REVIEW: Galaxy Watch6 Classic monitors everything and more

Launched in August 2023, the line Galaxy Watch6 focuses on offering complete monitoring of its user's health, but how far can this go? O showmetech had the opportunity to test Samsung's smart watch and tells you all the details to find out if the investment is worth it for your daily life or not.

Design

O showmetech received the Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43 mm for testing, but it is also worth remembering that the standard version, without the rotating crown, was launched in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes. The Classic version can also be purchased with the rotating crown and 47 mm case.

The big change in design between the 2022 and 2023 generations is the return of the rotating crown in the Classic version, which was left aside in the Galaxy Watch5. O Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43 mm is a smart watch and really beautiful at first glance. I was worried that the device would end up being too big due to my arm being rather thin, but the fit was perfect. And it's not heavy either: it has an official weight of 52 grams which, in practice, seems much less.

The bracelet has 11 adjustments that people with thinner arms than mine will be able to use the device smoothly in their daily lives. We received the version with a leather strap that is quite resistant and should last for a long time before replacing it.

My traditional watch is a Amazfit neo classic that even has a screen that shows health information, but there's no denying that the Galaxy Watch6 takes it to another level. Navigating through the watch's features using the rotating crown makes use more dynamic and new to my daily life.

It has just two buttons: when pressed for more than three seconds, by factory default, they can either activate the personal assistant Bixby, or activate the SamsungWallet for payments via NFC. The functions of these buttons can be modified, for features that may be more convenient for the user. In addition, the buttons also serve as a point of contact for body composition analysis.

There is no denying that whoever wears the device on their wrist will attract attention wherever they go and also have a beautiful device that complements their look for night or day. Of course, personal taste will have a lot to do with choosing between the 43 mm or 47 mm sizes, as well as the type of bracelet.

But in the end, rest assured that you will buy a watch with an external aesthetic that will be praised. And the possibility of customizing the operating system according to your personal taste makes everything even better.

Fabric

The model we received for testing has a 1,3-inch screen that, even when we are outdoors, allows us to view information. Brightness can be easily changed for longer battery life, but I'd let the ambient light sensor do the work here. The tip I give is: on days when you need to leave the house or go to training, place the watch on the charger so that the battery is at maximum capacity.

The system is optimized to run on the small screen and, immediately after completing your physical activity, you can see data such as average heart rate, calories burned and even a graph with the intensity levels of your activity. The same information can also be seen on your smartphone, via the app Samsung health monitor.

clock faces

I was waiting a long time to get into this topic because I really liked the predefined options that the Samsung available to users. But I liked even more the possibility of creating a watch face from scratch, with the photo, watch style and even shortcuts that the person wants.

Of course yes, if you are a person who prioritizes sports training, the informative screens with weather, day and even real-time data will be of greater use. Graphic-style clock faces bring that lively style, but without leaving the display of important data aside.

Speaking of health watch faces, here we have screens ready to show you what you want: last night's sleep data, daily step challenges, breathing and more. For those who like more classic looks, there are also options for those who just want to see the time when they're not training.

Finally, the Samsung also offers screens in the style Simple e Basic for users who value less enhanced usage. Configuration and choice can be done through the application GalaxyWear, which also works as a large control center for the smart watch.

As a good pet parent, I chose a watch face with a photo of my dog. One feature that I really liked was having full control not only over the wallpaper, but also the style of the clock and the information on the home screen: you can place up to six of them. I chose to put only 4 and that was more than enough for me to have data on the number of steps taken in a day, the weather at the time, my heart rate and battery life. See the result:

A Samsung It did a great job of allowing that, even though several predefined watch faces are available, the user can make the complete configuration to have a unique screen that adapts to their daily life. That's it: no one knows what you like more than you know.

Galaxy Watch6 Features

With a blood pressure sensor, this information can only be viewed after installing the application Samsung health monitor, which is available for installation only via Galaxy Store. And this already brings a limitation for those who have cell phones from other brands: the app can only be installed on Samsung smartphones. The electrocardiogram feature, which also depends on the app, has the same limitation.

I even tried to install it via APK, but Samsung Health Monitor was only developed to run on models from the Korean company and it didn't even open on my Android phone from another brand. I honestly didn't understand this limitation, but I imagine that anyone thinking about buying a Galaxy Watch6 already has a Galaxy smartphone (and it's a good thing to have).

