Review – Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic (43mm)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 series was launched alongside the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5. This year, we are witnessing the return of the Classic model which is well known for its physical rotating bezel. We thought it was the end of the Classic model since Samsung withdrew it from the Watch5 series. Personally, I believe it is due to the immense popularity of the Watch5 Pro that ultimately tells Samsung how consumers desired a premium smartwatch.

With the re-introduction of the Classic series, the Samsung Galaxy Watch is comprised of the following:

I am surprised that Samsung has decided to keep the Watch5 Pro alongside the Watch6 series. I believe the Watch5 Pro’s sales will be affected due to the older generation’s name. However, if you look at the positive side, it may encourage customers to purchase the new Watch6 series instead. Whether Samsung has different plans for it, we don’t know.

What I got in the studio today is the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic. The 43mm is the smaller variant of the two. Well, even if I’m saying this is the smaller model, it is still as big as the larger model of the standard Watch6. The chassis is made with Stainless Steel instead of aluminium. That ultimately contributes to the denser construction at 52grams (43mm).

The display is a 1.3-inch 432 x 432-pixel resolution Super AMOLED panel. It is bright and vivid, making it a decent screen for outdoor activities. If you enable Always On Display (AOD), the screen reduces to about 12Hz refresh rate to keep the watch face on the screen. This feature will definitely reduce the battery life so it is a shame because AOD is absolutely amazing.

The Watch6 Classic feels good on the wrist and depending on your choice of watchbands, it can be a timepiece for dinner or sports. Samsung has introduced a brand-new strap link system. Changing straps is now easier than ever with just a simple press of a button. However, don’t be confused as it is still the same 20mm strap link that is compatible with all the existing straps.

Overall, the chassis is slightly thicker than the standard Watch6 due to the raised rotating bezels.

The rotating bezel is very useful for navigating around the UI and content. Even though you can do the same with the standard Watch6’s virtual bezel, the control and feeling are completely different.

The sensors at the bottom remain the same as before. The great news is that the Malaysian Galaxy Watches finally got the approval to use the blood pressure and electrocardiogram feature. While the Watch6 comes with the feature enabled out of the box, older models such as the Watch4 and Watch5 will require a software update to get it working.

And that brings us to the software – Android Wear OS. If you’re reading this review and wondering what happened to TizenOS, well I don’t blame you for not keeping up with all the changes happening in the smart wearables industry. In short, Samsung decided to commit to the Android Wear OS by retiring the TizenOS.

On the surface, Samsung has done an excellent job on the UI navigation to help users who are upgrading from TizenOS a seamless experience. The Wear OS itself is a maturing ecosystem with plenty of developers and modders working on the customisations.

Looking from the perspective of health & fitness tracking, the overall user experience is more polished than ever. That is if you compare it to the older TizenOS platform. You can’t really tell the difference much if you’re coming from the recent models such as the Watch5.

Just to take note the blood pressure and ECG features are there to provide you a reference point for health tracking. Samsung has repeatedly highlighted the Watch is not a medical device and that users should always refer to a licensed medical practitioner should they feel unwell.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic(43mm), Who is this for?

The return of the Classic lineup means Samsung is targeting the premium smartwatch market. Looking at the price list shows a roughly 30% premium over the standard variant. Does the stainless steel chassis and rotating bezel justify the price premium? It’s a subjective question depending on the individual’s desire. Just like how some prefer to wear a Casio F91 compared to a Patek Philippe.

There’s no denying that the Android Wear OS is a brilliant wearable platform and there are plenty of other brands offering the same on their smartwatches, such as Mobvoi TicWatch, Fossil and Pixel. However, Samsung takes the cake for being the most widely available and, if not, a better option out of all the aforementioned brands. (at least in Malaysia).