Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is here: Price, specs, features, and all you need to know

While the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series may not feel very old, the time has already come for the next iteration. Based on everything we know, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 could be one of the best smartwatches of 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s new smartwatch series.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Release date, price, and availability

Considering the sturdy foundation laid by the Galaxy Watch 4 and the improved Galaxy Watch 5, the Galaxy Watch 6 series should be worth considering for those looking to upgrade existing hardware or join the smartwatch club when it launches. But before jumping headfirst into a purchase, it’s important to know what the price is and where you can get it. So let’s start off with the price and follow our way down to availability.

Price

The Galaxy Watch 5 series launched at $279 for a base model device. The Pro model, available only in a single size, launched at $449. Each option also came with an upcharge for their respective LTE versions. These 5-series launch prices were roughly $30 higher than the previous generation’s.

For the Galaxy Watch 6 series, Samsung will charge a little more for the base models. But it’s not all bad news, as both of the Classic models will be slightly cheaper than the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro models.

The Galaxy Watch 6 starts at $299 for the most affordable 40mm model. At the same time, the 44mm variant will sell for $329.

As for the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, you can expect the 43mm model to come in at $399. The 47mm model will be available for $429.

In the UK, the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic start from £289 and £369 for the smaller models, and £319 and £399 for the larger variants, respectively. Throw in 4G LTE connectivity and those prices increase to £339/£369 for the Watch 6 sizes, and £429/£459 for the Watch 6 Classic.

Watch 6 prices in Europe begin at €319 for the 40mm model and €349 for 44mm. 4G connectivity again raises the price tag to €369 and €399, respectively. The Watch 6 Classic is a bit more expensive, costing €419/€449 depending on the size, and €469/€499 for the 4G-enabled models.

Availability and pre-orders

Just like previous iterations, the Galaxy Watch 6 series will be available around the globe. Pre-orders in the US for both the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic start on the same day as the Galaxy Unpacked event, on July 26, 2023. However, these devices won’t reach store shelves until August 11.

Samsung will sell its new smartwatches on Samsung.com. For those who submitted a reservation, they should have received a $50 Samsung store credit. You’ll also be able to pick one up from AT&T and Verizon. If you preorder, Samsung is offering a free fabric band. Samsung is also offering up to $250 off with eligible trade-ins.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Features

The Galaxy Watch 5 didn’t bring a remarkable design change to the Galaxy Watch line. In fact, we felt a bit of déjà vu when unboxing the device when reviewing the Galaxy Watch 5. However, that isn’t necessarily a complaint, as the watches share an elegant aesthetic, eye-catching AMOLED displays, and impressive specs. So it’s not a big deal that Samsung has decided to play it safe with the sixth generation.

Design: Colors, bands, and sizes

At first glance, the Galaxy Watch 6 looks nearly identical to its predecessor. So if you were hoping for an aesthetic overhaul, you will be sorely disappointed. However, there is one notable design change, thinner bezels. According to Samsung, the active display area is 20% larger than on the Watch 5, and the bezel is 30% thinner. The same will be true for the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

In addition to the larger display, the Classic brings back a fan favorite — the rotating bezel. Our Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review notes that it makes for an incredibly satisfying and smudge-free navigation method. It’s well worth the fanfare, especially since we really missed the feature during our Galaxy Watch 6 review. This feature was noticeably missing from the entire 5-series, but Samsung brought it back thanks to popular demand. Unfortunately, it’s only available for the Classic and not the base model, but this fan-favorite feature gives the pricier watch a leg up over the Galaxy Watch 6 alternatives available.

Leaks leading up to the reveal suggested we’d get three colorways for the Watch 6 and two for the Classic. The Watch 6 was expected to get Silver, Cream, and Black, while the Classic would get Black and Silver. It turns out that the rumored colors for the Classic were correct, but the vanilla model predictions were a little off. The 40mm Watch 6 comes in Gold and Graphite, and the 44mm model gets Silver and Graphite.

The Galaxy Watch 6 series will get a new fabric band, which is meant to be more comfortable for sleeping. That band and other bands will now have one-click removal to make it easier to swap between bands. Buyers can also access a host of third-party Galaxy Watch 6 cases to protect the device from nicks and bruises and plenty of standard Galaxy Watch 6 bands and Classic bands to satisfy particular requirements and styles.

