two minute review
Along with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung also introduced the world to the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, a super-premium smartwatch with the software of the standard model, but with some key hardware changes designed to make it a more tempting proposition for older customers. demanding with sufficient depth. the pockets.
It should be noted that this is no longer Samsung's best watch, as the company introduced the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. That said, as a result, we're likely to see some great deals on the Watch 4 Classic in the future. .
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (42mm/46mm) Specifications
Weight: 47g / 52g
Dimensions: 41,5 x 41,5 x 11,2mm / 45,5 x 45,5 x 11,0mm
Screen size: 1,2" (396x396) / 1,4" (450x450)
Operating system: Wear OS powered by Samsung
Chipset: Exynos W920 dual-core 1,18GHz
RAM: 1,5 GB
Storage: 16GB
Durability: IP68; MIL-STD-810G
Connectivity: LTE, BT 5.0, WiFi
Battery: 247mAh/361mAh
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic on Amazon for €299.99 (opens in a new tab)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is currently the last Samsung Galaxy Watch you can buy with an actual physical rotating bezel. You can easily navigate menus or pages simply by rotating the bezel, and it's one of the watch's best features, especially since the "virtual bezel" on the standard Watch 4, which requires you to touch the edges of the screen to interact with the device, it doesn't work very well.
It also gives the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic a more premium look, with a thick ring around the screen that more closely resembles the design of classic wristwatches. It also gives the laptop extra protection from everyday bumps and knocks, which is extremely useful for clumsy people (like this reviewer).
So why did we only give the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic three and a half stars, when its non-Classic counterpart got four? Well, the design updates alone aren't enough to excuse some issues in key areas, which made the overall experience of wearing the watch confusing.
Our main problem, the one that would be written in red pen and followed by "watch me after class" if it were a report card, would be the watch's battery life: it's usually hard to get through a single day of use. If we were to use it for the same tasks that are the whole point of a device like this, like monitoring fitness and displaying notifications, we'd have to charge it twice a day to keep it going. .
The workout controls can also be quite tricky - it can take several seconds to stop the wearable timer from an exercise, and lost seconds like this can be irritating for people who want to keep a close eye on their workout metrics. physical condition.
The price is also very high for a smartwatch, especially when you can buy a feature-rich wearable from a company like Fitbit, Honor or Garmin for a much lower price.
That's not to say the Watch 4 Classic is terrible; its design and display are some of the best we've seen. We simply cannot say that the few positives outweigh all the negatives.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: price and availability
- The price depends on the version you buy: 42mm or 46mm
- Starting at €349 / €349 / AU$549, but can be found at a discount
There are several versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, depending on whether you want 4G or Bluetooth connectivity, a 42mm or 46mm screen (which has an effect on battery life), or a black or silver case (this doesn't change). any). . affect the price).
Slide to scroll horizontallySamsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic priceSizeConnectivityUS priceUK price42mmBluetooth349 €349 €549 €42mmLTE399 €389 €64946mmBluetooth379 €369 €599 €46mmLTE429 €409 €699The table above shows the prices of the various configurations available – for context, the Galaxy Watch 4, which comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, starts at €249.99 / £249 / AU$399 and goes up to €329.99 / € 309 (approximately AU€580).
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: design and display
- Rotating bezel for navigation
- Difficult to change bands
- One of the best displays on a smartwatch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic consists of the main body and interchangeable straps, although we found changing the straps on this device a bit difficult compared to other watches, due to its small levers, so your mileage may vary.
The strap on the case is made of fluoroelastomer, a silicone-like material that can be a bit more comfortable than the rubber some smartwatch straps are made of, and can also be a bit less irritating, which is important for women. people with skin problems. the conditions.
(*two*)
(Image credit: future)The watch is available in a silver or black finish – your choice will determine the color of the straps on the case, as well as the body and bezel of the watch.
Unlike most other watches where you can adjust the angle of the strap to the body, on the Watch 4 Classic the straps can only protrude perpendicular to the sides of the case, creating significant space between the strap and the body. the wrist on each side. of the body; You can see this issue in the standard Watch 4 image below, and we consider our wrists to be fairly average in size.
As a result, we found the Galaxy Watch a bit cumbersome to wear, although depending on the size of your wrist, you might not have the same experience. It's also quite a thick watch, making it difficult to wear in tighter clothing and uncomfortable in bed.
The body of the watch is made of stainless steel and feels sturdy, partly because of this material and partly because of the raised bezel ring around the screen, which protects it from bumps and knocks.
There are two buttons on the watch, both on the right edge: the top one takes you back to the home screen, and the bottom one can be held down during workouts to pause tracking (we'll talk about the fitness features in more detail later). ). ).
The bezel is the main differentiator between the Watch 4 Classic and the standard Watch 4, which has a "virtual bezel", although some of Samsung's previous "standard" wearables have had a physical bezel. This rotates and can be used as a means to navigate the smartwatch; in fact, it's quickly become our favorite way to zoom between menus, rather than swiping, which can be tedious while walking or otherwise. I don't have the safest hands. This is probably the main reason why you would consider going with the Classic over the standard model.
The watch face measures 42mm in diameter if you opt for the 42mm version and 46mm if you opt for the 46mm model. This may seem obvious, but it's worth noting that the size refers to the screen, not the body as a whole. .
The screen is one of the best we've seen on a smartwatch, with vibrant colors and high maximum brightness, making it easy to see both in broad daylight and when you raise your wrist to look at it while running.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: performance and software
- Requires two separate apps to work effectively
- WearOS 3 brings much-needed updates
- Impressed with UX, especially Theater Mode
Along with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the Classic marks the debut of Wear OS 3, which was created in collaboration between Google and Samsung for this series of watches and will be used on other devices as well.
This software brings many upgrades over the previous version of Wear OS. There are more tiles that you can easily navigate between using the rotating bezel, so you can easily switch to music controls, workout tracking modes or heart rate monitor.
This super-useful list of tiles made the app list almost redundant, as going through hoops to talk about it took far more time than just turning the bezel the required amount. But there are some features, like timers or alarms, that we still access through the app list from time to time.
The lack of app names in the app list also makes things a bit confusing: the Timer, Stopwatch, and Alarm apps all have icons that are just clocks, so it can be confusing which one to select if you want one of these tools.
Other than the bezel, navigation is done by swiping from the home watch face. If you swipe in from the left, you'll get the notifications menu, pulled from your phone. Swiping down from the top brings up the settings menu, which includes a very useful option that we've used a lot called "Theater Mode" that silences notifications and disables the impulse to wake up for a set period of time, making it makes it perfect for watching a movie. We'd love to see more portable devices with a mode like this.
Swiping up from the bottom opens the app menu, and swiping from the left lets you navigate between tiles; You probably won't find yourself doing this, as you can do the same thing with the rotating bezel.
There's a long list of watch faces to choose from, and you can also customize them by changing complications, using your own photo, moving the watch, and more. You can do this from the watch itself, but given how cumbersome it can be on a small screen, we found it easier to use the Galaxy Wearable smartphone app.
At this point, it's worth noting that you need to install not one, but two Samsung apps, as you need to install the Galaxy Wearable and Samsung Health apps on your smartphone, and you'll need them to fully utilize your watch. 4 Classic. Along with the aforementioned customization options, they allow you to record your fitness metrics and get more details about your workouts. It's a shame that you need to switch between apps for different tasks, instead of having all the information and tools you need in one.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Get fit
- Three basic activity profiles and another 10 secondary profiles
- Robust stamina/distance metrics
- The combination of metric and imperial measurements cannot be changed
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has three basic fitness modes that can be easily accessed from the device's main menu. There is walking, running...