Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review

Samsung’s all-new Galaxy Watch Extremely grabbed a lot of the consideration following the corporate’s newest Unpacked occasion, however that’s not the smartwatch most individuals will likely be contemplating. The Galaxy Watch 7 is available in at round half the worth while boasting an identical core number of sensible and fitness-tracking options.

That includes the identical improved efficiency, the newest Put on OS 5, and Samsung’s subtle new BioActive well being sensor in a deeply acquainted design, it’s a watch that hides most of its advances over the Galaxy Watch 6 out of sight.

It shouldn’t shock anybody to be taught that it’s a reasonably minor improve general (once more), however is it the perfect all-round smartwatch for many Android customers? That’s what we’re going to attempt to discover out within the following assessment.

Design & Construct

• Barely bigger physique than earlier than
• Nonetheless snug to put on and well-built
• Two bodily buttons

Samsung’s mainline smartwatch vary actually hasn’t modified its exterior look all that a lot over the previous a number of years. This 12 months, it’s been left to the Galaxy Watch Extremely to supply one thing new – although Apple would probably contest using the phrase ‘new’ right here.

As for the Galaxy Watch, it seems to be a lot the identical because the Galaxy Watches 6, 5, and 4 earlier than it. It presents the very same mixture of a spherical watch face and flat, industrial metallic body, with a gently bulbous again containing all of the sensors.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The principle distinction with this 12 months’s mannequin is the color choices. I actually just like the Inexperienced end and complementary military inexperienced Sport Band that got here with my assessment mannequin, the latter with its undulating texture and contrasting blue and orange thread particulars. It seemed equally at dwelling whether or not I used to be dressing sporty for a exercise or smart-casual for a pleasant meal out.

You may as well get the 40mm variant in a Cream color, and the 44mm watch in Silver. There are 4 different various Sport Band colors, alongside three different strap sorts.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 was already slightly on the chunky facet, however the Galaxy Watch 7 is definitely 0.7mm thicker and 0.1g heavier. That’s not a very significant enhance, however I might have appreciated to have seen issues travelling in the other way.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

As earlier than, the Watch 7 packs an exemplary degree of robustness, with 5ATM (that means it will possibly face up to strain as much as 50m underwater), IP68, and MIL-STD-810H (navy grade) scores, whereas the show is roofed in powerful Sapphire Glass.

In my expertise, the sharp black metallic ridge that surrounds stated glass is the most certainly to select up nicks and scrapes, and I observed one such nick showing throughout the first day or so of carrying the watch. That may be preferable to carrying a scratch on the show, as is the case with Google’s rounded Pixel Watch 3 design.

I used to be despatched the smaller 40mm variant of the Watch 7, which seemed and felt snug on my skinny wrist. There’s additionally a 44mm possibility for these with greater wrists. I don’t often put on watches to mattress, however in testing the Watch 7’s sleep-tracking options it didn’t trigger me any main irritation or discomfort.

As with earlier fashions, you get two remappable bodily buttons on the suitable hand edge, protecting the ‘Dwelling’ and ‘Again’ capabilities by default. With no Galaxy Watch 7 Traditional on the playing cards, there’s no bodily bezel management, and Samsung’s digital bezel command (with accompanying haptic suggestions) doesn’t really feel fairly so exact or tactile.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Display & Audio

• Alternative of 1.3- or 1.5-inch OLED show
• Vibrant colors and glorious element
• Respectable speaker

Samsung hasn’t messed with its core smartwatch show set-up, which implies that you get a alternative of 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch OLEDs, with a decision of 432×432 or 480×480 respectively.

Whichever one you go for, you’re going to be hitting a peak brightness of two,000 nits, which is a match for the Google Pixel Watch 3.

This stays probably the greatest smartwatch shows round, even right here in its second successive era. Samsung’s OLED mastery is on full present, with wealthy and vibrant colors and inky blacks. The latter actually makes a advantage of One UI’s preponderance of black backgrounds.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Textual content legibility is on level too, making it straightforward to parse even smaller textual content at a look. As already famous, the sting of the display screen incorporates Samsung’s digital bezel, enabling another method to navigate by means of One UI’s menus.

It nonetheless doesn’t really feel fairly exact or intuitive sufficient to change into your main technique of navigation, however it’s simply ignored.

Simply as with final 12 months’s Watch 6, the Galaxy Watch 7 packs spectacular audio system give the dimensions of the watch. It made Samsung’s vocal exercise directions straightforward to course of even whereas lifting weights. All you really want such a small part to be is crisp and loud, and Samsung ticks each of these containers.

Software program & Options

• One UI Watch 6 over WearOS 5
• Clean, responsive UI
• Some well being options require a Samsung cellphone

The Galaxy Watch 7 runs on Google’s WearOS 5, with Samsung’s bespoke One UI Watch 6 layered on prime. Identical to the previous couple of fashions, Samsung is promising 4 years of software program updates, which can take you thru to 2028.

