Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review

Officially announced at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the brand's latest smartwatch and takes a step away from the traditional watch design we're used to seeing from the Galaxy Watch series.

Unveiled alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 features a digital bezel and WearOS – a joint venture by Google and Samsung.

Here is our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review as we take a look at the smartwatch's new design, features and battery life.

Looking for more on Samsung? Find out what we thought of the brand's new foldable phones in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review. Or head to our best Android smartwatch guide for more wearable recommendations.

Jump to:

• Samsung Galaxy Watch review: summary
• What is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?
• How much is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?
• Design
• Features
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 set-up
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review: summary

At a glance, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 more closely resembles that of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 than its predecessor. Featuring a digital bezel and streamlined design, the Samsung Galaxy watch 4 treads the line between being a fitness-focused smartwatch and an everyday watch. Powered by WearOS, the interface is minimalistic but user-friendly, and the aluminium case looks sleek. For those looking to use it to keep active and track your workouts, the smartwatch features over 100 fitness activities to track. This, combined with the new body composition analysis tool, makes the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 one of the best smartwatches released this year.

Price:The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a starting price of £249 and is available to buy now at Samsung and Argos.

Key features:

• WearOS interface
• Two sizes; 40mm and 44mm
• Samsung BioActive Sensor (3-in-1 health sensor)
• Aluminium case
• Four colour options; Black, Silver, Green and Pink Gold

Pros:

• User-friendly WearOS interface
• Comprehensive body composition analysis
• Simple, streamlined design
• Good selection of fitness activities to track
• Good range of colours

Cons:

• Digital bezel won't suit everyone
• Only one style of strap is available
• Slow charging

What is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the fourth smartwatch in this series to be released by the brand. As the new Galaxy Watch 4 has a more digital-focused, minimalistic design, the smartwatch will be joined by a new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. This model has the more traditional, 'real watch' design with a rotating bezel.

What does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 do?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available in Bluetooth and LTE editions and comes with features such as sleep tracking, snore detection and tracks over 100 fitness activities. Other features include:

• WearOS interface
• Two sizes; 40mm and 44mm
• Samsung BioActive Sensor (3-in-1 health sensor)
• Aluminium case
• Four colour options; Black, Silver, Green and Pink Gold

How much is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a starting price of £249 and is available to buy now at Samsung and Argos.

There is also a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic model featuring a rotating bezel that has a higher starting price of £349.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 good value for money?

With a starting price of £249, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a mid-priced offering. It is considerably cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 6 but can't quite be categorised as a budget smartwatch. It instead looks to take on the likes of the Apple Watch SE. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has an aluminium case that feels well-made and is available in a good range of colours. Along with basic fitness and sleep tracking, the smartwatch also offers some more sophisticated features such as snore detection and body composition analysis that looks at skeletal muscle, body fat and water retention. Overall, we would say that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is good value for money.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 design

With a minimalist design, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a streamlined silhouette. It features an aluminium case and four colour options: black, green, silver, and pink gold.

Rather than the traditional watch design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, the Galaxy Watch 4 has a digital bezel to navigate the menu. The new WearOS interface is simple enough to navigate, and apps that are compatible with the smartwatch will automatically be installed when downloaded onto your Samsung phone.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm – giving you the opportunity to find the right size for your wrist size. If you prefer a bigger watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is available in 42mm and 46mm.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 features

Samsung has designed the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 with the intention that you can wear the watch throughout the day and night. The battery in the Galaxy Watch 4 should last up to 40 hours, and the sleep tracking function will tell you how long you've slept, along with details on if you snored and for how long.

There are a number of fitness-related features, including over 100 fitness activities that you can track. If you want a full breakdown of your current health, there is also a new body composition analysis tool. The smartwatch can give you skeletal muscle, water retention, and body fat information using the new Samsung BioActive Sensor (a 3-in-1 health sensor). The tool does require you to enter your weight and height and then takes a 15-second scan, during which you hold down the two buttons on the right-hand side of the watch. This makes the smartwatch a great option for anyone looking to get more active but doesn't know where to start.

What is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4's battery life like?

The battery life of the 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 we tested was pretty good. On average, we would say the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a two-day battery life. However, this is with some very heavy use, including sleep tracking and tracking multiple fitness activities each day. If you're not using it to track any workouts or sleep, you could easily stretch this into a third or fourth day.

The smartwatch isn't the quickest to charge, but it's not terrible either. From empty, we found that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 took just over two hours to charge.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 set-up: how easy is it to use?

The easiest way to set up the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is via the Samsung Wearable app. The whole process takes a maximum of 10 minutes, but that includes any updates that might need to be done, too. Once the smartwatch is set up, any compatible apps downloaded after on your Samsung phone will automatically be installed on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

A small note: the USB charging cable doesn’t come with a plug adaptor, in line with wider trends. Most manufacturers now realise that most people will already have one.

Our verdict: should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is one of the best smartwatches to be released this year. Designed to be worn throughout the day, during workouts, and even at night, the smartwatch is a great option if you need that extra motivation to keep active. The new Samsung BioActive Sensor is a sophisticated bit of technology that gives users a fairly comprehensive breakdown of their body composition with minimal manual input, and all the basic fitness features such as activity tracking are also available. The design is minimalist but feels sleek, and the new WearOS is easy enough to navigate. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a solid everyday smartwatch with customisable watch faces and four colours to choose from.

Our rating:

Certain categories are weighted more highly.

• Design: 4/5
• Features: 4.5/5
  • Functions: 5/5
  • Battery: 4/5
• Ease of set-up: 4/5
• Value for money: 4.5/5
• Overall rating: 4.5/5

Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is available to buy now for £249 at Samsung.

The smartwatch is also available at:

• £249 at Argos
• £249 at Amazon
• £249 at Currys
• £249 at AO

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