Samsung Galaxy Watch in the Review: Finally long battery life

The Galaxy Watch offers a heart rate monitoring, GPS and hands-free function. Despite these energy-consuming applications, the battery lasts significantly longer than that of the competition. We tested the version with Bluetooth in everyday life and revealed why we really like it.

Design and scope of delivery

The Galaxy Watch looks like a mixture of its predecessors Gear Sport and Gear S3. The massive and very well processed smartwatch can only be distinguished from an analog watch at second glance. In addition, the feel is high quality. The smartwatch has a sporty metal case with a diameter of 46 mm, rotating bezel and two control buttons. This border around the dial not only helps to operate the watch, it also protects the display from damage. Alternatively, a smaller version with a 42 mm housing is also available.

The heart rate monitoring sits in the middle on the flat plastic underside. It works precisely and reliably, at least as long as the sensors are clean and the watch is close enough to the wrist.

The black silicone strap has a quick-change clasp and a wide metal clasp. The watch – with a weight of 63 g – sits comfortably and sufficiently firmly on the wrist. If you prefer it to be less sporty and a little more elegant, you can always get other interchangeable wristbands with a width of 22 mm.

In addition to the smartwatch, a black, magnetic table charging station, a micro USB power supply and a shorter bracelet are included. The plastic charging station is stable and holds the watch reliably in position. The battery is charged wirelessly. Sensitive and exposed charging contacts are not available.

Furnishing

In addition to WLAN, NFC and Bluetooth 4.2, the equipment also includes GPS and Glonass receivers. The pedometer works by means of a motion sensor. Heart rate sensor and barometric altimeter are also installed. An Exynos-9110 is used as the processor.

The speakerphone works very well in a quiet environment. Both the microphone and the internal speaker do a good job. In order for the phone to work via a smartwatch, the paired smartphone must be within a few meters of the Bluetooth variant. With the LTE edition, this is not necessary.

The maximum volume of the speaker is not particularly high. If you have good ears, you can still listen to music with the watch. Anyone who wants to watch YouTube videos on the dial needs good eyesight. What worked well in the Review was navigating with the Galaxy Watch. Although we needed the smartphone with a suitable app within range, the function is still very practical.

However, the phone can be left at health home to record sporting activities: the GPS route calculation of the watch is almost identical to that of our smartphone. Together with the pulse sensor, the watch is perfect for athletes. Even if it applies significantly more than a classic fitness tracker.

The RAM is large enough at 0.7 GB to enable smooth, smooth operation. The storage capacity is four GB, of which more than half is occupied when delivered. There is enough space for a playlist of your favorite songs and important apps.

A round 1.3-inch Amoled with a resolution of 360 × 360 pixels serves as the dial. The dial on the smaller 42 millimeter model is 1.2 inches in size. The display is sharp and rich in contrast and the display is easy to read even in direct sunshine. And already at 70 percent of the maximum brightness.

Entering text using the T9 keyboard is a Review of patience due to the small display size. If it is just a matter of reacting to a message, standard answers that have been formulated help us, for example, which are suggested to us at Whatsapp.

We come to one of the highlights of the Galaxy Watch: the pleasingly good battery life. We cannot reach the seven days specified by Samsung under real operating conditions, but the durability of the 474 mAh battery is convincing. The smartwatch lasts for a good four to five days even when used intensively, as long as the display is only activated by hand movement. If you switch the dial on permanently, you have to charge the battery much earlier. We couldn't Review how long the smaller 42 mm watch model with the 270 mAh battery lasted. It takes around two and a half hours to fully charge our watch.

The watch is waterproof up to 50 m. When showering or taking a swim in the swimming pool, the smartwatch can easily remain on the wrist.

software

The Galaxy Watch works with the Tizen 4 operating system. Operation is convenient and intuitive thanks to the precise touchscreen, the two buttons and the rotating bezel. Speech recognition is available, but it works unsatisfactorily in practice. With the number of third-party apps available, the smartwatch operating systems from Google and Apple are still ahead.

In addition to the pre-installed dial designs, numerous skins are available for the Galaxy Watch. From classic to sporty to totally freaky, there is something suitable for every taste.

The Galaxy Watch is set up both on the watch itself and with the free one Galaxy Wearable app. If the smartphone and watch are paired, the watch shows, for example, messenger messages, SMS and emails directly on the dial.

The control is also no problem for first-time users. In the Review, together with an Android 8 smartphone, the transfer and synchronization of data works reliably. It's just a shame that photos – for example of Whatsapp messages – are not transmitted and displayed. Operating the smartphone camera and Spotify works smoothly, the necessary apps are installed. If you like to listen to music while jogging, you can download your MP3 songs onto the watch and connect them to Bluetooth headphones.

The additionally available Samsung smartphone health app enables fitness data to be read, edited and evaluated comfortably. In addition to various pre-designed fitness programs for cyclists, joggers or rowers, the watch also offers everyday health tips: if you sit for more than an hour, a small movement unit with illustrated instructions is recommended. Since the smartwatch only needs to be charged about twice a week, it is now also ideal for evaluating sleep duration and quality.

The clock also works with iPhones, but the combination of the two devices does not make sense due to the lack of interfaces. Usage is extremely limited and only allows notifications or calls to be displayed.

variants

The Galaxy Watch is available in different colors and with cases of 42 and 46 mm in diameter. In addition to the Bluetooth variant we tested, an LTE variant with Esim, an integrated SIM card, is also available. However, this currently only works in conjunction with a contract from Telekom or Vodafone.

Bluetooth 46 mm silver

LTE 46 mm silver

Bluetooth 42 mm black

LTE 42 mm black

Bluetooth 42 mm rose gold

Leather strap 22mm

Conclusion

The Galaxy Watch shines through simple operation, a wide range of functions and finally a long battery life. One of the biggest shortcomings of smartwatches has finally been eliminated. Samsung is setting a new standard for its competitors.

Only the limited range of apps and the poorly functioning voice assistant cloud the overall very positive impression.

If you are looking for a chic smartwatch for everyday life and a well-equipped companion for sporting activities, you can do everything right with the Galaxy Watch. The mixture of functional fitness tracker and high-end smartwatch with all technical refinements has been very well done and makes the watch one of the best smartwatches on the market. Hardly any competitive model currently offers a comparable range of functions. Especially not for a similarly good price.

Those who prefer a pure fitness tracker should take a look at our comparison Review of six current devices with heart rate monitors. If the Galaxy Watch doesn't look classy enough, you can take a look at Fossil's Q Explorist HR (Review report). However, this must go to the charging station every day.

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