Meet The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Contemporary Look, Stunning Functionality [Review]

The best smartwatch for your Android smartphone, probably.

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Samsung has been making excellent smartwatches for a while now. Their use of the bezel as a control dial was genius.

The Galaxy Watch4 looks like an unassuming contemporary fashionable wristwatch. Right out of the box, it goes with almost every look.

On top of that, they collaborated with Google to create an interface and feature set that is second to none in the Android smartwatch space.

Specifications

Casing

40.4mm (including lugs) by 39.3mm by 9.8mm (excluding the health sensor).
26g (without strap).
Armour Aluminium.

Dail

1.2in (30.4mm).
Circular Super AMOLED.
396px by 396px.
Full colour.
Always on.

Crystal

Corning Gorilla Glass DX+.

Tech

Battery: 247mAh.
Processor: Exynos W920 Dual-Core 1.18GHz.
OS: Wear OS Powered by Samsung.
Memory: 1.5GB RAM + 16GB Internal Memory.

Connectivity

LTE.
Bluetooth 5.0.
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz.
NFC.
A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo.

Sensor

Accelerometer.
Barometer.
Gyro sensor.
Geomagnetic sensor.
Light sensor.
Optical heart rate sensor.
Electrical heart sensor.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor.

Durability

5ATM+IP68/MIL-STD-810G.

Compatibility

Compatible with Android 6.0 or higher, RAM 1.5GB above.

The Galaxy Watch4 40mm (Bluetooth) comes in black, pink gold, and silver. It retails for RM899.

With a feature set this big and a price that low, it was no surprise that the Galaxy Watch4 pre-orders were sold out before it was launched.

The pre-orders for the 44mm variant and the two Galaxy Watch4 Classic variants are said to be sold out as well.

However, we don’t know how many units were available in the first place.

There are also the LTE versions of the Galaxy Watch4 and the Galaxy Watch4 Classic. They can do more, like make calls and receive notifications, without the need for an Android smartphone.

However, that variant is not yet available in Malaysia.

A Quick Look

Check out my first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4. There I covered the unboxing, my initial thoughts, and some of its features that I experienced in the first four days of using the smartwatch.

Here is my experience using the Galaxy Watch4 40mm (Bluetooth), the smallest and most affordable version in the series, for the past 10 days.

Understated but outstanding

The Galaxy Watch4 looks like an unassuming contemporary fashionable wristwatch. Right out of the box, it matches with almost every look.

The black model that I have for the review goes well with everything: formal, informal, with casual wear when I go out, or with loungewear when I laze at home.

It is also priced competitively with a contemporary wristwatch which makes it an easy choice especially if you are a person who values form and function.

Galaxy Watch4 has more looks than a fancy wristwatch and more capability than a fitness watch. It strikes the perfect balance for the urban dweller.

What I mean is, on one hand, it could do everything that a fitness watch could do and more such as tracking over 90 different exercises, check your blood oxygen level, and tell you your body composition.

All useful information especially when paired with the knowledge of a health or fitness practitioner.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch4 could also track your sleep, your stress levels, and could be further enhanced with apps that can add more functionality such as Samsung Pay which lets you use contactless payment using the watch.

With the right apps, it is an indispensable everyday tool for fitness, productivity, or whatever that you want to do.

I find the sleep monitoring feature useful to understand why I wake up fresh or tired that day.

The notifications feature is also a boon when I want to not be distracted but still be informed without engaging with my smartphone. For example when I have ordered a delivery. The app will tell me through the watch to make sure I know that the rider is close by.

Do It Its Way

Although I appreciate the simple look, the ease of use, and the capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4, especially its ability to work with any Android smartphone, it is uncompromising when it comes to certain things.

For example, it is not ambidextrous. It has to be worn on the left hand with the buttons facing the hand. It should be a simple fix. Just let users flip the watch face and swap the watch bands.

Because it is a Bluetooth model, the Galaxy Watch is tethered to the smartphone for all its connected functionality. But even with the umbilical cord, there are some settings on the watch that are not available on the smartphone.

Initially, I thought the Watch4 did not have a lock function. I was searching for it on the Wear app on the smartphone where it is easier to browse and discover. However, the option is only available on the smartwatch’s 1.2in display.

I admit that navigating the Watch4 is easy, but mirroring all the settings on the Wear app would make this much easier to use and understand especially for folks who are using it for the first time.