A Wear OS watch for Samsung fans

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a lot of importance for both Samsung as well as Google. Samsung has ditched its tried and true smartwatch platform. It also relies on Google not to drop the ball (again) on Wear OS. Google is relying instead on Samsung to showcase what Wear OS can offer, but it has little say in the hardware or platform that the software will be presented on.

So far, the results are mixed. Samsung’s heavy handed approach to software overshadows the new WearOS experience. We wonder which elements are Samsung and which elements will appear on future WearOS 3 watches. The Galaxy Watch 4 is a great option for many buyers, as long as they are Samsung fans. Learn more in our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 will be its flagship smartwatch in 2021. The Galaxy Watch 4 is different from previous Samsung smartwatches because it runs a new version Google’s smartwatch software, Wear OS. This platform was developed by both companies.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available in two versions: Galaxy Watch 4 (sportier version) and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (high-end material). The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the successor to the Galaxy Watch 3 of 2020. The Watch 4 Classic and Watch 4 are available in both small and large sizes, and with optional LTE connectivity.

You’ll receive the same features and internal hardware regardless of the variant. These are meant to be everything-but-the-kitchen-sink smartwatches, so they offer plenty of smart features, fitness- and health-tracking modes, and more. The smartwatches can be paired with any Android phone, but the Samsung phones will provide the best experience (more about that later).

The Galaxy Watch 4 standard comes in Black, Silver and Pink gold. Galaxy Watch Classic only comes in Black or Silver.

Samsung has a Galaxy Watch 4 for everyone, just like its smartphones. The smallest Galaxy Watch 4 with Bluetooth only costs $249, while the larger Bluetooth version starts at $279. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic models cost $100 more than their sportier counterparts. Verizon and AT&T sell the LTE-connected versions, which are more expensive.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Galaxy Watch 4 are designed for people with different requirements.

Let’s begin with the base model. The Galaxy Watch 4 has a thinner and lighter design than the Classic. The Galaxy Watch 4 is made from aluminum, a lighter and more sporty material. The Galaxy Watch doesn’t have the rotating bezel, but it does have a touch-enabled version that allows you to spin your finger along the edge of the watch and swipe through the software menus. The bezel is handy but not as simple to use as that of the Classic.

The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is slightly heavier and has a stainless-steel frame than the Galaxy Watch 4. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has the same fitness features as the Galaxy Watch 4, so it can be used for fitness, but is more suitable to wear in the office.

Both smartwatches are comfortable to wear all day. The Galaxy Watch 4 is lighter and more comfortable to wear on my wrist.

The Galaxy Watch 4 will not fit all wrists. At least, not with the silicone straps that are provided. The smartwatches suffer from a similar problem to Fitbit Ionic, where the angle of the straps connecting to the case protrudes out more than I would like. This leaves some extra space underneath the case’s lugs. The watches look bulkier. It could be fixed by using a strap with connectors that are not angled like the silicone straps shipped with the watches.

All Galaxy Watch 4 models can be fitted with 20mm standard straps, despite the fact that there are multiple case sizes. Although the silicone straps included with both models feel soft and comfortable, I have had a difficult time changing them. Since the pin is flush with the strap, it’s difficult to remove.

Both models are available in both small and large sizes. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 we tested is the 44mm version with a 1.36 inch AMOLED display. Also, a Galaxy Watch 4 in 40mm size with a display of 1.19 inches is available. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is available in two sizes: 42mm and 46mm. Both have the same display size as their similar sized counterparts.

The Galaxy Watch 4 AMOLED panels are stunning. The panels are bright and colorful, with a wide viewing angle.

Ambient light sensors are built into the watches, so they automatically adjust brightness when you move from indoors to outdoors. The screens have never been too dim or bright in the house when I am lying in bed, or in direct sunlight.

The larger watches come with 361mAh batteries, while the smaller ones have 247mAh. Samsung says that no matter which size or model you choose, each watch should last around 40 hours with a single charge. This has not been my experience.

In my testing, I have primarily used the Galaxy Watch 4 and it has consistently lasted 1.5 days with a single charge. After almost a day-and-a-half of use, my watch reached 15% battery life after I had the always-on screen on and tilt-to wake off. Auto-brightness was also on. Heart rate and stress recording were both on. Wi-Fi, location, NFC and Wi-Fi were all enabled. I ran 5 miles with GPS.

After 24 hours, the battery was at 40% after using the same settings as above but without any workout.

These results are pretty good, considering that I was pushing the smartwatch quite hard. As is the norm with smartwatch estimates, you will need to turn off some sensors to reach the “up to X-hours” estimate. Please note that the results could be affected by any combination of settings. These are small batteries, after all.

Right to left: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Garmin Venu 2.