During the launch event, it was confirmed that the Galaxy Watch6 You can control your cell phone's camera (which also needs to be from Samsung) through the camera app on your watch or through the Bixby personal assistant. When requesting the action to Google Assistant, which is available on the smartwatch, we received the message that it is not yet possible to take photos on other devices.

O Find My Mobile remains available to locate your smartphone in case it is forgotten somewhere or stolen. If the devices are connected via Bluetooth, it is possible to activate the functionality on the watch and the cell phone starts emitting a beep at full volume, activating the screen with a message:

O SamsungWallet is available for contactless payments using just the watch, without the need for a smartphone. For those who already use the app on their smartphone, it is a great choice, as paying with Samsung's digital wallet offers points that can be exchanged for products and discounts. But contactless payment can also be made using the Google Wallet, for those who prefer this payment method.

Sports tracking is among the most important features: Samsung claims it can support more than 90 exercises, including walking, cycling, yoga, professional running, swimming and more. Bodybuilding can be monitored through the “other exercises” item.

And at the end of each workout, you have access to not only the total time you dedicated to physical activity, but also the number of calories burned and your average heart rate, directly on the watch screen. But it is also possible to see all of this on your cell phone.

When you start walking for more than ten minutes, the watch automatically starts to detect that you are exercising, which is interesting for those who end up forgetting to tell the device. In-app Samsung health, you will be able to track the calorie loss record during exercise.

And it's worth remembering that it is water resistant with an IP68 and 5ATM rating. This means the device can safely stay under water up to 3 meters for up to 30 minutes.

Standard

We reach the highlight of Samsung's smart watch: the sensor BioActive, which has several integrated sensors (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), manages to do a great job. I really liked the inactivity detector, which sends alerts when we've been stopped for too long. You won't always be able to get up, but the alert is important to know that your health is being monitored.

The heart rate sensor can work well: Samsung stated that, in the new generation, it better monitors heartbeats and signals possible cases of irregular heart rate through warnings sent via the Samsung health monitor. The company itself emphasizes that this does not mean that the device will warn you if you are experiencing a heart attack, but rather that within the daily average, it is best to consult a cardiologist as the heartbeat may be above or below normal.

The sleep monitoring also worked very well here: in addition to recording the exact time I started to sleep and woke up, it also has a “sleep coach” that gives tips for better sleep, including the best environment for you to be 100% for the next day. And the snoring recorder (for those who snore) is also available through the microphone, allowing you to access the audio detected by the app on your smartphone.

Another interesting feature is body composition, through the bioimpedance sensor, which can measure skeletal muscle mass, body fat and even the amount of water in your body. The process is done in a very simple way: just place two fingers on the two buttons for the data to be registered in the Samsung Health app. The company recommends that this be done at similar times so that the 24-hour interval is always maintained.

The body temperature sensor has been available here since the launch of the Galaxy Watch5 and Samsung has given it a new use through the app TermoCheck. In practice, this app can measure the temperature of a food, water or object by placing the watch as close as possible. And this same sensor also monitors body temperature while we sleep, in addition to being used to control menstruation.

O Galaxy Watch6 It manages to be a complete device that shows data about your body in real time and with interesting assertiveness. Of course, it should be considered a monitoring tool that works as support and never just as the only way to take care of your health. It's worth sharing the data with your doctors so they can help with health diagnoses.

System

equipped with the One UI Watch5 (Samsung version for WearOS), there is no denying that the clock Samsung continues with the focus of being a complement for those who already have a device from the Korean company. In my daily life, I use a Realme 9 Pro +, with Android 13. Samsung health and the GalaxyWear They can be installed via the Google Play Store and yes, you will be able to change features and customize the smart watch. But even more full use will be realized if you have a Galaxy smartphone.

Despite some limitations, I managed to make good use of the operating system in my daily life. A Samsung put the processor Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1,4GHz and 5 nanometers, which can run many applications without problems. It is possible to download music and install the most used applications on a daily basis on the 16 GB of internal storage.

O WhatsApp worked very well here, although some images, even when connected to Wi-Fi, took a while to load. O Spotify It also worked well and I was even able to leave my cell phone at home for a day and just use the Galaxy Watch6 for my roughly three-hour workout at the gym. To run applications, there is 2 GB of RAM.

Connectivity

In addition to the use of wireless networks via Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic It has eSIM support to always be connected to the internet. I hardly missed it during my daily life, but it's a great feature that makes it possible to leave the house and stay in touch without needing a smartphone — a great help for athletes.