Samsung’s UI retains the core parts the identical as Google’s as seen on the Pixel Watch sequence, however switches the structure round slightly. So, for instance, swiping up from the underside on the house display screen on the Galaxy Watch 7 accesses an app menu, whereas I’ve to press the crown button to entry one thing comparable on my Pixel Watch 2.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Swiping up on a Pixel Watch accesses your notifications, which is accessible with a rightward swipe on the Watch 7. It’s the identical staple items in a barely totally different configuration, and it’s largely a matter of non-public style as to which is healthier. Google and Samsung labored intently within the improvement of WearOS, and it reveals.

Samsung’s UI runs extraordinarily fluidly on the Watch 7, and works properly as an everyday smartwatch with any cellphone operating Android 11 and better, although you’ll want to put in a couple of additional apps and plug-ins. You’ll solely get the perfect out of all its well being and health options with a Samsung cellphone, nonetheless.

It’s solely if you go all in on Samsung that you simply’ll be capable of use the Samsung Well being Monitor app. This app is essential to having access to options such because the electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood strain, in addition to the brand new sleep apnea detection characteristic.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

The primary two of those aren’t enormous losses. Taking your blood strain stays a fiddly course of that requires an impartial cuff-based monitor not like the Huawei Watch D2. The ECG perform doesn’t require any extra tools, however nonetheless requires fairly a selected calibration course of.

Nonetheless, these options mix to make the concept of shopping for a Galaxy Watch 7 considerably unpalatable until you even have a Galaxy cellphone. It will really feel such as you weren’t getting the whole expertise that you simply have been paying for, which is relatively a disgrace when the Watch 7 is in any other case a vastly aggressive providing.

Regardless of the cellphone, you’ll be utilizing Samsung’s Wearable app to shortly swap out watch faces and tiles (basically little widgets), in addition to providing simpler entry to settings and app downloads.

That stable Google foundation means the Watch 7 has entry to the Google Play Retailer for apps alongside Samsung’s lesser Galaxy Retailer, granting you entry to all the most important examples like Spotify, WhatsApp, Todoist and SoundCloud. This additionally means you may obtain Google Pockets for cell funds, which is extremely beneficial if you wish to do tappy funds along with your watch.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

There are a number of Samsung apps preinstalled right here, in addition to the likes of Microsoft Outlook. However you additionally get the likes of Google Maps and the aforementioned WhatsApp, each of that are more likely to be virtually universally welcome.

Well being and health administration is dealt with by means of the Samsung Well being app, which affords deeper insights into your varied well being metrics and exercise efficiency. We’ll speak extra about that within the following part.

Health & Monitoring

• Wealth of well being and health information
• New superior sensor
• Superior sleep monitoring

Samsung’s smartwatch vary has lengthy excelled in relation to health monitoring, and the Galaxy Watch 7 kicks issues up one other degree.

The important thing advance right here is Samsung’s new BioActive well being sensor, which packs in additional coronary heart charge sensor LEDs (13 in comparison with 6 within the Watch 6), which implies that it will possibly report well being metrics like coronary heart charge, sleep high quality, blood strain, blood oxygen ranges, and stress ranges extra precisely.

Samsung reckons it could possibly be as a lot as 30% extra correct when monitoring high-intensity exercises.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

On a primary degree, I discovered the step and distance depend to be broadly according to my Google Pixel Watch 2. Samsung has fitted the Galaxy Watch 7 out with dual-band GPS, which implies that location monitoring ought to show much more correct and dependable.

On the software program entrance, Samsung has applied a brand new Power Rating, which utilises Galaxy AI to supply a private rating out of 100 based mostly on components akin to your current exercises, your coronary heart charge, and your sleep high quality.

This appears considerably arbitrary for the primary few days and even weeks, however as you spend extra time carrying the watch and making full use of its monitoring skills you’ll come to depend on it for a sign of how a lot you’re possible to have the ability to tackle in any given day Samsung reveals you ways a lot your Power Rating has risen or dipped, and breaks down every contributing issue.

Sleep monitoring is even higher than earlier than, with a brand new characteristic that may scan for sleep apnea. That is the primary general-use smartwatch to realize FDA approval for such a characteristic, which is sort of an achievement.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Aside from that, the Galaxy Watch 7 can deal with all the identical coronary heart charge, ECG, SpO2 monitoring, and AFib detection duties as earlier than, albeit with a better diploma of accuracy. As already highlighted, you’ll have to have a Samsung cellphone to utilize the Samsung Well being Monitor app and its ECG, blood strain and sleep apnea-tracking capabilities.

