Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Preview - PhoneArena

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Intro

Samsung is expected to officially announce its new Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic on July 26th, but leaked images and specs already give us a pretty good idea about the upcoming timepieces.

First, you should know that the major difference between the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Watch 6 Classic models is that the Classic one brings back the rotating bezel, one of the most beloved features of Samsung watches so far. The vanilla Galaxy Watch 6 model, does not have that, instead you have a virtual bezel where you can slide your finger along the edges to scroll around, not nearly as satisfying.

The other difference between the two are sizes. The Galaxy Watch 6 comes in a 40mm and 44mm size options, while the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is available in a choice of either 43mm or 47mm. Those with smaller wrists might find the more petite 40mm size of the Watch 6 the only viable option, while those with larger wrists might prefer the Watch 6 Classic with the 47mm version.

In this article, we will focus on the Galaxy Watch 6 and all of the new features that come with it, so join us for the ride, or if you are curious about the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic we cover it separately over here.

What’s new about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

• New and faster processor
• Larger screen thanks to shrunken bezels
• Comes with WearOS 4
• Possibly better battery life
• Sapphire glass possibly for all Watch 6 versions

Table of Contents:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Specs

The Galaxy Watch 6 will come with new internals, but leaks say the physical dimensions of the watch have not changed from last year.

Specs	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Models (Size, Weight, Prices)	40mm (39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8 mm) 44mm (43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8 mm) 28.7g weight for 40mm 33.5g weight for 44mm unknown prices
Materials	Aluminum body Sapphire bottom
Processor, RAM, Storage	Samsung Exynos W930
Software	WearOS 4
Battery and Charging	Unknown
Sensors	HR, blood oxygen, altimeter, ECG*
New features	unknown

*based on leaks and rumors.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Design & Sizes

Mostly the same as its predecessor

If the Galaxy Watch 6 looks to you similar to last year's Watch 5, that's because the two are expected to actually have the exact same physical dimensions.

Based on leaks from reputable sources, Samsung is sticking with the round design, same thickness, same width, overall no changes in sizing.

As we mentioned earlier, the smaller 40mm is perfect for those with a smaller wrist, while the 44mm larger watch size will fit medium to large sized wrists better.

Just like its predecessor, the Watch 6 gets a sapphire glass on both the screen and the bottom part of the timepiece, and this is great news as sapphire is said to be 60% better at resisting scratches than regular glass.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Bands

A brand new way to swap bands

First, let's say that the Galaxy Watch 6 is expected to support the same 20mm size of bands, but with one important change.

While previous Galaxy Watches used the industry standard spring bars, the new Watch 6 uses a new proprietary system where you can change straps by just pressing a button. We have not yet seen or tested this in real life, but it's hugely promising. The previous method required you to lay your watch on a table and then it took a few attempts to take the band off and put on a new strap, and this should make it all easier.

As you can see in the images, Samsung ships a color matching sports band for each Galaxy Watch 6 color, so you get a black strap for the black watch, a beige/gold strap for the beige model, and a gray strap for the silver model. All three straps are pictured with that new system for changing straps.

Of course, this means that we should get a bunch of new bands from Samsung, which could be good business for the company as first-party accessories are typically quite pricey.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Software & Features

WearOS 4 brings welcome battery gains

The Galaxy Watch 5 was the first Samsung timepiece with Wear OS, a change from the Tizen platform used previously.

The Watch 6 is the second generation and we expect it to be even more refined, running on Wear OS 4.0.

This latest version of the software will bring noticeable improvements to battery life and a few welcome changes like no longer requiring you to reset your watch when you connect to a new phone.

We still don't have specific news about new types of supported workout or other specific health and fitness software improvements, but we will be updating this section as news comes in.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Battery and Charging

QUICKSUMMARY

One of the biggest complaints against the Watch 5 was battery life as most users had to charge it every day.

Samsung seems to have heard those complaints and the Galaxy Watch 6 brings a bigger battery and coupled with the improvements in Wear OS 4.0, we are very hopeful for battery life.

Here are the Galaxy Watch 6 battery numbers compared to previous generations of Samsung watches:

• Galaxy Watch 6 40mm battery size: 300 mAh (+5.6% compared to Watch 5)
• Galaxy Watch 5 40mm battery size: 284 mAh (+15% compared to Watch 4)
• Galaxy Watch 4 40mm battery size: 247 mAh

• Galaxy Watch 6 44mm battery size: 425 mAh (+3.6%)
• Galaxy Watch 5 44mm battery size: 410 mAh (13.6%)
• Galaxy Watch 4 44mm battery size: 361 mAh

The Watch 6 is expected to have similar fast charging speeds as the previous model, where a half hour top-up gives you nearly 40% of charge. Expectations are that a full charge to 100% will still take around two hours.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Models and Prices

Samsung is said to launch a Wi-Fi only version of the Watch 6, as well as a separate cellular / LTE version for a slight premium.

Overseas prices have already leaked out and there is a very slight price bump, so that's good news considering the inflation situation.

Galaxy Watch 6 Prices:

• 40mm model €320 Wi-Fi only
• 40mm model €370 Wi-Fi + 4G LTE

*40mm model will be available in Graphite and Cream colors in Europe

Compared to last year's model, that's a modest increase of €20, so we can expect a similarly modest $20 price hike in the US.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Voice Calls and Haptics

The Galaxy Watch 6 has a microphone and supports voice calls, and if you have the cellular version with a plan you can make phone calls on the watch without ever using your smartphone.

We will be testing the voice call quality and update you later in this section.

Similarly for haptics, we will have more information about how the vibration feedback on the watch feels after the official launch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Competitors

So... what are your other options?

First and foremost, that's the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic with its rotating bezel. It's the same watch, but with that neat feature and a larger battery, but also it comes at larger sizes which might not fit well smaller wrist sizes.

Then you have the Apple Watch, of course, but for that you need an iPhone. The Apple Watch is the market leader with extremely accurate heart rate measurements, as well as a number of improvements that Apple has made in watchOS 10.

Finally, you also have sports watches like the Garmin Forerunner 265/965 and other in the Garmin family like the Venu series or the Epix models. Garmin watches with OLED screens last at least four days or a lot more for the bigger sizes and if you don't use the Always-On function you can expect a battery life of as long as two weeks. That's a huge advantage. But most Garmin watches are not offered in an LTE model and you cannot place or receive calls on most of them.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Summary

In summary, the Galaxy Watch 6 shapes up to be a welcome update that aims to fix all the shortcomings of the previous model.

Sure, the design might look similar, but the expected improvements to battery life, the larger screen, the faster processor are just the kinds of improvements we wished for.

And we absolutely love having durable sapphire glass on a watch at this price point, while a similar Apple Watch in a stainless steel body and sapphire glass would set you back nearly $800.

Of course, we will be updating this preview with real-life impressions and in-depth testing once the watch actually arrives at the end of July, but we have high hopes for this one.

Adblock test (Why?)