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I still remember when watches weren’t touchscreen and actually went ticky-tocky. Everything changed when the touchscreens attacked. Everything about smartwatches nowadays is sleek, modern, and quiet; while those are not exactly bad, I just can’t help feeling that they’re just missing a little something that makes a timepiece truly a classic timepiece.
Needless to say, when the Galaxy Watch6 Classic came out, my favourite feature on the watch was, just like everyone else, the physical rotating bezel. It is just so satisfying to be able to scroll through the menus and count the click-click-clicks until you get to the one you want, and it also makes for a great fidget device for when you’re bored in meetings.
Apart from the bezel’s most welcomed comeback, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic packs quite a decent amount of upgrades over its predecessor, though some of them may not be apparent on the surface.
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic Specifications
- Processor: Exynos W930 (5 nm)
- Display: 1.5” Super AMOLED with Sapphire Crystal
- Memory: 16GB storage, 2GB RAM
- Operating System: Android Wear OS 4, One UI Watch 5
- Battery: 425 mAh
- Features: Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), ECG certified, Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, Samsung Pay
- Durability: 5ATM + IP68 Waterproof
- Dimensions: 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm
- Weight: 59 g (47mm), 52 g (43mm)
Design & Display
We got the Galaxy Watch6 Classic in Silver. It’s a comfortable contrast to the normal boring black that smartwatches usually come in, and very stylish to boot. My favourite thing about Samsung’s smartwatches, as always, is that they actually look like classic watches that timepiece collectors would fawn over, and the Galaxy Watch6 Classic is by far the best in the lineup to achieve that classic, timeless look.
Even though it’s hardly the lightest or slimmest smartwatch I’ve seen, the Galaxy Watch6 still manages to look sleek and polished. It’s first and foremost a fitness watch, but Samsung clearly has the right idea when it comes to style.
Our Watch6 Classic was the 47mm model that looks, frankly, a little ridiculous on me. Even the 43mm model, which I had the honour to try on as well, still looked too big, especially with the added raised bezel that makes the watch much thicker. I much preferred the 40mm size that was an option for the Galaxy Watch6 (which tragically only has a touch bezel), but unfortunately, Samsung is only going big on the Galaxy Watch6 Classic.
Besides that, the Watch6 Classic is also made out of stainless steel, which, apart from adding to the weight, makes it look like the pricey smartwatch it is. Stainless steel is also much more durable than aluminium, and the raised bezel helps somewhat to protect the screen from accidental knocks and scratches.
Another new feature that came with the Galaxy Watch6 Classic isn’t so much on the smartwatch but on the straps—Samsung has included a new quick-release button on the straps so that switching out the bands is quick and simple. That doesn’t mean that you can only use Samsung’s official straps, though. The Galaxy Watch6 Classic can still take third-party 20mm watch straps.
Software
For the most part, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic bears almost no difference from the Galaxy Watch5 series when it comes to software. Sure, it may be the first Samsung smartwatch to get WearOS 4 under OneUI Watch 5 right out of the box, but Samsung’s OneUI feels all the same anyway, so if you’re familiar with Samsung’s smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic will feel just like home.
That is not to say that there are no improvements either. The Watch6 Classic gets the brand new Exynos W930 processor with 2GB RAM, a healthy half-a-gig over the previous generation, and 16GB onboard storage for all the music playlists you need to fit on your wrist.
Swiping and scrolling are perfectly smooth on the Galaxy Watch6 Classic. The widgets are pretty standard for a Samsung smartwatch at least, with plenty more downloadable apps on the Play Store.
Features
Apart from the generic step count, heart rate, and calorie counter, there are also the blood pressure and ECG features that were just KKM-approved in Malaysia this January; plenty of workout modes, enhanced sleep tracking, and body composition measurements are all included as well. So, basically, nothing new; the Galaxy Watch6 Classic packs a wealth of health and fitness features that you can also find on the Galaxy Watch5 series.
Just a small digress: I keep comparing the Galaxy Watch6 Classic to the Galaxy Watch5 series because it makes the most sense numerically, but in fact, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic is the successor to the Galaxy Watch4 Classic, as the suffix suggests.
Anyway, one of the best things about Samsung’s smartwatches is how easy it is to get them connected and integrated with your smartphone. Of course, I already use a Samsung phone as my daily driver, but even with other Android phones, the only thing I needed to do to switch connections was download the Galaxy Wearable app. Surprisingly, the Galaxy Watch6 was able to switch between phones very smoothly, which was very much appreciated.
The connection between phone and smartwatch was also very stable and consistent. There was no delay in incoming notifications, and the phone/smartwatch doesn’t drop connection randomly.
Battery
I never really liked having to charge my smartwatches daily, so if there’s one thing I didn’t like about the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, it’s the battery life. Given that it has a better and more powerful processor, you’d expect it to be more power efficient, but no, the battery life was just as sad as the Galaxy Watch5.
With AOD on, it only lasted a little over a day, which means daily charging is necessary. If you’ve read my review on the Galaxy Watch5, having to charge the smartwatch daily was particularly annoying, because if I have to place it on the charger every night, how was I supposed to track my sleep and find out whether I was an Exhausted Shark or a Sun-Averse Mole?
With AOD off, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic did a little better in staying alive, but even so, it barely made it through the second day, which was somewhat less than Samsung’s promise of 40 hours.
The silver lining in all of this is that charging is relatively fast. The Galaxy Watch6 Classic gets to full charge in a little over an hour, which is pretty acceptable for what it was worth.
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