In the case of basic exercises, Samsung seemingly has nearly all the pieces coated. I counted 102 devoted exercises protecting basic exercises and a number of sports activities. Within the unlikely occasion that your chosen exercise isn’t coated, you may create your individual train, and even your individual prolonged routine incorporating a number of train sorts.

The Watch 7 reliably observed at any time when I used to be on an prolonged stroll and kicked off an computerized strolling exercise, which helped an impromptu weekend faucet room crawl really feel way more virtuous than it really was.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

For dedicated runners, the vary of knowledge Samsung assembles is sort of intensive for a non-specialist operating watch akin to this, with a breakdown of parts akin to cadence, tempo, elevation change, VO2 max and extra. This alone could possibly be sufficient to warrant consideration of the Watch 7 above different all-round WearOS watches, even if you happen to don’t have a Samsung cellphone and may’t entry each final well being characteristic.

The Sleep Teaching characteristic proves very insightful. As long as you’re snug carrying the watch over evening, Samsung will use the Watch 7’s new superior sensor to trace your sleep. It’ll take every week to type an preliminary prognosis, however finally it can have a pool of knowledge to work with, and can provide you with an appraisal of your sleep high quality.

This contains attributing you with a signature sleep animal. I’m a penguin, apparently, as a result of whereas I get loads of sleep on a reasonably common schedule, I are inclined to get up typically. Past this, Samsung’s Sleep Teaching characteristic provides scores to your sleep time and effectivity, and offers tips about methods to enhance lower than passable areas. It strikes simply the suitable stability between accessibility and supplying sufficient helpful information to behave upon.

When you preserve your cellphone beside you, you can even report any loud night breathing – although as a non-snorer, it was not possible for me to check this conclusively.

A lot of the health and wellness monitoring is on the market on the Samsung Galaxy Ring if the concept of a sensible ring would possibly fit your desire. It’s dearer at £399/$399 however does last more when it comes to battery life.

When you’re flush sufficient to make use of each the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch 7 on the identical time, the shared accountability of monitoring extends the sensible ring’s battery life by as much as 30%. It’s only a disgrace Samsung doesn’t provide a bundle low cost for anybody prepared to purchase each.

Specs & Efficiency

• Exynos W1000 and 2GB RAM
• Slick efficiency
• 32GB of storage

Samsung has outfitted each sizes of the Galaxy Watch 7 with a brand new Exynos W1000 chipset, which seems to be to be a substantial improve on the Galaxy Watch 6 and its Exynos W930. That is backed by 2GB of RAM, identical to the Watch 6.

That new Exynos W1000 chip is made up of 1 ARM Cortex-A78 1.6GHz core and 4 Cortex-A55 1.5GHz cores, in comparison with the Exynos W930’s twin Cortex-A55 1.4GHz cores. Not solely does the W1000 have a core and clock benefit, it’s all constructed to a smaller 3nm commonplace (vs 5nm within the Exynos W930).

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

To chop an extended story brief, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 would possibly look and deal with the identical because the Galaxy Watch 6, it’s quite a bit quicker and extra vitality environment friendly.

Efficiency isn’t an evening and day enchancment generally operation – the Watch 6 was and is already fairly zippy. However that additional energy is evidently wanted to function the extra subtle BioActive well being sensor. It also needs to make sure that the Galaxy Watch 7 stays quicker for longer, and that it’s higher outfitted for future superior health-tracking updates that Samsung has hinted at.

Storage has additionally taken an enormous step ahead, with the Galaxy Watch 6’s 16GB being doubled to 32GB within the Galaxy Watch 7.

All in all, if you issue within the aforementioned improve to the well being sensor and its new dual-band GPS provision, the Galaxy Watch 7 represents a extra substantial improve than initially meets the attention.

Battery Life & Charging

• 300mAh battery on 40mm, 425mAh on 44mm
• 1 to 1.5 days of battery life
• Helps 10W Qi wi-fi charging, however no extra Wi-fi Powershare

Samsung has caught with the identical battery capacities because the Galaxy Watch 6, which implies that the 40mm mannequin of the Watch 7 is powered by a 300mAh cell, whereas the 44mm variant get s a 425mAh cell.

That’s a little bit of a disgrace, contemplating that we have been considerably underwhelmed by the Watch 6’s stamina. Nonetheless, I held out hopes of an enchancment, if solely because of that extra environment friendly Exynos W1000 processor.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

All of that is anecdotal, after all, with every individual’s utilization sample being totally different, however I discovered the Galaxy Watch 7 to be comfortably and constantly able to going a full 24-hour day and even barely longer – even with the always-on show energetic. On lighter utilization days it will stand up to half method by means of a second day earlier than it gave out.

That’s a small however probably vital enchancment on the Galaxy Watch 6, which struggled to get by means of a full day. Once more, I want to produce the caveat that we’re evaluating information from two utterly totally different customers right here.

