The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has all the qualities of a high-end smartwatch, but it falls short in a few important areas. It has a rotating bezel that makes navigation easy, and it has a lot of fitness and software features. However, it’s hard to control when you’re working out, and the battery life is terrible. These problems might be acceptable in a cheap wearable, but they’re hard to accept in a high-end one.
The Watch4 Classic doesn’t appear that different from prior Samsung wearables. It has two buttons on the right side and the familiar spinning bezel around the screen. It comes in two sizes: 42 millimeters with a 1.2-inch screen or 46 millimeters with a 1.4-inch screen. The case is made of stainless steel, which is stylish.
Both sizes come in both Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and LTE versions, and each one can be bought in either black or silver. The normal Watch4 also comes in pink and green, so it would have been good to see other color possibilities here as well. This would look fantastic with a bronze finish and a green band.
Specifications
- Display: 60Hz OLED, 1.2″ 396×396 (42mm) or 1.4″450×450 (46mm)
- CPU: Exynos W920
- RAM: 1.5GB
- Storage: 16GB
- Battery: 247mAh (42mm) or 361mAh (46mm)
- Connectivity: NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, LTE (optional)
- Durability: IP68 certified, MIL-STD-810G compliant
- Software: One UI Watch 3 over “Wear OS Powered by Samsung”
- Health sensors: Heart rate, EKG, bioelectrical impedance
- Price: From $350
- Weight: 46.5g (42mm), 52g (46mm)
Where to get Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic smartwatch?
The Watch4 Classic is known for its spinning bezel, which is kind of its whole point. This, along with the fact that it has a more traditional look and is made of steel, makes it different from the regular Watch4, which is smaller, sleeker, made of aluminum, and doesn’t have a physical rotating bezel (its bezel can be turned by touching it, but that’s not the same).
Like the Apple Watch, this has a big problem with battery life. Samsung states that the 247mAh battery in the 42mm variant and the 361mAh battery in the 46mm size can both last about 40 hours on a charge, just as the Watch3. In my tests, the Watch4 Classic’s battery lasted for 29 hours with normal to heavy use and the always-on display turned off. At that point, only 5% of the battery was left.