Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The best smartwatch that Android users can get?

Pros:
– Solid stainless steel case
– Rotating bezel
– Bright, radiant display
– Eco-friendly synthetic leather strap
– Pretty accurate sensors
– Skin temperature sensor
– Solid performance

Cons:
– Average battery life
– A little heavy on the wrists
– Some of the sensors don’t work in India

Rating: 4.5/5
Price: Rs 40,999 for the tested 43mm LTE version

Samsung has been a leading brand in the smartwatch industry for a while, especially since its shift from the in-house Tizen OS to Wear OS in 2021 with the Galaxy Watch 4 series. Although there are no major, head-turning updates to this year’s Galaxy Watch 6 series, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is hands down the best smartwatch Android users can get.

Last year’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro introduced a capacitive digital bezel, but it just wasn’t the same as the physical one on the Watch 4 Classic. Fortunately, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, we not only get the beloved rotating bezel back but also a return to the naming conventions of the past.

The physical rotating bezel is a standout feature of this new wearable, and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also brings several other improvements compared to its predecessor. Here’s why the Galaxy Watch 6 will leave you mightily impressed.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Design
When it comes to the design of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the standout feature is undoubtedly its rotating bezel. It’s not just there for show; it’s a practical tool that allows you to quickly navigate through apps, menus, metrics, text, tiles, and more. You can effortlessly rotate it in either direction with one finger or two, and it has stopping points that make scrolling more precise compared to its sibling’s touch bezel.

The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic also boasts a shinier and more durable stainless steel case, with brushed matte accents on the left and right sides, as well as on the band clasp, giving it a premium look and feel. Additionally, it features a classier hybrid eco-leather (synthetic) band.

Apart from these design elements, the Watch 6 Classic and its more affordable counterpart, the Galaxy Watch 6, share many similarities. They have the same apps, battery specifications, connectivity features, durability ratings, internal memory, operating system, processor, sensors, storage capacity, and user interface.

As for options, the Watch 6 Classic comes in 43mm or 47mm sizes in either black or silver.

For this review, Samsung sent over the smaller variant of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic in silver, equipped with LTE connectivity. Inside the box, you’ll find a quick start guide and a puck-style USB-C charger.

Samsung claims that the rotating bezel on this year’s model is 15 per cent slimmer compared to the one on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The outer edge of the rotating bezel has small vertical ridges, which not only contribute to the design but also offer a practical grip for easy rotation.

Situated between the rotating bezel and the display is a fixed black physical inner bezel with silver number markings from 05 to 55, representing the minutes in an hour.

Navigating the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a joy, thanks to the spinning bezel. It makes scrolling through tiles and notifications on the watch face a breeze and facilitates quick navigation through various screens and menus.

In addition to its benefits with the UI, the rotating bezel serves as a protective buffer for the display. If the watch happens to take a fall face-first, the bezel should absorb the impact, safeguarding the glass.

The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is not a slim or lightweight watch by any means. Apart from the battery, its stainless steel case adds to its weight. However, this weight contributes to the watch’s durability and various certifications. It boasts an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, a 5ATM water depth rating, and MIL-STD-810H certification, making it a robust and rugged companion for various activities.

Samsung has made a significant change in how the watch bands attach to the device. They’ve opted for a quick-connect style band that includes an integrated button. This button allows you to easily retract the pins connecting the band to the watch’s lugs, making it simple to remove the band for cleaning or swapping it out.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Display
Every model within the Galaxy Watch 6 series comes equipped with a Super AMOLED always-on touchscreen, protected by a robust sapphire crystal outer layer. The 43mm Classic variant boasts a 1.3-inch panel with a resolution of 432 X 432 pixels.

Samsung’s latest smartwatches come with some improvements in the display department, offering larger and brighter screens. However, one trade-off with these upgrades is that the battery life takes a hit, although, more on that later.

