The Samsung Galaxy Watch has been un-dethroneable (not a word) as the best Android watch, and it looks like the throne isn’t going to vacate any time soon. With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic (yes, the Classic is back after two years in purgatory), Samsung’s upped its fitness and health focus – so much so that it spent more time talking about these features at Galaxy Unpacked than it did the specs.
But it’s very deliberate in making sure the wording is about general health and wellness, not about weightloss and overexercising. Essentially, the mix of software and watch hardware is centred on the idea that the Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic are the vessel to drive the smarts that’ll help you live a better life.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic
The Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic have a 20 per cent larger display, as well as a larger keyboard. The Watch 6 has a 30 per cent slimmer bezel and the Watch 6 Classic has a 15 per cent thinner rotating bezel.
Watch 6 specs
- Sizes: 40mm (38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm, 28.7g), 44mm (42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm, 33.3g)
- Display: Sapphire Crystal (40mm: 33.3mm, 432×432 Super AMOLED, Full Colour Always On Display), (44mm: 37.3mm 480×480 Super AMOLED, Full Colour Always On Display)
- Processor: Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz
- Memory & Storage: 2GB memory + 16GB storage
- Battery: Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)
- Material: Armor Aluminum case with Sport Band
- Colours: Graphite and Gold (40mm), Graphite, and Sliver (44mm)
Watch 6 Classic specs
- Sizes: 43mm (42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9 mm, 52.0g), 47mm (46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm, 59.0g)
- Display: Sapphire Crystal (43mm: 33.3mm 432×432 Super AMOLED, Full Colour Always On Display), (47mm: 37.3mm 480×480 Super AMOLED, Full Colour Always On Display)
- Processor: Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz
- Memory & Storage: 2GB memory + 16GB storage
- Battery: Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)
- Material: Stainless Steel case with Hybrid Eco-Leather Band
- Colours: Black and Silver
A focus on sleep
With the Galaxy Watch 6 series, Samsung is focusing three things for sleep: understanding your sleep patterns, building better habits, and helping you set up a sleep-friendly environment.
- Sleep Score Factors will give you total sleep time, sleep cycle, awake time, plus physical and mental recovery (aimed at helping you understand the quality of sleep)
- Sleep Messages provides detailed feedback about your sleep each morning
- Sleep Consistency does what it says on the tin (show you how consistent the your sleep and wake times are)
- Sleep Animal Symbol will be allocated to you based on your sleep type
- And Sleep Coaching is also enhanced to now allow you to do more with your sleep insights (think instructions, tips, and reminders).
In fitness and in health
The Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic also introduce new health and fitness features.
- Body Composition will measure physical things like skeletal muscle, basal metabolic rate, body water, and body fat percentage with the aim of providing a snapshot so you can set body-specific goals, get personalised fitness guidance, and now nutritional tips
- Personalised Heart Rate Zone feature is aimed at helping you to analyse individual physical capabilities (such as optimal running intensity levels) – basically, it’ll let you target specific parts of your body
- Track Run records your runs on a track
- Custom Workout allows you to build and track your specific workout routine
- Skin Temperature is all about cycle tracking (being able to keep track of what’s going on inside my uterus from my wrist is brilliant).
Australian pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic will cost:
- Watch 6 40mm (Bluetooth) RRP $549
- Watch 6 40mm (LTE) RRP $649
- Watch 6 44mm (Bluetooth) RRP $599
- Watch 6 44mm (LTE) RRP $699
- Watch 6 Classic 43mm (Bluetooth) RRP $699
- Watch 6 Classic 43mm (LTE) RRP $799
- Watch 6 Classic 47mm (Bluetooth) RRP $749
- Watch 6 Classic 47mm (LTE) RRP $849
Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are available for preorder in Australia from July 26, with general availability starting August 18.
Samsung also used Galaxy Unpacked to unleash its new Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, and S9 Ultra.
Asha Barbaschow travelled to Seoul as a guest of Samsung Australia.