Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Review 2022: The Best Smartwatch Yet?

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 – Two-minute Review

One of our favorite smartwatches of all time returns with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, and it’s the first time that the firm has embraced Wear OS software. There are several notable differences between the One UI Watch 3 and the regular Wear OS watch.

As a smartwatch that can monitor workouts, as well as provide a wide range of smart capabilities that many other wrist companions can’t, the Watch 4 is an excellent choice for anybody who wants a high-end wristwatch.

Despite this, the Galaxy Watch 4’s compatibility remains abysmal compared to previous Samsung watches. Unless you have a Samsung phone, you won’t be able to use certain services, such as ECG or blood pressure readings.

Samsung’s prior smartwatches have been among the finest in terms of interoperability, thus this is a disappointment. It is not going to work with an iPhone. However, you can still get the Watch 4 if you have an Android phone that isn’t owned by Samsung, but there are a few caveats.

There is a lot to enjoy about the watch’s design, despite the fact that there are certain limitations. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a virtual rotating bezel, which may be used in combination with two buttons located on the right-hand side to navigate the smartwatch’s menus. However, this is an acceptable replacement for the Galaxy Watch 3’s rotating bezel.

A new body composition tool provides you an indication of your approximate body fat percentage, but the rest of the fitness tools are mostly the same as what we’ve seen in the past. While testing out the Galaxy Watch 4, we discovered that the device’s GPS, heart rate monitor, and other fitness functions were well thought out.

The Galaxy Watch 4’s battery life isn’t a major issue, but it isn’t the longest-lasting smartwatch. If you’re not working out or utilizing features like GPS, you can expect it to survive for up to two days with regular to severe use.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 were also unveiled with the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which has a physical rotating bezel and is the main distinction between the two smartphones.

Anyone who has a Galaxy phone should consider the Galaxy Watch 4 as a smartwatch option. Aside from the restrictions listed above for Android phones, this is still a good wristwatch option if you have an Android device.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Design & Hardware

When it comes to normal timepieces, modern wristwatch design is like a stinking bog. It’s quite easy for manufacturers to get carried away with gaudy decoration when smartwatch hardware is involved. Although both styles may be appealing to some, we prefer the Watch4 because of its subtle elegance. Almost to the point of not being a smartwatch at all, it looks like a watch.

To be honest, that’s the biggest compliment we can bestow on Samsung’s designers, and although this is still smartwatch-thick, its tapered bottom and fluid band give it the appearance of a more refined design.

There is also a low-profile side button pair and the top is wrapped in just the faintest trace of a beautiful red accent, thanks to these wise judgments. It’s a far cry from what some other corporations are doing, and we think it’s quite nice.

The non-Classic Watch4 doesn’t have a bezel, so we can’t spin it to our heart’s content. While we’ll go into more detail about the practical implications of it later, we believe that doing without it is a huge design gain. If it had been damaged in any way, we were worried about the Watch4’s long-term viability, but thus far it seems to have escaped unscathed. The only harm we’ve seen is a buildup of junk in the hair-thin space between the screen and the watch body.

Although the strap is a glaring omission, the rest of the design is solid. We are not a fan of the tuck-under design since it chafes and tugs at your skin and makes finding a perfect fit a nightmare. Even though it’s “sporty,” this would be an early replacement if you were to wear the Watch4 for a long time.

Even though the display isn’t as high-definition as the bigger models, it’s nevertheless astonishingly crisp and capable of displaying even the smallest details without pixelation. Even if certain watch faces seem to be overstuffed with information, we’d rather cope with that than the alternative. There are still stutters even with the 60 Hertz refresh rate. We would give everything to have a smooth wristwatch UI.

A magnetic charger, one Sport band, and quick-start instructions are all that is included with the Watch4.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Software, Performance, and Battery Life

We haven’t used a Wear OS device in a while since we’ve been wearing the Watch3 for the previous several months. It’s precisely what we were promised for the Watch4: Wear OS with a hearty dose of Tizen influence. If you’ve used a Samsung wearable before, you’ll be able to pick it up quickly thanks to its familiarity with Wear OS software.

Google and Samsung seem to be quite close in this endeavor, and we are not a fan of the concept of software exclusivity that we’ve already begun to see. There is no precedent for a dedicated Bixby button; no one has ever requested one in the history of any product or service. But despite the fact that Samsung Pay is more convenient than Google Pay, it works just as well.

We are not a fan of dealing with alerts on the wrist; if the phone is near enough to transmit notifications to the wrist, we would prefer to simply deal with them there. Thanks to the program, you have complete control over which information you want to be able to access.

