Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3: What are the differences?

We’ve held the Galaxy Watch 3 in high regard for quite some time, naming it as one of the best smartwatches available when it launched in 2020. But the Galaxy Watch 4 series has proved itself as a capable successor, bringing a refreshed user experience and improved hardware. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better in every scenario. You may still want (or require) the old spice for several reasons. Below, we discuss the key differences and similarities between Samsung’s first Wear OS 3 smartwatch and its last Tizen flagship. Learn more in this quick Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3 comparison.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch

Design

The Galaxy Watch 3 launched in 2020 as Samsung’s standalone flagship smartwatch. Only one model was made available, but those seeking a sportier, sleeker, and cheaper alternative could opt for the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

The Galaxy Watch 4 debuted in 2021 in two forms. The standard offering is effectively the spiritual successor of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and features a cleaner face, an aluminum shell, and a touch-sensitive bezel. The Classic model is the more direct Galaxy Watch 3 replacement and includes a tactile rotating bezel with etched minute markings and a slightly chunkier build. The Galaxy Watch 4 arrives in two dial sizes but feature similar core internal specs.

You’re also getting two screen sizes with the Galaxy Watch 4 series, with the smaller model using a 1.2-inch panel and the larger opting for a 1.4-inch display. The Classic model features slightly larger faces than the Galaxy Watch 3, with 46mm and 42mm options. The standard model features 44mm and 40mm faces, similar to the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Overall, the Galaxy Watch 4 series is thinner than the Galaxy Watch 3, making the new watches more comfortable to wear.

Beyond the return of the rotating bezel, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic does feature some aesthetic differences over the Watch 3. The buttons are still located on the right edge but are flatter and elongated — a departure from the protruding nubs that gave the Galaxy Watch 3 a more imposing visage. The standard Galaxy Watch 4 has a cleaner, simpler facade than both and swaps a physical rotating bezel for a touch alternative that is pretty awkward to use. Whether the Galaxy Watch 4 series is a visual improvement depends on your taste.

Features

What about internal differences? Well, there are plenty. Let’s start with the operating system.

The Galaxy Watch 4 series switches from Samsung’s Tizen to Wear OS 3 and One UI Watch — the biggest software overhaul for Samsung’s wearables in years. It’s the first watch line to run Samsung and Google’s new co-developed OS, bringing several new perks over the Galaxy Watch 3.

First and foremost, Wear OS opens the door to a more extensive app library than Tizen, including Google-specific features and apps, like Maps and onboard Assistant support, and more synchronicity with Android devices. The UI is incredibly slick, making it a breeze to gloss through installed apps or study health metrics.

While the Galaxy Watch 3 supports iOS devices, the move to Wear OS 3 means the Galaxy Watch 4 does not. Additionally, several new Galaxy Watch 4 features are exclusive to Samsung smartphone users, including health-tracking smarts. This isn’t quite the case with the older smartwatch. Samsung makes plenty of its own apps available on the Galaxy Watch 4. You can use Samsung Pay or Google Pay, while Samsung Health is the health tracking app of choice. Bixby can be used as the default voice assistant, but thankfully, Google Assistant support finally rolled out in May 2022.

The Galaxy Watch 3 stands to gain none of the Wear OS benefits. Samsung has no plans to update its Tizen devices to Wear OS and One UI Watch. You’ll have to get a new watch if you’re looking for new OS features. At the same time, Samsung has committed to four years of updates with the Galaxy Watch 4, making it a more future-proof option.

One of our biggest criticisms of the Galaxy Watch 3 was its health-tracking abilities. Heart-rate tracking was unreliable, while sleep tracking was hit-and-miss. The Galaxy Watch 4 series improves both while adding new sensors, too. The BIA sensor, which measures body composition, is a big new addition and provides valuable insight into body fat percentages, skeletal mass, and water retention. The watch also includes a blood pressure monitor, an SpO2 sensor with more frequent sampling, and an ECG. The Galaxy Watch 4 line also carries over some features, like VO2 max monitoring, and improves automatic workout detection latency.

