The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the older brother of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. The Classic version is higher-quality and at the same time larger and bulkier than the normal version. The wearable has a higher-quality design and also features a rotating bezel. All of these upgrades come at a price. The main reason to opt for the Classic variant is the rotating physical bezel, which allows you to easily scroll through menus and navigate the watch. The Watch 4 has a haptic version that doesn’t work nearly as well. This time to know about this watch in our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review.
With the Samsung Watch 4 series, Samsung is re-entering the world of Wear OS, Google’s smartwatch operating system. This software integration ensures that app availability is no longer an issue in the Google Play Store. Samsung and Google are closer partners than ever, working together on the new Galaxy Watch 4 series. Previously, Samsung was on its own, selling Galaxy Watches with its in-house TizenOS. Google, on the other hand, has been trying to help manufacturers take on the Apple Watch with its Wear OS. Now the two efforts have been merged.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 looks familiar but different, and we mean that in the best possible way. It looks like a Galaxy Watch, but this iteration is sharper and more refined. The software works like Tizen, but the updated Google Wear OS platform is pragmatic and precise. Samsung has ditched the “Active” branding for its latest line, instead introducing a sporty-looking Galaxy Watch 4 as the company’s flagship and a “Classic” version that echoes the luxury features of last year’s Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. The Galaxy Watch 4 features a 3-in-1 health sensor that measures heart rate, performs ECGs and tracks body composition. It is the first major smartwatch to offer bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
Design
The name “Classic” hints at the more traditional style and design influences of this watch trading the modern geometry and flat glass face of the standard Watch 4 for a timepiece that leans more towards the aesthetics of a typical mechanical watch. While the layout of sensors, buttons and screen is identical on both Watch 4 types, the Classic features a more solid stainless steel case and, more importantly, a physically rotating bezel instead of the standard model’s touch-based alternative. We will describe the information about the watch design in this Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review.
Like the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown, the physical bezel serves as a means of rotational input, and the satisfying “click” it delivers with each rotation provides a pleasing level of tactility that the haptic feedback on the standard Watch 4’s virtual alternative does not. Similar to last year’s Galaxy Watch 3, the Classic comes in two case sizes: 42mm and 46mm, both of which are significantly heavier and thicker than the slimmer aluminum-bodied Watch 4.
The standard model comes in four colors, while the Classic is only available in two colors: either black or silver, regardless of case size. The smaller 42mm Watch 4 Classic is also the thickest entry in the line, but the added weight and thickness of the variant compared to the standard models – doesn’t really translate in the real world; still feels like a relatively unobtrusive smartwatch looking the part.
Display
Like its predecessor, the watch features a 1.4-inch circular AMOLED touchscreen. In terms of upgrades, the peak brightness of the screen has been increased, which makes it easier to read in bright ambient light and greatly improves readability in sunlight. The benefits of screen brightness also come into play when using the Always-on Display feature, which keeps the display active to show basic information on the watch’s customizable face. The display is protected by scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass DX+, and the watch is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters. Now you can read about the display features in this Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review.
Compared to last year’s model, the Watch4 Classic offers a few other notable new features, including a faster processor for smoother scrolling, a higher-resolution display for sharper images, expanded storage for music and apps, a sensor to measure body fat, and a useful snore detection feature. The 42mm Watch4 Classic has a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 396 x 396 pixels, while the 46mm model has a 1.4-inch screen with 450 x 450 pixels.
Regardless of size, the display is bright and beautiful, offering a higher resolution than the already vibrant and easy-to-read 360 x 360 display of the last generation. In our testing, the Watch4 Classic lasted 29 hours of normal to heavy use with the display off before the battery dropped to 5% and I had to plug it back into the charger. In other words, you should expect to need to charge the watch daily. During an intense day of testing, the always-on display only lasted 19 hours. The Apple Watch Series 6 lasted about 25.5 hours in the test with the always-on display enabled.
Tracking
Over the course of a week, we logged a variety of indoor and outdoor workouts using the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. For my review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 workout, we started with weightlifting, and although the watch allows tracking individual movement types, we stuck to the circuit training option. The Apple Watch has a few more options when it comes to tracking different sports, but the Galaxy Watch 4 has more niche choices. You will probably need to add exercise types from the Samsung Health app on your smartphone, although the default list is not extensive.
While doing yoga, we felt our calorie count was high, but we found my heart rate updated faster than it did on the Galaxy Watch 3. For a workout that keeps your heart rate in a shorter range than, say, cardio, the frequent ones Refresh is helpful to see how certain poses affect my body. We couldn’t monitor our wrist as closely while cycling as we could with Downward-Facing Dog. Luckily, the Galaxy Watch 4 offers audible and vibration mileage updates, as well as a brief activity summary every 30 minutes.
Again, we find the watch’s calorie count overly generous, but the GPS mapped my reliable 10-mile route well. The Galaxy Watch 4’s automatic workout tracking is similarly successful. When we’re juggling my 90-pound dog, my phone, my keys, and sometimes a coffee, we often forget to start a run. A buzz on our wrist lets me know when the Galaxy Watch 4 recognizes our walk and starts tracking once we have left our apartment. This is one of the best tracking feature in this watch so you can continue read on Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review.