During testing, the 40mm Galaxy Watch 4 Classic did not last as long as its larger counterpart. It lasted 24 hours with one night’s sleep tracking, but that was it.

Buy the largest Galaxy Watch 4 if you want the longest lasting Galaxy Watch 4.

Wear OS still has a battery life that isn’t competitive with platforms like Fitbit or Garmin. These platforms have outlasted Google’s watches over the years.

The charging time is one of my biggest complaints about both watches. After only 30 minutes, both watches can be used for about 10 hours. However, a full recharge takes almost two hours. It’s not a good idea to wait that long to turn your smartwatch on. If they needed to be recharged every few weeks, it would be a completely different discussion. But these smartwatches only last one to two days.

Before proceeding : It is important to note that some of the Samsung-marketed health tracking features are only available on Galaxy Watches when paired with Samsung phones. Galaxy Watch 4 Series offers an electrocardiogram feature that allows you to perform ECGs at your convenience. The Samsung Health Monitor App must be installed on your smartphone to use this feature. It is only available with Samsung devices. Galaxy Watch 4 also uses your smartphone to monitor snoring during the night. However, this feature is only available for Samsung phones.

Samsung watches are also capable of monitoring blood pressure, but the feature is very limited. This feature is only available in Australia, and you’ll need a Samsung smartphone to use it.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Series tracks all the health statistics you would expect. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series tracks all the basic health stats you’d expect. Samsung Health tracks your activity stats, not Google Fit.

Galaxy Watch 4 Series can track over 90 sports modes. Running, hiking, biking, and yoga are included. You can also choose from a variety of weightlifting options, such as arm curls, leg curls and bench press. You can even choose a snorkeling option if that’s your thing.

You’ll receive workout data, such as heart rate zones, splits and VO2max, when you use GPS to track your exercise. Samsung Health’s post-workout information is very well laid out. It’s easy to understand how your data is connected with the pace/elevation charts.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 offers advanced running metrics. In my Galaxy Watch 3 Review, I praised the metrics and am happy to see that they are back. The Galaxy Watch 4 tracks your asymmetry and flight time as well as your regularity, vertical and stiffness during each run. Each one will give you a score (improvement, good or great), useful when trying to perfect your running form.

It’s fascinating to me to delve into this data. For example, the stiffness metric showed that I was more stiff during the first 35 mins of my run. This was definitely the case for a particular workout.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Series has what it calls a BioActive Sensor, which includes an optical heart rate (PPG), electrocardiogram(ECG) and bioelectrical resistance (BIA). Let’s start with heart rate.

Samsung’s statement that it used the same heart-rate sensor module as in the Galaxy Watch 3 or Active 2 made me a little concerned. In terms of heart rate accuracy, both of these watches were rated very poorly compared to other wearables or chest straps.

The Galaxy Watch 4 series uses new algorithms to correct these issues. In my tests, I was impressed by the accuracy of the Galaxy Watch 4. Below is a comparison of the Apple Watch Series 6 with a Polar H10 chest band.

The Galaxy Watch 4 was able to keep up with the Polar H10, Apple Watch and other smartwatches for almost the entire distance. The run was challenging because of the hills, sprints and two major stops where I took a break. The Watch 4 provided accurate data even at the highest peaks or lowest valleys.

Below is a close-up of the middle part of the run. It contains both rests and a significant heart rate increase between.

You can see the difference between all three devices. Samsung’s watch reports heart rate every 30 seconds. This is why there are no minute data points for the extreme ups and drops (see 27:00-35:00). The sensor was limited in its ability to record details, so it only recorded the general picture of my heart.

Most people will be happy with 30-second recordings. Let’s face it, this shouldn’t have been Samsung’s biggest concern when updating its algorithm. Samsung’s heart-rate sensor is a winner. “Good enough” was better than I expected. Color me impressed!

Unfortunately, GPS accuracy is another story. Samsung deserves the benefit of doubt for the second run (below), since it was partly overcast and I didn’t avoid troublesome areas like bridges or dense tree coverage. Let’s compare it to the Apple Watch Series 6 in a road stretch with heavy tree cover:

Apple Watch stayed on the road without any issues. The Galaxy Watch 4 was mostly as good, but it did veer off more often than I’d like.

In another section of the run, I ran with the two watches under a rock river bridge and then a sprint for two blocks around a few buildings. The Apple Watch again is the most impressive device, while the Galaxy Watch 4…is not.

This was another challenging GPS tracker route, but unfortunately, results like this are common for many wearables. It’s still an improvement from the Galaxy Watch 3 or Active 2.

The Galaxy Watch 4 then messed up my 15-mile run on a sunny day in some areas. Below is a comparison of the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro with the Galaxy Watch.

The Samsung watch almost missed the fact that I veered off onto a soccer pitch to refill my water bottle at the fountain. (See the green line below “Mercyhealth Sportcore”).

