The Galaxy Watch 6 is the new go-to smartwatch for Android users, but Samsung has failed to address some key pain points of last year’s model
Even if you were following Samsung’s July 2023 Unpacked event, it was easy to overlook the Galaxy Watch 6.
The foldable Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 were the headline announcements, with four new Tab S9 tablets not far behind. Even among smartwatches, the returning Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and its physical rotating bezel hoovered up much of the rest of the attention.
But despite this, the regular Galaxy Watch 6 arguably has the most mainstream appeal of any of the new devices. It’s a relatively affordable watch that’s packed with premium features, including a few notable upgrades compared to last year.
That plus the fact it runs Google’s WearOS enough for it to become the new default smartwatch for Android users, but it won’t convince anyone who wasn’t sure about last year’s Galaxy Watch 5. Design & build
Lightweight yet premium design
Impressively durable
Two physical buttons on right side
If you put the Galaxy Watch 6 next to last year’s Watch 5, you probably couldn’t tell them apart.
That’s a common criticism of new products, but it’s a good thing here. Samsung is onto a winner with this slick, minimalist design, so there’s was no need for a revamp.
Despite continuing with a premium blend of stainless steel and glass, the Watch 6 remains impressively lightweight. The 40mm model I tested is just 28.7g, while the 44mm version isn’t far behind at 33.3g.
At 9mm, it’s also slightly slimmer than the Watch 5. The Watch 6 doesn’t feel big or bulky at all, to the extent that I sometimes forgot I was wearing it. As a result, sleeping with the watch on is much more comfortable than most other smartwatches.
Of course, that also speaks to the comfort of the included silicone strap. Its colour roughly matches the housing of the watch itself, which is available in Graphite (black) and Gold on the 40mm model or Graphite and Silver on the 44mm version.
I was concerned about it accumulating dust or losing its colour, but there was no sign of either during my testing. Plenty of other bands are available on the Samsung website, while the standard 20mm size means it will support many third-party options.
The Watch 6 certainly isn’t a rugged smartwatch, but it is still durable. The steel casing feels tough and robust, while you also get military-grade MIL-STD-810G compliance (albeit without any guarantees).
An IP68 rating means it can withstand up to 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a time and is fully protected against dust. Alongside a 5ATM rating (can withstand pressures up to 50m underwater), it’s a great choice for swimming.
Samsung has gone for a very minimalist aesthetic on the Watch 6, leaving the more eye-catching design to the Watch 6 Classic. But it retains two physical buttons on the right side – ‘Home’ and ‘Back’ – both of which can be remapped in Settings.Display & audio
1.3- or 1.5-inch OLED displays
Vibrant colours and excellent detail
Impressive built-in speaker and mic
Impressively, Samsung has managed to include larger OLED displays on the Watch 6 compared to the Watch 5 without any changes to the overall casing sizes.
A slimming of bezels means you now get a 1.3-inch touchscreen on the 40mm model and 1.5-inch on the 44mm. The resolution of both is also now higher, at 432×432 and 480×480 respectively.
Will either of these changes make a noticeable difference to your experience? Probably not. But they’re nice refinements that ensure the Watch 6 has one of the best displays on any smartwatch.
Continuing with OLED means you get rich, vibrant colours and deep blacks. The latter is particularly impressive on the Watch 6, with Samsung basing its One UI Watch software around a black background.
It also offers plenty of detail, with even small text clearly visible to me without needing to hold my wrist up to eye level. That was the case even in direct sunlight, with the Watch able to get impressively bright – Samsung claims up to 200 nits.
The edge of the display is touch-sensitive, enabling a digital version of the Watch 6 Classic’s rotating physical bezel. But I found it slower and less intuitive than simply swiping, except when moving to the end of the tiles summary screens.
However, unlike on the Galaxy Watch 5, it doesn’t feel like a useless feature. The Watch 6’s larger screen and slimmer bezel means it takes up even less space, while using it rarely obscures important on-screen content. With fast response time and very good haptic feedback, you can be quite precise with your movements.
Audio isn’t a priority on smartwatches at all, but it’s surprisingly good on the Watch 6. A built-in speaker delivers clear sound for notifications and voice-based content (including optional spoken stats during a workout), even if bass is almost non-existent.
Meanwhile, the mic was able to clearly understand everything I was saying, without needing to hold the watch to my mouth. While I wouldn’t recommend it for the built-in Bixby voice assistant, it’s good for calls and dictating messages. Software & features
One UI Watch 5 over WearOS 4
Slick, optimised software
ECG and blood pressure only work with Samsung phones
The Galaxy Watch 6 runs WearOS 4, the latest version of Google’s wearable software at the time of launch in August 2023. Samsung has added various tweaks of its own, known collectively here as One UI Watch 5, but will continue supporting the watch with updates until 2027.
While clearly designed to work best with other Samsung devices, the Watch 6 works smoothly with any Android phone running Android 10 or later. Intuitive software is crucial on a small watch display, and Samsung and Google have combined to emphatically deliver it.