Software features

In early May, Samsung announced a few key features that will debut on the Galaxy Watch 6. These will arrive with One UI 5 Watch — a new version of the skin based on Wear OS 4.

One of the biggest highlights of the update is Fitbit-like sleep tracking. With a word-based numeric score, “Sleep Messages,” sleep consistency measurements, and a cute animal representing your sleep type, the new sleep-tracking platform offers a detailed personalized look at your sleep history. It even provides suggestions — or “Sleep Coaching” — for improving your sleep habits. Unlike Fitbit, however, this feature will not be locked behind a paywall.

On the fitness tracking side, the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic have a Personalized Heart Rate Zone feature that provides even more advanced real-time training feedback. These zones are described as “warm up,” “fat burn,” “cardio,” etc.

Speaking of hearts, Samsung has given the Watch 6 series irregular heart rhythm notifications, just like it did for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5. This is an important addition for those with heart problems, as abnormal rhythm fluctuations could indicate atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Samsung is also updating fall detection for even safer workouts and outings. When the feature is triggered, users can communicate directly with emergency services. Another impressive feature is the device’s ability to auto-recognize when you are running, rowing, or swimming. In addition, these watches can measure skin temperature at night, which Samsung says can provide valuable insights like menstrual cycle tracking.

One feature we know will be very useful is the new way to transfer your watch from one phone to another. Previously, this would require a full reset of the watch, but One UI 5 Watch negates the need for this annoying step. Thankfully, this means if you buy a Galaxy Watch 6 and then upgrade to the Galaxy S24 later, you won’t need to reset your watch during the transfer.

These features will be powered by the various sensors included in the smartwatch. As with the previous iterations, you’ll still find an accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor, and Samsung’s BioActive sensor (optical heart rate (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) sensor package). In addition to these sensors, Samsung has added a temperature sensor, as well as a 3D Hall sensor exclusive to the Classic.

In addition to these features, Samsung is making a few new improvements to existing features. Gesture controls have been enhanced to allow greater accessibility and ease, while the camera controller can remotely switch camera modes and zoom when paired with a Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Galaxy Watch 6 series can now also show its location through Find My Phone with map support.

Display

As mentioned earlier, Samsung has increased the active display area by 20% on both models and shaved off 30% of the bezel. Going into specifics, the 40mm Watch 6 offers a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED screen with 432 x 432 resolution. In comparison, the 44mm variant delivers a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED with 480 x 480 resolution. Whereas the 43mm Classic has a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display with 432 x 432 resolution and the 47mm boasts a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED with 480 x 480 resolution. All versions of the Watch 6 series feature a sapphire crystal screen and a full color Always On Display.

Samsung claims these displays are more vibrant than ever, and should make an excellent platform for your favorite watch faces. These displays boast a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, so you won’t have any difficulty seeing what’s on your screen when you’re outside. In comparison, this doubles the peak brightness of the Watch 5 series.

Battery life

Battery life was a bit of an issue in the smaller models of the Watch 5 series. Thankfully, the tech giant has managed to squeeze in some bigger batteries this time around. The smallest Galaxy Watch 6 model (40mm) now comes with a 300mAh battery, up from the 284mAh battery of the 40mm Galaxy Watch 5. Meanwhile, the 44m Galaxy Watch 6 got a 425mAh battery, a slight increase over the 410mAh battery of the 44mm Galaxy Watch 5. The Classic got the same minor but welcomed capacity bumps.

When you combine these battery capacity increases with the expected new processor and other energy efficiency tweaks, battery life should be notably better this year. But will this be the case for ever user? Perhaps by implementing a few tips and tricks, it’ll be possible.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: Specs

On the specs side, the Galaxy Watch 6 series will land with a better processor — but only slightly. The Galaxy Watch 6 series houses an Exynos W930 SoC, an upgrade over the W920 seen in the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 4 models. However, the newer chipset is based on the same model number as the older one (S5E5515). That means the chipset is physically the same but altered just enough to warrant a new name. In other words, this is essentially an overclocked version of last year’s chipset, not a brand-new SoC.

Interestingly, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Galaxy Watch 6 offer the same chip. This is quite different from what we saw last year. Both models feature 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage, operate on Wear OS 4, and have the same durability stats.

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