The fitness fanatic will find a lot to appreciate here. Using a wristwatch as a sensor is one of our favorite concepts, and Samsung has done a fantastic job with the Watch4. Pulse ox is back, and it’s joined by an ECG mode which sounds interesting, but we are not sure how many people will really use it.

Even though the body fat analysis involves an uncomfortable position to acquire a measurement, it is our favorite. The figures we obtain are reliable enough to seem exact, but we can’t overlook the fact that the readings we see are vastly different from those recorded by our smart scale.

The Watch4 has a hard time measuring the stats it’s searching for at times, so the data it gathers isn’t always accurate. Even after a few weeks of usage, the heart rate data is often lost during an exercise for a few minutes at a time. Tightening or sliding a wristband up or down your arm may help, but it doesn’t always work. UI continuously reminds you to do this as if it’s aware of measuring issues.

There are instances when the information you’re searching for is simply too vague to be of any use. The Watch4 adds snoring detection to Samsung’s sleep monitoring capabilities. For the last several months, we’ve been wondering whether or not the snoring has improved as a consequence of a recent weight loss; this seemed like a good test. The Watch4’s first flaw is that it can’t measure this on its own and instead uses the microphone on the attached smartphone to capture your snores. All right. On the phone in the morning, we see “no snoring data,” even though we’ve set everything up. Is this a sign that we’ve stopped snoring? Is this a sign that we haven’t granted microphone access? To us, this uncertainty suggests that there is no evidence to support our claim that we didn’t snore. In places like these, wearables on Android remind us that we have to go a long way before they’re really useful.

Because the 40mm model’s screen is so small, touch input on this display may be a bit of a hassle. Each time we enter our PIN, it seems like a throw of the dice, and even merely navigating the system’s interface demands taps more exact than we are able to rapidly and accurately input while working out. There should be more functionality related to the physical buttons or at least bigger on-screen components.

In addition, the battery life of this tiny watch is sufficient but not exceptionally spectacular. Generally speaking, it will not be able to operate for more than a few days at a stretch. We haven’t been able to find a time that isn’t inconvenient to charge it. We prefer to use the Watch4 for its sleep monitoring rather than a phone since it is easier to charge at night. In addition, we take it off before taking a shower, but that isn’t enough time for it to completely recharge. The wearable FOMO isn’t an issue limited to Samsung, either.

BioActive is the first time that Samsung has taken a more aggressive approach to health monitoring, and the Galaxy Watch 4 is no exception.

Basically, this BioActive sensor combines many sensors into one device, allowing you to monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and even do an ECG test all at once. When it comes to the new Body Composition tool, which analyzes your calorie intake, BMI, body water, skeletal muscle, and body fat in a more comprehensive way, it stands out (basal metabolic rate).

Using the Galaxy Watch 4’s two pushbuttons, you must hold your ring and middle fingers to them while keeping your arms apart from your body in order to do this scan. To our surprise, the Galaxy Watch 4 surpassed our expectations when it came to all of the metrics we were intrigued about.

According to the Withings Body Cardio, Galaxy Watch 4 was accurate with our BMI count and shockingly accurate with the body water levels. To get an accurate measurement of your Body Composition, the Gear S4 requires you to manually enter your most recent weight, which isn’t a total substitute for scales but is still useful. Even so, this technology has a lot of potentials and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 is a true winner when it comes to fitness monitoring, but this time there are a few additional features to keep an eye out for. You may now run all of the fitness monitoring via Google Fit if you so want as part of the Wear OS transition. For us, it was simpler to continue with Samsung Health because of how heavily it was integrated into the Galaxy Watch 4 UI.

Google and Samsung: Together again

The Watch 4 has a new Wear OS operating system, which is the most significant update this time around. The Galaxy Watch is solely compatible with Android devices, marking a departure from prior Galaxy and Wear watches, which could also connect to iPhones in a limited capacity. The Wear OS experience is quite similar to that of other Android watches. Wear OS is also compatible with other Android devices.

The tile experience is carried over from prior Samsung watches. You can view fitness dashboards, the weather can be checked, and text messages can be examined for information. For us, it’s the most effective method of getting to fitness functions quickly. You can start a workout by rotating the bezel or swiping a couple of times, or you can receive a body analysis, have your blood oxygen levels checked, or have an ECG exam.

Because Google Play happens to be the only app store available for the Galaxy Watch 4, it is integrated with current Google services such as Fit, YouTube, and Maps. The remainder of the setup procedure, on the other hand, seems extremely Samsung. You’re pairing the watch with a Samsung Wear app, and Samsung Health is serving as your primary fitness and health app.