It is important to remember that for full operation, it is important to leave the Samsung smart watch connected to your cell phone via Bluetooth. This allows you to receive calls (and even answer them via your watch), SMS notifications and have complete health data monitored throughout the day.

When the watch is disconnected from your cell phone, a vibration is sent at the same time. The initial configuration is very simple and intuitive: in around 20 minutes, via the app GalaxyWear, the watch is ready to be your everyday accessory.

Battery

So much monitoring would bring some negative points to the smart watch. And here, battery life is your “Achilles heel”: when using all features at the same time, you will need to recharge the 300 mAh battery of the 6 mm Galaxy Watch43 Classic at least once a day. That's not bad, but it would be cool to see the Samsung deliver a watch that could remain active for at least 18 uninterrupted hours with all functions and sensors being used.

I used my trip to The Town 2023 to find out how far the model could go without being connected to the internet or another Bluetooth device, in addition to having energy saving mode activated. The result was that it worked and monitored my health for at most 25h49. But it's worth remembering: when using without Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or eSIM. That's a lot, but if I, for example, started some physical activity, it would last less.

For those who want to save battery, there is a mode that only displays the hours which, according to the device itself, can work for up to 13 days and 11 hours. But know that you will only be able to see the time and nothing more than that. The photo below shows the estimated duration with 40% battery:

In my daily life, with just Bluetooth activated, I needed to recharge the 6mm Galaxy Watch43 Classic, with a 300 mAh battery, at least once a day. I always did this at my lunch break or just before going to the gym. The energy saving mode can increase the battery life for another six hours, but the tip I give here is: if you buy a model like this, it's a good idea to charge it before leaving home.

There is an induction charger sent by Samsung in the box that is about 1 meter long. The good news is that for the battery to be completely recharged, it only takes 1h10.

Samsung has fulfilled the promise that a 30-minute charge at the base will provide 45% of the battery's capacity, and this could be that emergency key for those who need to leave at a moment's notice and would like to have a large portion of their battery recharged.

Price and Availability

Available on the Brazilian market from August 11, 2023, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic may have a steep price for some people: the version of 43 mm can currently be found for R$ 2.249,10 on Pix. The version of 47 mm can be found for R$3.199 on Pix.

For comparison, the new Apple Watch Series 9 It is sold in Brazil starting at R$4.999 in its simplest version and with an aluminum case. At least in price, the model Samsung go ahead.

Conclusion

I reach the end of this review with the opinion that the Samsung managed to deliver a device that can carry out complete monitoring of its user's health. Despite the premium price, the investment will be noticed in the long term and you will have an interesting tool to learn more about your daily life, sleep and even receive notifications about irregular heart rate.

It's important to remember that the smart watch isn't perfect yet: its battery is its biggest weak point and you'll need to get in the habit of recharging the device at least once a day if you want to use all of its features. And it's worth remembering that it was developed for owners of Samsung smartphones: most of the features work on devices from other brands, but full use will only be made by those who have a cell phone from the most diverse Galaxy lines.

O Galaxy Watch6 It is indeed a complete model, but there are points that could be improved before it hits the market. Who knows, through system updates, this will get better over time. It's a smart watch to keep an eye on during special periods and even consider buying if the negative points mentioned in this review are not a problem for you.

Technical Specifications

Model	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic
Fabric	sapphire crystal 47mm: 1,5-inch (37,3mm) Super AMOLED 480×480, Full Color Always On Display 43mm: 1,3-inch (33,3mm) Super AMOLED 432×432, Full Color Always On Display
Operational system	One UI Watch5 (WearOS)
Processor	Processor Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1,4GHz (5 nm)
Memory	2 GB RAM + 16 GB internal storage
Dimensions and weight	Stainless steel case with hybrid eco-leather bracelet 43mm: 42,5 x 42,5 x 10,9mm, 52,0g (Black and Silver) 47mm: 46,5 x 46,5 x 10,9mm, 59,0g (Black and Silver)
Battery	47mm: 425mAh 43mm: 300mAh
Sensor	Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Rate, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) Temperature sensor Accelerometer Barometer Gyroscope Geomagnetic sensor Light sensor
Connectivity	LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo
Compatibility	Android 10 or higher with more than 1,5GB memory
Price	BRL 2.249,10 on Pix
Availability in Brazil	As of July 26, 2023

Do you have any use for the smart watch? Tell us Comment!

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reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 3 / 10 / 23.