The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is Samsung’s new smartwatch hotness — but is it worth upgrading the Galaxy Watch 6 for it? No. Here’s why.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 might have been revealed in the shadow of the larger Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it’s still a smartwatch you can’t afford to ignore. It’s packed with top specs, a gorgeous display, and all the fitness, health, and wellness tracking you could possibly need. The design is sleek and svelte, and while there’s no Classic variant this year, the Watch 7 is still one of the best-looking smartwatches you can buy.
But a lot of those compliments also apply to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, last year’s Samsung smartwatch of note. At first glance, there’s not a huge amount to separate the two watches. The display and specs are similar, and even the features on offer are identical. Are there big differences, and should you upgrade? We found out.Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: specsSamsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: design
We’ll be completely honest here: These two watches are largely identical. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 has a sleek design with slim bezels around the all-encompassing display. The style is subtle, and even the larger size fits well on a smaller wrist. The strap is comfortable and easy to switch, thanks to Samsung’s “one click” attachment points. It sports MIL-STD-810H, 5ATM, and IP68 ratings for dust and water resistance, so it’s durable enough for the rigors of daily life. And because the Galaxy Watch 6 is those things, so is the Watch 7. They’re basically the same, though the Galaxy Watch 7 is a little thicker.
Is it time Samsung thought about mixing up the design? Well, it’s using the same design it’s been using since the Galaxy Watch 4, with only some slightly reduced bezel sizes to show for progression. It’s a beautiful style, which sugars the pill a lot, but we have to wonder how long Samsung can continue offering the same look over and over again. But, if Apple can do it with the Apple Watch, we guess Samsung can too.Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: display
As above, so below: There are few changes between the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 7. The 40mm and 44mm case sizes come with 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch displays and 432 by 432 and 480 by 480 resolutions, respectively. Both have slim bezels around the screen, with Super AMOLED tech running the show underneath. The screens are crisp and colorful, with deep blacks and enough brightness to be seen in bright sunlight.
It’s a gorgeous display, but there’s been little change between the two devices.Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: performance
The Galaxy Watch is almost always powered by Samsung’s Exynos processors, and that’s true here. The Galaxy Watch 7 is the first to get the Exynos W1000 processor, an upgrade over the Watch 6’s Exynos W930. It’s a significant change, too, and the Exynos packs five cores and a 1.6GHz clock speed.
The Exynos W930, while strong, only has two cores and a clock speed of 1.