The increased screen size means that icons and visuals appear larger on the display, providing a more user-friendly experience. Additionally, the watches now offer six text font size options, giving users more control over the text’s appearance.

Furthermore, the screen brightness on the Galaxy Watch 6 series reaches an impressive maximum of 2,000 nits. This enhancement is particularly valuable in places like Delhi, where sunlight can be quite harsh at times.

The upgraded display, operating at its full potential, does indeed consume battery power quite rapidly, and this holds true for both versions of the Galaxy Watch 6 series, regardless of the size of the battery—whether it’s 300mAh or 425mAh, depending on the model.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Performance and Software
To stand out as one of the best fitness trackers on the market, wrist-worn devices like the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic need to offer more than just step tracking, and in this regard, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic excels.

Samsung has made health a central focus in its smartwatches, equipping them with advanced sensors and seamlessly integrating them with the Samsung Health app. While the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic doesn’t introduce any new sensors compared to its predecessor, the Watch 5 Pro, it doesn’t really need to.

It does a commendable job of passively monitoring key health metrics such as heart rate, stress levels, blood oxygen levels, and sleep patterns. Notably, the watch can also notify you when it detects readings that fall outside your normal range, providing you with the opportunity to take appropriate action.

One of the new features included is irregular heart rhythm notifications, which leverage the ECG feature to check for any abnormalities in your heart rate. This can potentially alert you to critical conditions like atrial fibrillation. However, it’s crucial to emphasize that when it comes to health-related features, it’s always advisable to consult a medical professional before placing too much reliance on the watch’s readings.

In addition to these features, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic offers advanced tracking capabilities like ECG readings (exclusive to Galaxy devices), body composition analysis, and blood pressure monitoring (available in select countries).

While the array of health metrics is comprehensive, it can be frustrating that many of these features are either restricted or unavailable in certain regions. For instance, the blood pressure and ECG monitor apps were not available in India.

You can use a bunch of third-party apps though, as Samsung really allows you to go bonkers with customisations. We even managed to use WhatsApp, and actually send messages using the Galaxy Watch 6 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Battery
In our testing, with the always-on display enabled and brightness set to the maximum 2,000 nits, both the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic lasted around 20 hours on a single charge.

Of course, the battery life can be influenced by the display settings. Keeping the brightness at 2,000 nits will drain the battery faster than setting it to a lower, but still very visible, 1,000 nits, which is sufficient for most scenarios. You have the flexibility to manually adjust the screen brightness using a slider in the quick settings menu.

The Galaxy Watch 6 series also offers an Adaptive Brightness feature in the display settings. In testing, this feature reliably extended the battery life by a few hours compared to keeping the screen at a constant 2,000 nits.

Disabling the always-on display and enabling Adaptive Brightness, two power-saving measures, extended the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic’s battery life to more than 49 hours on a single charge, allowing for two full nights of sleep tracking. Disabling the always-on display and setting the brightness to the maximum yielded approximately 30 hours on a single charge. In other words, you have some flexibility in battery life depending on your preferences and usage.

Samsung officially claims that both the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Classic can achieve a maximum battery life of 40 hours on a single charge, or 30 hours with the always-on display active.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Review: The Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is undeniably one of the top smartwatches available, and it’s the ultimate choice if you’re a dedicated Samsung user, given its seamless integration with Samsung devices in your home.

This watch excels in terms of user-friendliness, the depth of data it provides, and its understated yet stylish design. When it comes to a smartwatch, what more could you ask for? I’d recommend investing a bit extra to opt for the Classic version, primarily for the convenience of the rotating bezel. Just be sure to consider the size that suits you best to ensure an ideal fit and overall experience.

Before you decide to buy the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic though make sure you’re okay with a larger device and are willing to pay for features you might not use. However, it’s an advanced smartwatch that’s user-friendly.

If you have the budget and have been waiting for the return of the physical rotating bezel, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a solid choice that won’t let you down.