It’s been ten years since the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch helped define a burgeoning tech category. And in 2023, we’re looking at one of the company’s finest expressions to date: the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 series, comprising both the Watch6 and Watch6 Classic.
Such cardinal milestones are always paired with high expectations. Will Samsung revolutionise – as it has done many times before – or is this generation all about refinement?
After spending a few days with the Watch6 Classic, I’m skewing to the latter. However, this is no rote iteration; what Samsung has done is improve what is still a young and exciting technology, fine-tuning it to offer one of the very best premium wearables one could buy right now.
Samsung’s software is unquestionable. What we have with the Watch6 Classic is a detailed wellness and fitness ecosystem, leaning on improved sensors, as well as a speedy 1.4Ghz Exynos W930 chipset with 2GB RAM, and a vastly improved design when compared to the last Galaxy Watch that helps the sensor sit flush against the wrist for improved accuracy.
The result is a genuinely intelligent smartwatch that expands upon the success of previous Samsung wearables. Samsung’s Health app has been polished and is now more useful – there’s better integration into the Galaxy ecosystem, especially when it comes to sleep. Additionally, the return of the rotating bezel just makes everything move more seamlessly.
The watch’s display is one of the more notable upgrades. Samsung’s designers have found a way to not only up screen size, but reduce the bezel proportions so the display looks more immersive than the previous model. Outdoor visibility has always been a massive issue with wearables, so increasing maximum brightness has also had a significant impact; the Watch6 Classic is able to reach up to 2,000 nits of brightness. To compare, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra tops out at 1,750 nits.
We’ve been most fascinated by Samsung’s focus on holistic sleep evaluation, which is presented in an engaging and insightful way. After about a week’s worth of sleep data, the watch will assign you a sleeping coach focused on improving any present issues, like an inconsistent sleeping schedule, frequent awakening and not enough time spent in deep sleep.
The overall sleep score provided each morning is a great top-line indication of quality rest. Once an issue is detected, being able to dive deeper into the granular details is truly invaluable.
Hacking your sleep and ensuring optimal rest is an easy way to have your day-to-day work for you, rather than against you. In this case, the more data the better, and Samsung is clearly happy to oblige.
Samsung Health uses the Watch6 Classic’s sensors to paint a bigger, more useful picture of your sleep activity. You’ve now got skin temperature measurements during sleep, adding new dimensions to the already wide-ranging sleep data on offer.
There is power in knowing yourself and the individual differences that make you tick. Each year, smartwatch manufacturers strive to better illustrate this idea with a balance between useful smart features, and insightful health features. With the Watch6 Classic, Samsung has dialled in an incredible amount of detail to essentially gamify self-health management and make improvements not only fun but also sustainable with quantifiable data.
Sleep phases now make sleep data more holistic, beyond the typical “go to sleep on time” prompts, is a veritable game-changer and can help lead to meaningful adjustments. With the new sleeping coach, you’re able to work towards sustainable tasks and habits that will have a net benefit on how you sleep, which in turn can help unlock an optimal lifestyle.
There’s almost nothing more valuable than that. And by that measure, we consider Samung’s Watch6 Classic the quintessential step-up that the nascent wearable industry has needed for some time. So while it may not be a revolution, it’s exactly the kind of refinement Android users need.
This article is sponsored by Samsung. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
