Back when Samsung launch the Galaxy Watch5 Series, the Classic model was omitted from the lineup to the dismay of some. With the recent announcement of the Galaxy Watch6 Series, we finally see the return of the Galaxy Watch6 Classic along with its iconic watch bezel.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic – Specifications
| Watch Size | 43mm 47mm |
| Display | Super AMOLED 43mm – 33.3mm, 432 x 432 pixels 47mm – 37.3mm, 480 x 480 pixels |
|---|---|
| Processor | Dual core 1.4Ghz |
| Materials | |
| RAM /storage | 2GB / 16GB (available storage 7.1GB) |
| Durability | 5 ATM/IP68 MIL-STD-810H |
| Connectivity | 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou, LTE (optional) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Barometer Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor Electrical Heart Sensor Gyro Sensor Geomagnetic Sensor Hall Sensor Infrared Temperature Sensor Light Sensor Optical Heart Rate Sensor |
| Battery | 300 mAh, Up to 40 hours (AOD off) Up to 30 hours (AOD on) |
| Dimensions | 42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9 mm |
| Colors | Silver, Black |
What’s in the Box?
- Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
- Charging cable
- User guide
- Warranty card
Design
For reference, our review unit is 43mm variant and came in black. The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic looks very similar to its predecessor, the Watch4 Classic. The key visual difference is the slight size bump, now coming at 43mm (vs 42mm) and 47mm (vs 46mm) respectively.
The screen size is also about 0.01″ larger than its predecessor, which isn’t really a noticeable difference. What is noticeable is the higher resolution making the display look sharper than the Watch4 Classic. Sunlight legibility performance is excellent, as I could easily see all the info even under direct sunlight at noon.
The strap material is made of soft silicone, with stitching on the edge to help break up the monotony. It even has a grain pattern to imitate leather. Although the material is quite soft, the lug design makes it not wrap around my wrist as snugly as I would have liked, but since I have small wrists, your mileage may vary.
The Galaxy Watch6 Classic also sees the return of the rotating bezel that allows users to switch between tiles, now noticeably slimmer than the bezel found on the Watch4 Classic. The bezels also protrudes slightly to help protect the display, which itself is already protected by Sapphire Glass. Completing the design elements are the home and back buttons located on the right that feels tactile whenever I press it.
User Experience
The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic now boasts a newer processor with 2GB of RAM. As a result, it felt smoother and fluid with every swipe and button press. The device also packs in a lot of sensors and hardware to monitor my health parameters including, ECG, heart rate, blood pressure, body composition and many more. For women in particular, it could help monitor menstrual cycles as well.
These parameters seem quite accurate, especially the blood pressure monitoring. When compared to an Omron blood pressure monitor, it only had a variance of 1-2%. That being said, I am not a medical professional so it would be best to consult your doctor if you encounter any anomalies.
On top of that, the Watch6 Classic has Samsung’s most advanced sleep tracking features to date, helping me to analyse and optimise my sleeping patterns. One neat aspect is that I can synchronise the watch with my smartphone’s “Modes and Routines” feature, automatically dimming the display and entering Sleep mode with my smartphone.
The smartwatch also offers a ton of functionality on the table, acting as a lifestyle companion to my smartphone. On top of the usual smartwatch features, I could access to a suite of apps, including Samsung Pay, Smart Switch, Samsung Health Monitor and more.
With that said, it does have some drawbacks. For instance, to fully utilise the features on the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, I had to install up to 5 separate apps which adds clutter to my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Fortunately most of these apps are quite light and don’t take up much space. Another point of contention is that a lot of the aforementioned features only work with Samsung phones, so you might want to look elsewhere if you own other Android phones.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Watch6 Classic now has a 300mAh (typical) battery, a significant improvement over the Watch4 Classic. However, the battery life remains almost the same. With the AOD and GPS off, I could get about 38 hours of battery life, just shy of Samsung’s rated 40 hours. With the AOD on, it could last one whole day before needing to charge the next morning.
Overall, battery life is just so-so, considering there are competitors that offer weeks’ long battery life. But to be fair, the sensors and features are more rudimentary in comparison.
Final Verdict
4 / 5The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic is one of the most comprehensive smartwatches to date. Though the battery life is just so-so and pricing isn’t the most accessible.
As a whole, the Galaxy Watch Classic is Samsung’s best smartwatch to date, but it is quite expensive at with a starting price of RM1,399 for the 43mm Bluetooth only model.
But if you are invested in Samsung’s own ecosystem or plan to do so, then the Galaxy Watch6 Classic completes the premium Android experience thanks to its polished UI and features.
For more information, please visit the official Samsung website.
