It might not look like a major update, but the Galaxy Watch 7 is probably Samsung’s best smartwatch to date. Here’s why.
Samsung launched a little of everything during its second Unpacked event of 2024. It brought the highly anticipated Galaxy Ring to market, added two new foldables to the portfolio, and introduced its first Ultra-tier smartwatch. Lost in the middle of all that excitement was another wearable — the Galaxy Watch 7 — which got a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mention before Samsung moved right along to its Galaxy AI announcements.
And yes, I know why Samsung only gave its base smartwatch a few seconds of showtime, it’s not that much different from the Galaxy Watch 6 that came before it, and the brand new, far more expensive Galaxy Watch Ultra has understandably taken center stage. But I think the far more modest Galaxy Watch 7 deserved better. Even though it doesn’t revolutionize what it means to be a smartwatch, I still think it’s the Galaxy wearable you should buy in 2024.The Galaxy Watch design was already great
Samsung hasn’t changed its base Galaxy Watch design in a few years — at least since the Galaxy Watch 4 — and you know what? I’m okay with that. It was already a good-looking wearable that was equally stylish and functional, and Samsung has only refined its design since then. Its AMOLED panels have gotten bigger, its bezels have slimmed down, and it’s shaken up the controls a time or two, but the Galaxy Watch 7 still feels familiar as soon as you strap it on your wrist. In fact, the last Samsung wearable I spent much time with was the Galaxy Watch 4, yet I feel like I can jump into this new model like no time has passed.
In a world where smartwatches are trending maximalist (including Samsung’s own now with the Ultra’s arrival), the Galaxy Watch 7’s unassuming, minimalist design feels like a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m part of the problem — I almost always have a bulky, do-it-all Garmin GPS watch on my wrist because I barely have to charge it, but I’m glad Samsung isn’t catering exclusively to the likes of me. I mean, changing from something so sizable to something so slim makes me appreciate the already comfortable design that much more. Wearing the Galaxy Watch 7 feels almost like wearing a version of a classic Wear OS watch like the Moto 360, only that wasn’t abandoned and instead reached its final form — smooth, responsive, watch-shaped.
On top of that, I’d think twice about wearing most of my GPS watches to a formal occasion like a wedding, but I’d have no problem strapping on the Galaxy Watch 7 — with the right watch face, of course. Samsung’s commitment to its round AMOLED panel even means I can jump right back to some of my old favorite faces. I’ll dip into the Endangered Animals face now and then, or sometimes I’ll roll with the Steps Challenge face (especially on days when I run), but I’ve mostly been enjoying Samsung’s Perpetual face. It’s… crowded, to say the least, cramming the day and month around the edges, as well as the phase of the moon in the center. Maybe the predominantly black background is just a way to show Samsung’s deep AMOLED colors, but it works for me.
There is, however, one thing that Samsung changed about its Galaxy Watch 7 design: The Digital Bezel is no more, and I’m disappointed. It’s a feature I remember from as far back as the original Galaxy Watch Active, and now it’s just gone. We had some issues with its reliability on the Galaxy Watch 6 series, but I would have rather Samsung tried to fix it than give up. There’s no option for a rotating physical bezel on the Galaxy Watch 7, either — you have to go back a generation and grab the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic instead.
In its place, the Galaxy Watch 7 uses a home and back button for tactile navigation, while you’ll have to swipe through the display for everything else. The new controls work just fine — they’re more in line with what most smartwatches use — but there was something so satisfying about whipping your finger around the edge of the face to scroll up and down.Galaxy AI on Galaxy Watch is all the upgrade I needed
While the Galaxy Watch 7 may look like a forgotten update, some of the features hidden inside confirm that it isn’t true. Yes, Samsung spent most of its time introducing Galaxy AI features and health updates while talking about the Galaxy Watch Ultra instead, but wouldn’t you? After all, the shiny new updates sound more exciting on a shiny new watch than sprinkled in on a form factor that’s already familiar. However, while Samsung may not have talked about its updates in relation to the Galaxy Watch 7, I’m happy to report that Galaxy AI is the meaningful update this wearable needed to remain a top-tier fitness tracker.
