UI Watch makes the experience of using a real smartwatch on Android more satisfying. Although it is still not as good as between the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but it is already at a level where it is acceptable.
With prices starting at RM1399 for the Watch6 Classic or RM1099 for the Watch6, it's a worthwhile Wear OS watch. Great screen, solid performance, interesting software and premium build. The Classic model is a favorite because of the rotating bezel with a haptic effect like a fidget spinner.
Pro
Beautiful screen, bright and smooth.
Fast and amazing performance.
The rotating bezel is like a fidget spinner.
Great software and application support.
There is a choice of eSIM models.
Competitive prices for Wear OS watches.
Cons
Poor battery life.
Animated transitions that give the illusion of time lapse.
Must use Samsung device for full benefits.
There are still many interesting applications that are not available on watchOS.