For Android smartwatches, it’s tough to find something equivalent in quality, feature set, and speed to Apple’s offerings on the iPhone side of the fence. Samsung was at the cusp of giving us something that felt like we would finally get that equivalent experience with the Galaxy Watch 6, but it fell short.
The Galaxy Watch 6 had a very jagged user experience, as it was practically running on the same chipset as the Watch 5 series, just with a higher clock speed. Enter theGalaxy Watch 7: the same watch, now with a new chip, double the storage, and a few new features. To say this watch barely changes anything would be an understatement, but it does improve in the areas that matter.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is Samsung’s entry-level smartwatch for 2024. It retains the look of the Galaxy Watch 6 but is equipped with an upgraded Exynos W1000 chipset, offering significantly better battery life and performance.
Pricing and Availability
The Galaxy Watch 7 is available from Samsung’s online store and most major retailers, including Best Buy and Amazon. The colors available include Green, Cream, and Silver.
Specifications
This Is the Same Watch on the Outside
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 series maintains the familiar design language of its predecessors, and by that, I mean you’d have a difficult time discerning between it and the previous Watch 6 or even the Watch 5. The new Watch 7 is just a bit larger and thicker than before, though the difference is almost imperceptible. That said, the Galaxy Watch 7 series maintains its IP68 rating and 5ATM water resistance, meaning it’ll be fine going in for a swim up to 50 meters underwater.
One thing that’s missing this year is Samsung’s iconic physically rotating bezel. This feature was previously found on the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but it’s not present on any of the new watches, as the bezels around the circular watch face are touch-sensitive.
I’m a bit conflicted with Samsung’s continual removal and addition of the rotating bezel; on one hand, the tactility of the physical bezel was one of the best navigational experiences for this form factor, and it looked excellent.
For what it’s worth, as much as I’d love to have seen the physical bezel on the Galaxy Watch 7, this is the first time in my experience I was fine with the digital bezel. Sure, it’s still finicky at times, but the accuracy and overall fluidity have been noticeably better compared to my experience with the Galaxy Watch 6.
Screen sizes remain consistent with the previous generation, which offers a 1.3-inch AMOLED display for the 40mm model and a 1.5-inch AMOLED display for the 44mm model. These displays can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, making them easily readable in direct sunlight or other harsh lighting conditions.
Visually, the Galaxy Watch 7 changes very little in terms of design, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. The flat, minimalist look fits really well whether you’re hitting the gym or wearing it out, and unlike bigger watches, the Galaxy Watch 7 doesn’t feel clunky on your wrist.
Overhauled Processor, Software, and Health Features
The Galaxy Watch 7 runs on One UI 6 Watch over Wear OS 5, which continues to blend the best elements of Samsung’s Tizen and Google’s Wear OS. New this year are Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, which provide personalized health information, workout routine suggestions, and a holistic view of your well-being based on sensor data.
Something that I noticed straight away with the Galaxy Watch 7 over last year’s Watch 6 is the fluidity of the software experience. Samsung is using its new Exynos W1000 processor, built on a 3nm process. While most updates, especially in wearables, yield marginal or unnoticeable performance differences in most day-to-day usage, this new chip combined with One UI 6 absolutely flies.
One of my biggest gripes with the Watch 6 was how clunky and jagged the software experience felt. From scrolling the UI to launching apps was very inconsistent and often met with slow frame rates, but with the Watch 7, I haven’t encountered any of these issues.
The watch functions smoothly as it’s meant to, and it really brings out the best of what it’s capable of. Thanks to this new chipset, you’re also getting double the storage on the watch, upgraded from 16GB to 32GB, which is now in line with competing smartwatches from Apple and Google.
In terms of battery life, the Watch 7 boasts battery capacities of 300mAh and 425mAh for the 40 and 44mm models respectively, the same as last year. While this new watch has a more power-efficient chip, the Galaxy Watch 7 still only delivers sub-par battery life, similar to the performance of last year. I got around a full day of active use, which is about the same as my Apple Watch Series 8.
My usage included leaving automatic workout detection on, using navigation, music control, and general health tracking throughout the day for workouts and other health data tracking like ECG or Body Composition. You’ll definitely want to charge the Galaxy Watch 7 before bed if you plan to use it to track sleep. As for charging speeds, they remain unchanged, taking about an hour to fully charge using the magnetic charger included in the box.
Advanced Health Metrics
Health tracking is a big deal for smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch 7 includes a couple of new additions to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. Hardware-wise, you’re getting a new BioActive sensor, which contributes to more precise readings, which include more accurate heart rate, sleep quality, stress level, and blood oxygen level readings.
This new sensor also enables for the first time what’s called the Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) index, which measures biological aging based on dietary habits and lifestyle. That said, Samsung has not provided detailed information on how this metric works, making it difficult to trust its accuracy.
The same goes for Samsung’s new metric, Energy Score, which is similar to Garmin’s Body Battery or Oura’s Readiness Score, and it provides a singular score out of 100 based on sleep and activity data. Personally, I found it conflicting with the watch’s already great sleep-tracking, which now includes a Sleep AI algorithm that provides detailed insights into various sleep activity tracking, including movement during sleep, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rates.
The sleep tracking is generally accurate and on par with my Apple Watch, but when it comes to Energy Score, I’m unsure of the usefulness of it compared to sleep tracking as it doesn’t update throughout the day.
Should You Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7?
TheSamsung Galaxy Watch 7series represents a modest upgrade over the Galaxy Watch 6. The new chipset and BioActive sensor array address concerns about its predecessor’s performance and accuracy by providing a smoother and more reliable user experience.
While the design changes are minimal, the new health metrics offer a new way of assessing your overall health. For what it’s worth, you’re not going to find a subscription-free, as comprehensive a health and fitness app as Samsung Health.
For those deeply entrenched in the Samsung ecosystem, the Galaxy Watch 7 offers a refined and familiar experience that integrates seamlessly with other Samsung devices. The improvements in performance and health tracking accuracy make it a worthwhile upgrade for users of older Galaxy Watch models. However, if you already own a Galaxy Watch 6 or even the Watch 5, the differences may not be substantial enough to warrant an immediate upgrade.
