Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Review
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a follow-up to one of our all-time favourite wearables, and it’s the company’s first foray into Wear OS technology in a long time.It’s compatible with all recent Android phones, however, key functionality, like blood pressure and ECG measures, requires a Samsung smartphone. Anyone who owns a Galaxy smartphone will love the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. On the right-hand side, there’s a virtual rotating bezel and two buttons for quick navigation. Although battery life isn’t an issue, it isn’t the longest-lasting smartwatch we’ve seen. With normal to severe use, it can last up to two days, and three days if you’re not working out or using GPS.
Design and Display:
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a small smartwatch that fits easily around your wrist.
There are two available variants: one with a 40mm watch face and the other with a 44mm body. Both were a good fit for our wrists without being too heavy. Both are water and dust-resistant, meeting IP68 standards, enabling them to be submerged in water up to five meters deep. The supplied straps are constructed of a novel material that may not be up to the task of rigorous workouts, since it left a rash on our wrist.
Activity tracking:
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 can track both indoor and outdoor exercises. The calorie counter on the watch is a little high, but the GPS accurately traced my reliable 10-mile route. You’ll probably need to use the Samsung Health app on your phone to add workout types. It also includes an auto-pause feature, which prevents me from recording a 35-minute mile due to my dog’s need to say hello to everyone.
Performance and Software:
One of the fastest smartwatches we’ve ever used is Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4. It’s powered by Google’s Wear OS 3 with Samsung’s One UI Watch 3 skin on top. It comes with some Samsung apps that you’ll be familiar with if you’ve previously had a Galaxy Watch.
Sleep and Stress Tracking
The watch measures SpO2, which is important for people who suffer from sleep apnea. Samsung’s stress app displays your stress levels, which are tracked using the Breathe app embedded into the phone. Though it’s encouraging to see Samsung’s watch-catching up, the Fitbit Sense takes a more believable approach to stress monitoring.
Fitness:
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a slew of health and fitness capabilities, including GPS tracking for running. It also includes an optical heart rate sensor, ECG support, and a BioActive Sensor that tracks heart rate, oxygen levels, and body composition. If you don’t have a Samsung phone, the watch might not be the ideal option for you.
Battery life:
The 44mm version, which we reviewed, has a 361mAh battery that lasts two days on a single charge. The 40mm version has a smaller 247mAh cell, which we haven’t had the opportunity to test yet.
Pros:
- New watch faces and a slimmer design
- Wear OS is similar to Tizen, but with more apps.
- Body composition analysis is the first important smartwatch feature.
- More cost-effective than the Galaxy Watch 3.
Cons:
- Issues with the BIA sensor
- Battery life isn’t always consistent.
Conclusion:
The success of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is due to its ability to integrate as seamlessly with Galaxy devices as the Apple Watch does with the larger Apple ecosystem. The battery life might be better, and Wear OS lacks certain important functions at launch. For the number of people for whom wrist-based body composition analysis may be dangerous, I’m cautious to extol its virtues.
