Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43 mm LTE smartwatch in review - The return of a classic

At least two Samsung apps are required for the full functionality of the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic: the Galaxy Wearable app and the Samsung Health app. The smartwatch is paired with the smartphone via the Galaxy Wear app. The devices immediately identify one another during the test, and the smartphone app is then loaded via a plug-in.  

During the installation, a Google account (mandatory) and a Samsung account (optional) are paired. Apps from the Play Store can also be installed during the setup. The software also suggests regular backups - another app, Samsung Smart Switch, has to be installed for that.  

The descriptions of the features in the smartphone app and the smartwatch instructions are well-written. Both appear throughout the setup process or immediately after it is completed. Setting up an eSIM is possible both during the startup process and later. The software is designed for usage with multiple SIMs. Although an independent SIM card may be set up in the test, the app is constantly sending error messages even though the card is active and works.

Samsung justifies this with the fact that the watch only actively uses its own SIM card when disconnected from the smartphone to save battery. Therefore, the standalone SIM card would often be inactive.

All associated Samsung Galaxy Wearable devices, such as headphones, trackers, and smartwatches, are shown in the Galaxy Wearable app. The current watch face and charge status are displayed on the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic. Furthermore, the app provides a vast number of free watch faces. It is also possible to rearrange the applications on the wristwatch, as well as change the tiles and the quick menu called QuickPanel. There, the contents and order can be altered. 

The Galaxy Wear app can also be used to adjust the smartwatch's settings. For example, which apps are allowed to send notifications, which body data is measured in which interval, or how powerful the vibration motor should be. 

The assignment of the buttons can also be modified here. An emergency contact may be saved, and Samsung Pay can be configured as a payment method. This is also where the eSIM is managed. 

The majority of these options are also available on the smartwatch itself. For more complex apps, the smartwatch launches the matching smartphone submenu. The watch is controlled by two buttons, a spinning bezel, gestures, and the 1.3-inch touchscreen. 

Turning the bezel scrolls through menus. When tapped once, the top button returns to the home screen. Long pressing activates the digital assistant Bixby in its default settings. Pressing it twice launches the most recently used app. The bottom button can only be assigned with one function. Pressing it once takes you back one step to the factory settings. The key assignments are changeable, but not all functions can be stored for all press commands. 

A swipe from left to right opens the notification menu, the messages are listed sorted by app. Swiping from top to bottom brings up the short menu with access to display brightness, data connection, flight mode, etc. Swiping from bottom to top opens the app overview. Swiping left to right navigates between the various cards. Clicking on the respective card opens the corresponding menu or app.

The smartwatch boasts a wide array of sensors and features designed for collecting comprehensive health and fitness data. This data is gathered and analyzed within the Samsung Health app. Within the app's dashboard, users can customize the content and order of various metrics, including daily activity, steps, workouts, food intake, sleep patterns, pulse rate, stress levels, body composition, cycle tracking, water intake, and blood oxygen levels.

Under the Community section, users may compare their beliefs to those of their friends, creating a sense of unity. Under Fitness, Samsung offers a range of exercise videos, covering activities from mindfulness and muscle building to running. These videos are displayed on the smartphone while the smartwatch monitors vital signs. Samsung not only provides its own workout programs but also showcases offerings from third-party providers.

In the Profile section, users can view earned badges and personal best achievements. The software also delivers a weekly summary of active time and sleep duration. It's worth noting that data synchronization with Google Fit is possible exclusively through Google Health Connect.

A standout feature of the Samsung smartwatch is its ability to measure body composition. By placing two fingers on electrodes embedded in the buttons and inputting height and weight, the software provides values for skeletal muscle, fat mass, and body water in kilograms. Additionally, it calculates BMI, body fat percentage, and daily basal metabolic rate in calories.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic offers pulse, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and ECG measurements. However, for blood pressure measurements, the smartwatch requires regular calibration with a blood pressure monitor, unlike the Huawei Watch D, for example. Additionally, blood pressure and ECG measurements can only be conducted with paired Samsung smartphones.

To assess the accuracy of the Galaxy Watch6 Classic's readings, we compared its measurements with those of reference devices. During a bike ride, we used a Polar H10 chest strap as a reference device. For resting pulse measurements, the devices' values ranged by just one beat per minute, equivalent to a deviation of 1.54 percent.

We conducted three performance pulse measurements, and the average deviation from these readings was only 0.09 percent. These values were notably more accurate than those of the Galaxy Watch6. Although the sensors of both smartwatches are supposed to be identical, differences in straps and fit on the wrist could account for the deviation.

The Galaxy Watch6 Classic also performed well in terms of monitoring blood oxygen saturation. As a reference device, we used a Braun pulse oximeter 1. The average variation between the three measures was 2.08 percent, with the watch regularly outperforming the reference device.

For blood pressure measurements, a Braun ExacFit 5 Connect served as the reference device, and we recorded three readings. The systolic values deviated by 4.21 percent, while the diastolic values averaged a 1.3 percent difference.