Other Features
The Watch 4 series is certainly ambitious, targeting not only Apple but also smartwatches from fitness specialists Garmin and Fitbit. Workouts track a wide range of activities such as walk, run, squats, stretches, swim, weights, elliptical, hamstrings, aerobics and more. The gyro sensors are also a lot better than those on the Watch 3, registering movement much more accurately, especially on your hourly stretches if you have set the prompt on the watch to remind you to get out of your office chair / get out of the sofa often rise during the day.
It used to be that for a set of ten reps, it would take four or five for the clock to start counting. Now they all seem to be counted, although one or too sloppy rep still doesn’t count for doing it half-heartedly, but it always feels fair now. Heart rate tracking seems more reliable this time around and is best left on at all times rather than just being tested manually if you want to establish some decent baselines for regular assessments at rest and exertion. More detailed health features are a bit of a hit and miss.
The new body composition sensor, which is activated by placing your fingers on the two buttons for a short time, provides readings of body fat, skeletal muscle, BMI, body water and more after you give it your weight. Results seem to vary quite a bit unless you strictly adhere to doing it at the same time each day, and even then you may get different results if your arms are in slightly different positions during the scan. You’d be much better off using the results from a proper set of BMI scales, especially since they’re pretty cheap these days.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic uses the proprietary Exynos W920 chipset paired with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. This combination is enough to keep the clock running without any issues. During our month-long test period, we experienced no lag or stuttering when using the wearable once. This is one of the fastest and most responsive smartwatches we have come across.
Out of 16GB of storage, you get about 7GB of storage space to store music, apps, and files, as the rest is occupied by the operating system and pre-installed apps. Speaking of the operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic returns to the Wear OS game with a combination of Wear OS and Samsung’s Tizen OS capabilities. The new operating system on the watch is called One UI Watch 3. The software isn’t too different from last-gen Samsung wearables, but it does bring changes.
It comes with a number of Samsung applications that will be used, but it is mainly Wear OS. The presence of Wear OS means that you can also access Google Play Services and the Play Store to download a number of apps and services to your wrist. However, pairing and all fitness and function data can only be accessed through the Samsung Health app and not through Google’s Wear OS app. In terms of app collection, you get more of what Samsung offers with Tizen OS.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42 mm has a 247 mAh battery, while the 46 mm version has a 361 mAh battery. Despite the different screen sizes, we expect them to last about the same amount of time. The battery and charging are among the most disappointing features of the watch. On a full charge, the wearable cannot be used for more than a day and a half.
In most cases we were able to go to bed at 11 a.m. with about 30 percent battery remaining, but under heavy use the watch would run out around 9 p.m. We turned on AoD, set the brightness to 70%, used GPS for 30 minutes, and turned on notifications from most communication apps. As for charging, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic comes with a charging pad included in the package.
A full charge takes 2 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes, with only 45-50% charge in the first hour. Wearables such as the OnePlus Watch and the Oppo Watch, which cost about $188.93, offer fast charging that can fully charge the watch in less than 60 minutes, while Samsung continues to maintain slow charging, which can become troublesome if charging during the day. This is an area where we want Samsung to be a step ahead with its next-generation smartwatches.
Configurations Options
The Galaxy Watch 4 starts at $249.99 for the 40mm Bluetooth model and $299.99 for the 40mm LTE model. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic starts at $349.99 for the 42mm Bluetooth model and $399.99 for the 42mm LTE model. The Samsung Watch 4 Classic costs $440.90 with a one-year warranty. Despite being the most highly charged smartwatch we have come across, it’s not a product for everyone. It’s certainly not a product for someone like me who values battery life as much as fitness tracking accuracy.
We certainly don’t want another device that we have to charge every day; one that makes me scared of the battery. We’d much rather prefer a good fitness watch like the Amazfit GTR 2, which gives me most of the fitness tracking features available here, bar a few, and ten times the battery backup for almost a third of the cost. Reaching for the phone to reply to messages on a much larger screen is an activity we’d love to indulge in.
This watch isn’t for small wrists either, but you can get a 42mm variant of the same for a few bucks. However, if these shortcomings don’t matter and you are looking for the most advanced smartwatch available for the Android platform, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is arguably the best option available in India at the moment.
Conclusion
If you already use an Android phone, particularly a Galaxy model, this is one of the best smartwatches you can buy. It is a decent upgrade over previous models, with a faster operating system and improved health features, including exercise and sleep monitoring. The display is extremely clear and bright, although we recommend choosing the largest size possible because the text is smaller on some watch faces. We hope you carefully read all of the information on this Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review.
Lifting to activate the display also works much better than previous models. Thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone, the Watch 4 is also able to answer calls quickly. It still lacks Google Assistant, so you’ll have to rely on Bixby for voice commands, but we all know you won’t. The Watch 4 Classic is a harder sell if you bought last year’s Watch 3, because there is not much difference despite the new operating system.