The Galaxy Watch 4 does have its flaws, though. Its GPS performance remains sketchy compared to the competition, skewing outdoor tracking data, while heart-rate tracking isn’t as detailed as some would want. Notably, you can only use the ECG and blood pressure monitoring features with an accompanying Samsung smartphone, leaving many Android users in the cold.

Beyond sensors, Samsung has also upgraded the Galaxy Watch 4’s base hardware.

The Galaxy Watch 3 offered 1GB of RAM, which seemed plenty for a smartwatch, mainly thanks to Tizen’s lightweight build. Storage came in at 8GB, more than enough for the apps and offline music files. The Galaxy Watch 4 series trumps this by some margin, though. It launches with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, which should be plenty for Wear OS and a host of offline files.

We see some notable processing power upgrades, too. The Galaxy Watch 4 series arrives with Samsung’s 5nm Exynos W920 SoC which reportedly brings a 20% faster CPU and 10x GPU performance gains over the Galaxy Watch 3’s Exynos 9110. You don’t need much muscle on a smartwatch, but the Galaxy Watch 4 series feels smooth alongside the new UI.

As for battery capacity, the larger Galaxy Watch 4 models win this battle, too. They feature a 361mAh battery, up slightly from the 340mAh available on the larger Galaxy Watch 3. Notably, the smaller Galaxy Watch 3 and 4 models share a 247mAh cell. The larger Galaxy Watch 4 device can endure up to 1.5 days per charge, according to our tests. That’s on par with the Galaxy Watch 3. The smaller models pack even less power, with around 24 hours of use per charge. If you need longevity, we’d recommend the Galaxy Watch 3 or the bigger Galaxy Watch 4.

Pricing

Finally, how do these smartwatches measure up in terms of value? After studying its specs sheet it’s tough to dismiss the Galaxy Watch 4 series. It gets even tougher when considering its price, too.

The Galaxy Watch 3 launched at $399. At the time, it was a steep premium for a smartwatch that does everything relatively well. It didn’t quite have a specific killer feature, though. And although the device is now regularly offered at a lower price, it remains a stern investment.

Samsung seemingly took this criticism to heart with the Galaxy Watch 4 and Classic. The latter launched at $349, shaving $50 off the Galaxy Watch 3’s launch price. Considering its benefits over the older model, it’s an easy choice if you’re budgeting for a ~$300 wearable. Notably, the Galaxy Watch 4 is now even cheaper in light of the Galaxy Watch 5’s arrival.

That’s still plenty to spend on a smartwatch, but that’s where the standard Galaxy Watch 4 comes in. The Bluetooth model launched at $249, but you can now find it on sale fairly regularly. The Galaxy Watch 4’s sleeker aesthetic and lighter build make it an ideal activity watch. It also won’t look out of place in a boardroom, either.

You’re looking at a $50 premium for both Galaxy Watch 4 models for LTE support.

Specs

Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3: Which should you buy?

Samsung has made sizeable strides with the Galaxy Watch 4 series. The revitalized OS provides Google’s services and closer integration with Android. It also brings sprightlier hardware, more fitness features and sensors, and a lower price. It’s a no-brainer that you should go with the Galaxy Watch 4 series instead of the Galaxy Watch 3.

This doesn’t mean you should discount the Galaxy Watch 3, especially as it’s regularly available as a sale item. If you don’t need the Galaxy Watch 4 series’ new features, the Watch 3 still has a place at the right price. It remains a solid smartwatch that does everything pretty well. Also, it’s your only dog in this race if you’re an iPhone user.

However, there’s a new option from Samsung to consider. The Galaxy Watch 5 series builds on the Galaxy Watch 4’s foundation with larger batteries, new health tracking features, and a new outdoor-orientated Pro model. Realistically, you should set your sights on a Galaxy Watch 5 model if you haven’t yet purchased a Galaxy Watch 4 or are looking to upgrade from the Galaxy Watch 3.

Beyond Samsung, there are plenty of other contenders. Options from Garmin, Fitbit, and Apple are available to those wanting more intuitive fitness trackers. Few smartwatches on the market can challenge the Galaxy Watch 3’s feature coverage, but the Galaxy Watch 4 builds on and continues where its older sibling left off.

That’s it for our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs Galaxy Watch 3 showdown. Which wearable do you prefer? Let us and others know by voting in the poll above.

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