The 6 best features of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
If you are on the hunt for a new Wear OS smartwatch, then Samsung's Galaxy Watch line should be at the top of your list. The company's wearables come equipped with every health feature and spec you can think of, making them ideal for almost any user. With the Galaxy Watch 6 series, Samsung once again raises the bar that other Android wearables will have to meet. So, what makes the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 stand out? What are its top features?
1. Thinner bezels, Bigger screen
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and its Classic counterpart may look similar to the South Korean giant's prior Wear OS watches. However, there's a major design upgrade: thinner bezels.
This, in turn, has allowed the company to increase the screen size for a more immersive experience. Samsung claims the Galaxy Watch 6 has bezels that are 30% thinner, while the rotating bezel of the Watch 6 Classic is 15% slimmer.
Regarding screen size, the 40mm Watch 6 version comes with a 1.3-inch AMOLED panel, while the 44mm variant has a 1.5-inch display - a 20% increase over the Watch 5 series. The Watch 6 Classic is available in 43mm and 47mm configurations, with 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch screens.
2. Brighter screen
The round display of the Galaxy Watch 6 is not only larger but also brighter. It boasts a maximum brightness of 2000 nits, ensuring you can view the content even under direct harsh sunlight. Additionally, the Always On Display on the wearable is smart enough to adjust the brightness based on the surrounding light.
3. Longer battery life
Despite having a larger and brighter screen, the Galaxy Watch 6 series lasts longer than its predecessor. This is thanks to Samsung equipping a larger battery inside the smartwatch.
While the Galaxy Watch 6 40mm has a 300mAh battery, the 44mm model boasts a 425mAh battery. For comparison, the 40mm and 44mm versions of the Watch 5 had 284mAh and 410mAh batteries, respectively.
Although the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic has a larger casing, it houses the same 300mAh and 425mAh batteries as the regular model. Samsung claims the Watch 6 can last up to 40 hours on a single charge with Always On Display turned off. And when in a hurry, 8 minutes of charging are enough to provide an additional 8 hours of operation.
4. Faster chip, more RAM
Powering the Galaxy Watch 6 series is Samsung's Exynos W930 chip. This is a higher-clocked version of the Exynos W920 found inside the Watch 4 and 5 series.
While the processor of the Watch 5 ran at 1.18GHz, the Exynos chip of the Watch 6 clocks at 1.4GHz. Alongside 2GB of RAM (previous models only had 1.5GB), the Watch 6 will deliver smoother performance.
5. Wear OS 4 and One UI Watch 5
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 runs on the new Wear OS 4. Based on Android 13, the latest Wear OS release promises better battery life and smoother performance thanks to Google's core optimizations.
Besides Wear OS 4, there's also One UI Watch 5, Samsung's latest smartwatch interface. It integrates some new health-focused features and optimizations, new watch faces, and more to deliver a better user experience.
6. Irregular heartbeat notifications
Samsung's Wear OS smartwatch offers blood pressure tracking and electrocardiogram capabilities. With the Galaxy Watch 6 series, the company introduced the Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification feature. This allows the watch to check your heartbeat for Atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection even when you're asleep, making it one of the best smartwatches for sleep tracking.
This feature is only available in selected markets where Samsung has received the necessary approval. Since apps can be downloaded on the Galaxy Watch, you can try installing a patched Samsung Health app version to receive irregular heartbeat notifications in unsupported markets.
However, the Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications remain a handy life-saving feature as wearers will no longer need to perform manual ECG scans to detect signs of AFib while wearing the Galaxy Watch 6.
