After Samsung had already revealed first details about the CPU of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 in the run-up, the smartwatch was finally officially unveiled. It appears in two different variants, comes with Wear OS 3.0 and relies on innovative sensors.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 & Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in detail
In the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung relies on a completely redesigned design. The round display is surrounded by an elegant aluminum case, while two physical buttons can be used for navigation next to the touchscreen. Similar to the Galaxy Watch Active 2, the thin screen of the new offshoot is touch-sensitive.
The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, which relies on a stainless steel case, is a bit more sophisticated. Samsung also uses the rotating bezel from the predecessor, which you can use to scroll through menus or messages, for example.
As was already known in advance, the new smartwatch generation relies on the brand-new Samsung Exynos W920, which according to Samsung offers a 20% faster CPU and a ten times faster graphics chip compared to the Exynos 9110. In addition, the RAM has been increased to 1.5 GB – 16 GB of flash memory is installed (of which, however, only 7.6 GB can be used freely for apps, music or photos).
The Galaxy Watch 4 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes and relies on a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 396 x 396 pixels. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (44 mm and 46 mm) comes with a 1.36-inch screen with 450 x 450 pixels. Both displays are protected from scratches with Corning Gorilla Glass DX. An LTE mode including eSIM is also optionally offered. According to Samsung, the battery should last up to 40 hours.
Wear OS 3.0 and exciting sensors
In terms of software, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 models rely on Google’s Wear OS version 3.0 including the One UI Watch user interface. Thus, the app selection is much more extensive than it was the case with the previous Tizen OS: Google Maps, Adidas Running, Spotify and many more can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store.
Thanks to Wear OS, Google Pay is finally included, but the smartwatch can also be used for contactless payments via Samsung Pay – a feature that should appeal to many users.
You can also expect exciting innovations in terms of sensors. First and foremost is the innovative BioActive sensor, which combines several sensors. These include an ECG, an SpO2 measurement of the oxygen content in the blood, a blood pressure measurement, and the possibility to determine the body composition (including details about the body water and body fat percentage).
Although both Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 models are compatible with all Android smartphones, some of these sensors are only available in combination with a Galaxy smartphone. iPhone users, meanwhile, are left out completely.
The sensors are supplemented by various fitness trackers, a sleep monitor including snore detection, a barometer and a compass. Besides NFC for mobile payments, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) are also part of the standard equipment. Thanks to IP68 certification, the smartwatch is also suitable for swimming.
Prices and availability
Both Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 variants will be available from August 27, 2021. Starting at an MSRP of €269.00 for the 40mm model of the Galaxy Watch 4, the top-of-the-line Galaxy Watch 4 Classic LTE with a size of 46mm comes in at an MSRP of €449.00.
In total, the following variants are available for selection:.
- Galaxy Watch4 (40 mm) – €269
- Galaxy Watch4 (44 mm) – 299 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 LTE (40 mm) – 319 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 LTE (44 mm) – 349 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 Classic (42 mm) – 369 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 Classic (46 mm) – 399 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 Classic LTE (42 mm) – 419 euros
- Galaxy Watch4 Classic LTE (46 mm) – 449 euros
Pre-orderers who secure the new generation smartwatch by 26.08. will also receive a credit of up to 150 euros for a Samsung Pay account. More details are available at this location. Even more customization options are available with the Galaxy Watch Design Studio, where any version of the smartwatch can be combined with different bands.