The run didn’t improve when the Galaxy Watch missed the bridge again and I had to run through the water. After that, it never recovered. The Fenix 6 Pro isn’t much better, but it’s still a good indication that Garmin’s device was at least able to maintain a general course.

It’s not the most important thing to do, but it can have a significant impact on the overall results. The Fenix 6 Pro recorded exactly 15 miles, while the Galaxy Watch reported only 14.5 miles. These errors can add to the total.

Galaxy Watch 4 tracks stress levels using heart rate and heart-rate variability data. The Galaxy Watch 4 does this, but I don’t find it very helpful either in the Samsung Health App or on the watch. The Galaxy Watch 4 says my stress levels are “normal” even though I have been very stressed recently. Samsung Health only shows me how long it took for my stress levels to spike and the rating between “average” or “high.” App does not provide any additional information, such as my heart rate at the time or if I had been active. Samsung is right to say that stress measurements don’t always reflect how you feel.

If you feel a bit too tight, the Galaxy Watch 4 has breathing exercises built in. If you want, your watch can guide you through guided breathing exercises up to five minute.

Samsung Health does not offer heart rate variability as a separate metric. When we asked whether it would in the future, Samsung responded with “no comment”.

The bioelectrical impedance sensors is next. The Galaxy Watch 4 can determine body composition metrics such as skeletal muscle, basal metabolism rate (BMR), Body Mass Index (BMI), and body fat percentage after 15 seconds of placing your finger on the physical buttons.

I’ve not been able get a body-fat analysis at my doctor’s recently, but I can compare the data from the Galaxy Watch 4 with the Garmin Index S2 Scale. Both devices matched my BMI and water intake numbers almost perfectly. Garmin’s scale said I had 2% extra body fat than what the Galaxy Watch calculated, and Samsung estimated my water retention by three pounds more than what the Index S2 estimated. Garmin estimated that my skeletal muscles were 74 pounds, whereas Samsung said they were closer to 78 pounds.

It’s hard to place too much trust in the accuracy of metrics for consumer devices. Otherwise, you will constantly wonder how they compare with your doctor-certified actual numbers. Consistency is key. Consistency is key. You want to be able to track trends with your Galaxy Watch 4, smart scale or other health-related device. Samsung Health offers daily, monthly and annual views of all this data. The Galaxy Watch 4 body composition metrics have consistently been good over the past week (give or take some readings).

The cost of medical ECG tests and visits to the doctor can quickly become a nuisance. Galaxy Watch 4 ECG is not a substitute for medical testing. You should still see a doctor immediately if there is an issue.

It takes 30 seconds to record an ECG, and you need to be still for a few moments. You can export your results to your doctor directly from the Samsung Health Monitor application on your smartphone once you have finished recording. The Galaxy Watch 4 recordings are compared with other wrist-based ECGs, such as those from the Withings ScanWatch and Apple Watch Series 6.

Galaxy Watch 4 can also record your blood oxygenation (aka SpO2) at any time during the day, or even overnight when you are sleeping. The Galaxy Watch 4’s on-demand readings have matched up with those of other devices that record pulse oximetry. The Galaxy Watch 4 performed well against other devices that record pulse oximetry, including the Apple Watch Series 6, Garmin Fenix 6 Pro and Withings ScanWatch. All of them scored between 95 and 99%. I’m not a frequent dipper below 95% so this result was expected.

The Galaxy Watch 4 records blood oxygen levels in minute increments at night while you sleep. Most wrist-worn wearables record SpO2 every 30 minutes. It’s been a week since I slept with my Galaxy Watch 4 and Fitbit on my wrist. It’s refreshing to see my SpO2 graph in Samsung Health. Fitbit, on the contrary, only displays nightly averages. This is less useful for people who want to monitor their blood oxygen levels.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 can track your sleep phases (light, deep and REM), your time awake, your SpO2 level (as mentioned above) and your snoring, as long as your Samsung phone is paired. As I don’t snore, I didn’t receive any data on snoring.

Fitbit Sense was my preferred sleep tracker to use for this comparison, as I found that it provided the most accurate and useful data. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Fitbit Sense matched their sleep stages on most nights. The Fitbit Sense and Galaxy Watch 4 both caught my mid-night bathroom break, major REM stages, and random mid-night breaks.

The two devices have a slight difference in how they handle sleep data. This can impact your sleep score. The Sense recorded seven hours, 45 minutes of sleeping and one hour, 8 minutes of being awake on a single night. The Galaxy Watch 4 showed seven hours, 23 minutes, of sleep. It also reported one hour, 43 minutes awake. Galaxy Watch added up and all and reported nine hours and seven minute of total sleep, even though it was clear that I wasn’t asleep for almost two hours. My sleep score dropped to 50 out of 100 because sleeping more than nine consecutive hours can affect your sleep score.

