Samsung has stood as a leading smartwatch brand, upheld even through its shift from in-house Tizen OS to Wear OS in 2021, coinciding with the Galaxy Watch 4 series launch. This transition also marked the departure of the cherished rotating bezel for navigating the watch's interface. The subsequent release, Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, saw the replacement of the physical rotating hardware with a capacitive digital bezel. However, the latest offering, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, marks a satisfying return to the original terminology and the beloved hardware feature.
While the return of a physical rotating bezel might be one of the new wearable's standout features, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also boasts some advancements over the model from before. But when you consider the overall picture and the $400 price tag, the new watch is comparable to the rest of the Samsung Unpacked products in that it is relatively uninteresting. It also has a few rather annoying characteristics. That does not, however, imply that this is a poor watch. In many aspects, it is actually extremely nice. The array of health-tracking functions is outstanding, the hardware is top-notch overall, the performance is quick, and the battery life is reliable.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic: Quick Specs Overview;
- Dimensions: 46.5x46.5x10.9mm, Weight: 59g
- Build: Stainless steel frame with front crafted from sapphire crystal
- Durability: Adheres to MIL-STD-810H standards, Waterproof up to 50m (IP68)
- Health Features: Certified for ECG, Equipped with Blood pressure monitor
- Display: 1.50" Super AMOLED screen boasting 480x480px resolution, 9:9 aspect ratio, and 453ppi; Features an always-on display
- Processor: Powered by Exynos W930 (5 nm), featuring a Dual-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A55 CPU and Mali-G68 GPU
- Memory: 16GB storage paired with 2GB RAM
- OS/Software: Runs on Android Wear OS 4, enriched with One UI Watch 5
- Cameras: No front or rear camera, thus video capture capability is absent
- Battery: Fueled by a 425mAh battery; Supports wireless Qi charging
- Connectivity: Offers LTE connectivity, eSIM support, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC
- Sensors: Comprehensive sensor suite includes an accelerometer, gyro, compass, heart rate monitor, barometer, thermometer (skin temperature), and 3D Hall sensor.
Additional Features: Supports natural language commands, dictation, and Samsung Pay.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic: Cost and Availability:
Samsung began preorders the same day it unveiled its newest wearables at Samsung Unpacked in June. Finally, the watches are available as of right now. The 43mm and 47mm watch versions of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are offered in black and silver. The watch is also available with Wi-Fi only or with the option to add LTE cellular connectivity for a fee.
Speaking of price, the 43mm version costs $400 and $450 if you choose the LTE model; the larger 47mm version costs $430 and $480. The hybrid eco-leather band that comes with the timepieces matches the color of the case.
Unveiling the Galaxy Watch6 Classic Through Unboxing:
The item is packaged in fairly typical retail packaging that only includes the user guides and a charging pad with a cord. This year's only modification is that the cable is now USB-C rather than USB-A.
Although there isn't a specific charger included in the box, you can use almost any USB-C wall charger or a PC/laptop. Again, it is unable to use a third-party Qi charger to charge the watch, and using a non-Samsung phone to reverse wireless charge is another restriction.
Design and User Experience:
The top-tier Galaxy smartwatches (Pro and Classic series) still have a largely unchanged design; it's a good old circular classic design with a few small modifications, notably to the spinning bezel. Fair enough, Samsung isn't exactly free to experiment with the design. There isn't much space for error.
Despite this, there are some things that make the Galaxy Watch6 Classic special. For instance, weighing in at 59 grams, it is the heaviest Galaxy Watch ever. If you ignore the Gear series, that is accurate. Regardless, the difference is only apparent when compared to the Watch5 Pro, which had a significantly lighter titanium frame.
Additionally, the Watch6 Classic is now larger, measuring 46.5mm rather than the previous 47mm form factor. It's astonishing to see how well Samsung utilized the extra room to increase the display to 1.5". The bezel is 30% slimmer than on the Watch4 Classic and Watch5 Pro, and the display is sensible bigger than on the earlier models. As a result, Samsung claims that the rotating bezel is 15% slimmer and is now significantly thinner as well.
We want to emphasize one major benefit of Galaxy Watches with rotating bezels once more: it protects the display. The bezel is typically part of the watch that takes the majority of the blows from individuals brushing their timepieces against walls, furniture, and other objects.
The strap is a great first step, but it's still far from perfect. The strap is still reasonably priced for what is being asked. It is superior to the Watch4 Classic and is composed of soft-touch silicone. First of all, while the outer surface imitates leather, the underside is incredibly pleasant to the touch. Even the edges have stitching for a more professional appearance.
If you need to change the straps more frequently, there are even little release buttons to make attaching and detaching them simpler. The device employs normal 20mm straps, just like its more recent predecessors, proving that 22mm straps from earlier models are no longer in use.
In case the straps from third-party manufacturers don't cut it, Samsung itself offers a wide range of strap designs depending on the market.
The Galaxy Watch6 Classic complies with MIL-STD-810H and is as usual water and dust-resistant (IP68). In comparison to earlier models, the general level of protection remained the same. It's crucial to remember that this military-grade level does not ensure durability in difficult circumstances.
Overall, the Watch6 Classic feels like a typical watch, doesn't interfere with larger wrists, and despite the weight increase, it is still manageable.
The Watch6 Classic is only available right now in Black and Silver.
Ease of Use and Control:
The bezel's behavior underwent a few alterations that we noted. It has a slightly longer travel distance between clicks and is slightly clickier, which makes navigation feel slightly off. There is less opposition to it. We can't say we like the lengthier travel because, in comparison to the Watch4 Classic, you now need to rotate the bezel more to scroll down or navigate.
However, if you enjoy rotating bezel navigation, you will enjoy this one as well. It seems natural and doesn't require any acclimating at all. Additionally, since you won't be touching the display for much of your navigation and scrolling, there are fewer fingerprints on it.
Additionally, hitting the buttons on the right side produces a somewhat clickier and less mushy response. The bottom one functions as a "back" button, while the red-accented top one is for returning to the home screen. It is possible to reassign the latter to display the recent apps menu. An app of your choosing may be launched with a double-click of the home button, while Bixby, Google's Assistant, or the power-off menu can be accessed with a press and hold.
Performance and battery in Classic 6:
2GB RAM and 16GB of storage on the Exynos W930 chipset
Battery life of up to 40 hours; wireless or magnetic charging
The impression is that Samsung has made minor adjustments to internal parts and the general functionality of the product to make it a more fluid and responsive watch.
Exynos W930, a new chip within the device, is supposed to give about 20% more power than the one inside the Galaxy Watch 5. Samsung has also increased RAM from 1.5GB to 2GB in order to improve the smoothness of running apps and other activities. 16GB of additional storage is added for downloading music and apps.
Exynos W930, a new chip within the device, is supposed to give about 20% more power than the one inside the Galaxy Watch 5. Samsung has also increased RAM from 1.5GB to 2GB in order to improve the smoothness of running apps and other activities. 16GB of additional storage is added for downloading music and apps.
Although it wasn't always quick and responsive, it was never laggy or slow. When switching from a static watch face to swiping across the interface, it appeared like there was a slight lag, but after it got rolling, it was generally snappy and fluid.
In terms of battery life, Samsung claims that if you leave the always-on display off, you might get up to 40 hours of use out of the watch. You'll get roughly 30 hours with always-on activated.
It came pretty close to being correct in my testing. We could easily end a full day with about 30% of the life left on quieter days without any intensive fitness activity being tracked and with alerts kept to a minimum. And that's with the always-on display turned on.