In fact, a day to a-day-and-a-half of utilization is hardly excellent, however it does immediately make the Watch 7’s sleep monitoring options extra viable. I used to be in a position to put on it by means of a full day and evening, then place it on cost within the morning whereas I used to be having a bathe and making a espresso. You may prolong that battery life if you happen to decide in opposition to utilizing the always-on show, too.

If you’d like longer battery life, you’ll have to go for one thing just like the OnePlus Watch 2R or Huawei Watch GT5 Professional.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Jon Mundy / Foundry

For charging, there’s been no nice development on the time it takes to juice the Galaxy Watch 7 up, with assist for 10W Qi charging. In charging up from empty utilizing the bundled cable, I discovered that it was in a position to hit 58% in round half-hour, whereas a full cost takes simply over 70 minutes. That’s about the identical because the Watch 6.

It’s not a foul consequence, however I’d wish to see issues rushing up considerably (and never simply from Samsung) to make that ‘cost over breakfast’ idea extra viable, significantly following these heavy use days the place the battery is nearly utterly depleted come the morning.

As for that charger cable itself, you’re a much more elegant answer than Google’s Pixel Watch charger. Its potential to magnetically affix and function by means of 360 levels is way preferable to Google’s fixed-position various.

One characteristic that’s been taken away for the reason that Watch 6 days is Wi-fi PowerShare, which suggests you may not cost the Watch 7 by inserting it in your Samsung cellphone. That’s the worth it’s important to pay for the extra superior sensor on the again of the watch, apparently.

Worth & Availability

The Galaxy Watch 7 prices precisely the Similar as Galaxy Watch 6, with the 40mm mannequin costing £289/$299 and the 44mm model £319/$329. You’ll want so as to add an additional £50/$50 in each instances if you wish to add LTE connectivity.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is on the market direct from the Samsung web site, or from the standard main retailers like Amazon, John Lewis, Currys, and Argos.

Within the US, it’s obtainable from Samsung, Amazon and BestBuy.

This makes the Galaxy Watch 7 extraordinarily aggressive on pricing. The 40mm mannequin undercuts the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 by £60/$50, whereas the 44mm mannequin is £80/$70 cheaper than the 45mm Pixel Watch 3.

Elsewhere, the TicWatch Professional 5 Enduro, which is nearer to the bigger and dearer mannequin of the Galaxy Watch 7 in measurement, prices £329.99/$349.99. Over in Apple-land, in the meantime, the Apple Watch Sequence 10 begins from £399/$399.

For one thing cheaper, take into account the Galaxy Watch FE which we’ll have a assessment of very quickly.

Verify our rankings of the perfect smartwatches for the highest choices.

Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7?

Samsung has created one other broadly incremental improve for its newest mainline smartwatch, however whereas the skin is basically unchanged, there are a few notable inner enhancements.

The availability of a brand new Exynos W1000 chip is sweet information, each for the continued efficiency of the watch and for battery life within the right here and now. The power to run constantly for a full day makes these enhanced sleep monitoring capabilities extra viable.

Speaking of which, Samsung has fitted the Watch 7 out with extra superior sensors that present much more correct and in-depth well being monitoring. Throw in an some extraordinarily aggressive pricing and a few snazzy new strap designs, and you’ve got a compelling smartwatch package deal.

All of which makes it much more of a bummer that a few of these well being monitoring options solely work with Samsung telephones. If it wasn’t for that, this would possibly properly have been the perfect smartwatch for many Android customers, no questions requested. Because it stands, it’s one other sturdy contender.

Specs

• 1.3in 432×432 (40mm) or 1.5in 480×480 (44mm) round AMOLED always-on show
• Sapphire crystal
• Exynos W1000 3nm processor
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• One UI Watch 6 over Put on OS 5
• Bluetooth 5.3
• NFC
• GPS (L1+L5)
• Wi-Fi
• 4G LTE (elective)
• Microphone
• Speaker
• Optical coronary heart charge sensor (PPG)
• Electrical coronary heart sensor (ECG)
• Bioelectrical impedance evaluation sensor (BIA)
• Blood oxygen monitoring
• AFib irregular heartbeat detection
• Sleep monitoring
• Snore detection
• Physique composition evaluation
• Guided exercises
• Bixby Voice
• Gesture controls
• Aluminium casing
• 5ATM swim-proof
• IP68-certified mud/water resistance
• MIL-STD-810G examined
• Wi-fi charging
• 300mAh (40mm) or 425mAh battery (44mm)
• 10W Qi wi-fi charging
• 40.4 x 40.4 x 9.7mm (40mm) or 44.4 x 44.4 x 9.7mm (44mm)
• 28.8g (40mm) or 33.8g (44mm)
• Colors: Inexperienced, Cream (40mm solely), Silver (44mm solely)
• Appropriate with Android 11 or increased (units require greater than 1.5GB RAM)