Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 evaluate: tried and true | Digital Noch

Of all of the wearables Samsung launched in 2024, the $299.99 Galaxy Watch 7 is the least thrilling. It’s not a very new class just like the Galaxy Ring or a brand new kind issue just like the Galaxy Watch Extremely. Even in my briefings, Samsung type of waved its palms and mentioned, “Oh, the Galaxy Watch 7 is right here, too — and, uh, it’s actually nice!”

In different phrases, if in case you have a Galaxy Watch 4, 5, or 6, you realize what you’re getting. In a 12 months when Samsung shook up its wearable lineup, the Galaxy Watch 7 is its stalwart fixed. And after spending the final three weeks with the Galaxy Ring and Extremely, I’ve come to understand that.

It’s not that I disliked the Ring or the Extremely. Quite the opposite, it’s extra that, after some time, the classics like the bottom Galaxy Watch can get boring and it’s essential to spend time away to recollect what made them nice once more. It’s like making an attempt a bunch of latest viral cafes on TikTok, with their Instagram-worthy latte flavors, after which craving the iced latte out of your native bodega. Each are good, however just one affords consolation.

Talking of consolation, wearability is an enormous plus with the bottom Galaxy Watch. The Extremely was cumbersome on my wrist and I had a tough time getting a very good match for the brand new FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection characteristic, which will depend on a comfortable match. That’s not the case with the Galaxy Watch 7. I’ve the 40mm Watch 7, and I had no issues getting the sleep apnea characteristic to work because it ought to. That is simply my private style, however I additionally most well-liked how the less complicated round show appeared on my wrist in comparison with the Extremely. The slimmer profile was one other enormous profit. And though it’s summer season, I do know this watch received’t get caught on jacket sleeves or different clothes. 

However simply as my expertise with the Extremely jogged my memory of how I took the Watch 7’s stylish slim and light-weight design without any consideration, it additionally highlighted its best weak point: battery life.

Even after Samsung’s battery calibration interval, I nonetheless solely acquired round 24 hours on a single cost. This, too, hasn’t modified a lot from the Galaxy Watches 4, 5, and 6. The primary distinction with the 7 is that I can reliably get by a whole day, whereas earlier than it was sometimes a wrestle to do even that. (People with the 44mm Watch 7 may have elevated time because it has a much bigger battery.) Quick charging takes a number of the sting out, however I’ll add the caveat that I’m a heavy GPS consumer and hold the always-on show enabled more often than not. You’ll get higher mileage in the event you stick with the gymnasium or flip the AOD off. 

None of that is shocking as a result of the Watch 7 hasn’t modified a lot by way of {hardware}. The one distinction is that it has the brand new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip and an upgraded 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor — that and it runs Put on OS 5 and One UI 6 Be careful of the field, however these will ultimately come to older Galaxy Watches, too. (You’ll be able to already obtain betas.) Efficiency general is snappy, although I haven’t observed any significant elevated accuracy from the brand new BioActive Sensor. 

Most of what’s new boils all the way down to well being options: AI-powered wellness insights, an Power Rating for gauging restoration, sleep apnea detection, and a baffling AGEs metric that supposedly makes use of the interplay of sugar with fat and protein to measure metabolic well being. I wrote about these options in additional element in my Ring and Extremely critiques, however the gist is that they’re hit and miss. Double pinch is one other “new” characteristic, wherein you should utilize the gesture to dismiss alerts, take calls, or management your digicam. Samsung’s had it for some time, but it surely’s simply extra within the highlight this 12 months. I fairly appreciated it, however once more, the gesture isn’t restricted to the Galaxy Watch 7.

Technically, Samsung was proper: the Galaxy Watch 7 is right here, too, and it’s nice. It’s right here for folk upgrading from an older Galaxy Watch who’d relatively futureproof with a 7 as a substitute of getting a reduced 6. It’s for individuals who assume the Extremely is an excessive amount of watch for his or her wants (or their wrist). It’s not thrilling, however you realize what you’re going to get: a very good smartwatch. There’s worth in that as properly.