The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic are the first smartwatches to feature the new Wear OS platform. They promise better apps, new health-tracking features, and more. They can even measure your body fat.
(Photo: Molly Flores) The first smartwatches running the new, unified Google/Samsung Wear OS platform have arrived, and they offer a unique health feature: the ability to calculate your body fat percentage from your wrist. Announced at Samsung’s virtual Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday (along with new Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 phones), the Galaxy Watch4 series is available for pre-order now, and will be in stores starting August 27. The Galaxy Watch4 Classic is the flagship model, with a stainless steel case and the same rotating bezel as the Watch3. It comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes in black or silver, starting at $349.99 for a Bluetooth-only model and $399.99 for one with LTE. The Galaxy Watch4, which replaces the Galaxy Watch Active line Samsung last updated in 2019, sports a « minimalist » design with a less durable aluminum case. It starts at $249.99 for Bluetooth, or $50 more if you want LTE connectivity. It comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes in black or silver. Samsung will also offer the 40mm version in pink gold and the 44mm model in green. Left to right: Galaxy Watch4 Classic, Galaxy Watch4 Both watches retain the classic round shape of their predecessors, but with thinner cases. Hardware updates include a faster,5nm processor for smoother scrolling, a higher-resolution display (450 by 450 pixels) for crisper visuals, expanded memory (16GB) for music and app storage, and faster charging (30 minutes of charging provides 10 hours of battery life). On the downside, battery life doesn’t seem to be getting a bump. The Watch3 offers up to around two days of battery life on a charge, while the latest generation will similarly last up to 40 hours, Samsung says. A Unified Operating System One of the biggest changes in this generation of Samsung watches is the switch from the company’s Tizen mobile operating system, which powers the Watch3 and its predecessors, to the new Wear OS platform. In May, Google and Samsung announced they were joining forces to merge the Tizen and Wear OS systems, a move intended to help them better compete with the Apple Watch and watchOS. The Watch4 series is the first generation of wearables to run the new unified platform, which features popular Google apps such as Google Maps, as well as Samsung standbys including Samsung Pay, SmartThings, and Bixby.