This issue can be resolved with a few tweaks in the Samsung Health App. Keep this in mind, if you are relying on Samsung’s sleep scores.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 runs on Wear OS 3, a platform developed jointly by Google and Samsung. You might not notice much difference unless you are like us who care about the software platform that powers the overall experience. This is a Galaxy Watch that runs Samsung software. There are a few Wear OS elements sprinkled throughout.

Google has not been forthcoming about how Wear OS will work for smartwatch makers that want to use the platform. If Google released Android for smartphones and the first device to be launched was a Galaxy S, you would probably wonder which part of the software is Google’s.

This is partially good, as Google gives smartwatch makers the chance to customize WearOS 3 according to their preferences. This means that the software experience will be vastly different depending on which smartwatch manufacturer you choose. Samsung has taken this idea and run with it in the Galaxy Watch 4.

Wear OS 3 is infused with Samsung services and apps. Samsung Health is now the default fitness application, replacing Google Fit. Samsung Pay and not Google Pay is the default contactless payment system. Google Pay can be downloaded from the Play Store. Samsung’s app partnership has also been ported to the Galaxy Watch 4. Microsoft Outlook, for example, is now available out of the package on the Galaxy Watch 4, just as it is on Samsung smartphones.

The Galaxy Watch 4 also has duplicate apps. Two alarm apps, two timer applications, and two stopwatches are available. Samsung is moving to Samsung.

The Galaxy Watch 4 Series does not have Google Assistant, despite Wear OS having the Assistant as a core experience for many years. Samsung made this move to give Bixby, its inferior voice assistant, priority. Google and Samsung both say that Assistant support will be coming, but neither has provided a timeline.

The Galaxy Watch 4 has now been given access to the Google Play Store. This means that you can download more Google applications. Google Maps has been updated and is working well. It drains the battery as it always does.

YouTube Music will soon be available on Wear OS 3 with offline downloads. However, this is not yet available. Spotify also says that it will update its Wear OS application to support offline downloading, but this is not yet available. If you want to play music on your watch when your phone is not nearby, then you will need to use local music files. Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable App makes it simple to transfer music from your phone to your watch.

Popular titles such as Sleep Cycle, Adidas Running and Swim.com will also be launching new Wear OS experiences on August 20.

The software on the Galaxy Watch 4 is excellent. I haven’t encountered any major bugs or issues with performance during my time using it. This is really impressive for such a new platform.

The user interface is also very good. It is much easier to navigate than the previous Wear OS versions. You can swipe left to access Tiles, right for notifications and up to reach the all-apps page. Google’s all-apps page is similar to Apple’s, but it does work. Now, finding and launching apps has never been easier. You can also launch the most recent app by double-tapping on the physical top-right button, just like Android.

Galaxy Watch 4 offers a variety of watch faces. Some are sleek and simple, while others are bright and informative. A few of them are bananas. One analog watch faces replaces “three” by a fruit or vegetable hat with a type of fruit. This watch face is so beautiful that I never care if I’m able to tell the correct time. I love it.

Wear OS 3 is a promising platform. It’s off to an incredibly good start. Samsung, one of the most recognizable names in the business, is backing Google’s new and improved platform. I don’t want to bring Google’s history up, but that’s what I will do. Google has historically been bad at updating previous versions of Wear OS. It announced its few software updates on device forums for example, and left major bugs unfixed for several months.

Google announced during the Wear OS 3 launch that it would release more frequent updates for the platform. However, the company told Android Authority in the past it had “nothing” to say about how often it planned to release updates. This is concerning, given its past. Wear OS 3 quality on the Galaxy Watch 4 will be directly related to how well Google, Samsung and other partners can communicate on updates.

Samsung, however, seems to be optimistic about the longevity of its new platform. It has said that it will continue updating its core One UI Watch applications and fixing bugs as and when they occur. Google needs to be more proactive this time and not just let things slide.

Other software tips and tricks worth sharing

• A new onboarding experience. Setting up a WearOS device is much like setting up an Samsung smartwatch. Wear OS is not used at all. You can now do everything, including initial setup and changing watch faces, by downloading Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable App. On non-Samsung devices, you will still need to install extra background apps such as Samsung Accessory Service or Galaxy Watch 4 Plug-in.
• Niceties of setup: During the installation process, the Galaxy Watch 4 automatically installs apps that you already have on your smartphone. You don’t have to search through the Play Store like you used to before. The watch can also detect phone settings such as do not disturb or blocked callers.
• No iPhone support:Unlike Wear OS 2 devices, Wear OS 3 does not appear to be able pair with iPhones. Google said that it had “nothing to share” regarding the future roadmap or plans for future devices.