REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Watch LTE and Bluetooth at the top of Christmas gifts

A Samsung presented to the Brazilian market its new generation of smartwatches, Galaxy Watch. Being part of the Galaxy ecosystem – which includes smartphones, tablets, wearables and payment solutions – this device integrates with other devices Android, and also with the iPhone.

I tested two versions of the device, Galaxy Watch LTE 46mm and Galaxy Watch Bluetooth 42mm, found on the market from 2.199,00 BRL (BT 42mm), And R$2.699,00 and I tell you how this experience was, and what impressions were taken.

Design

The first watch launched by Samsung, the Galaxy Gear, had a rectangular design, copying the format of the screens of smartphones.

As of 2015, the same year that the Apple presented his Apple Watch, also rectangular, the Samsung changed its design and opted for a round concept, like the classic analog watches, which has become established and is still maintained today with the Galaxy Watch.

O Galaxy Watch It's the perfect choice for those who like technology and don't give up style. With slogan “If you have style, your SmartWatch also needs to have”, he has the housing (name given to the body of the device) made of 316L stainless steel, ideal material for a water resistant device.

It features painting Midnight Black or Rose Gold, in the 42mm version, with machined details on its surface, and its 46mm version receives the coloring silver, in polished steel.

On the sides of the device, there are holes for capturing the microphone and audio output. On the right, we find the control buttons, finished in the same color as the body and with a rubberized surface.

On the back of the device, we can see the HRM sensor in relief, to improve skin contact and provide a better heart rate reading.

the display SuperAMOLED has great contrast, and allows the functionality to be used Always On Display, keeping the screen always on. In this way, the watch displays information on the screen at all times, at the cost of reduced battery life.

The protection of the display is on account of the application of the Corning Gorilla Glass DX+, which has a 75% improvement in reflections and a 50% improvement in screen contrast compared to regular glass.

As seen on analog watches, there is a 0-60 scale around the display, useful for reading the time when wearing. watchfaces of dials with pointers. Around the screen is the rotating crown present on the devices. Samsung, serving for navigation in the system interface Tizen and installed applications.

The watch comes with a black silicone strap with a discreet design, which can be worn from sports to formal occasions.

Samsung announces that there are 3 options for the 46mm model, and 8 options for the 42mm model. Stores specializing in accessories offer compatible options from other brands in metal, leather and silicone.

Hardware

O Galaxy Watch presents the SoC Exynos 9110 Dual Core 1.15GHz. This processor is manufactured using the 10nm process, and was specially developed for w, aiming for better battery life.

A RAM memory It has two variations depending on the version: 768MB for Bluetooth version, and 1,5GB for 4G/LTE version. In everyday use, the device presented a good performance, without crashes and with fluid transitions in the interface.

However, when using running monitoring with music on (a common situation in training), the BT version presented some stuttering, even making small jumps in the music.

Already storage is a negative point for the watch: only 4GB may be enough to run the system and install some applications, but if you intend to listen to music while using only the wearable, without the cell phone connected, there will be a limitation on the amount of music stored, either in the device's memory or through applications such as Spotify.

It is worth remembering that its most famous competitor, the Watch Apple 4, has a generous 16GB of storage.

The SuperAMOLED display features a resolution of 360×360 pixels. The contrast and colors are of the same quality seen in the line of smartphones da Samsung, while maintaining a great visual experience.

Different versions

The difference in the size of the versions is reflected in the physical size of the display, and consequently in the pixel density: the 42mm version has a 1,2 inch display with 302 DPI, while the 46mm version has a 1,3 inch display with 282 IPR

Another feature that differs depending on the size is the battery: while the 42mm model has a 270mAh battery, the 46mm model has a 472mAh battery, the largest capacity in a SmartWatch.

This big difference is reflected in the autonomy of the models: the smallest stays away from the socket for up to 2 days, while the largest can stay up to 6 days, depending on the use of the device.

In terms of connectivity, the device has Bluetooth for pairing with smartphone and headset. The connection Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n 2.4GHz allows the device to remain connected to the internet without the need for a smartphone.

For location, there GPS e GLONASS. NFC allows payment through the Samsung Pay (there is no longer the MST, which emulates the magnetic stripe, present in the Gear S3).

And for the LTE model, of course, there is connection to 4G/LTE networks through eSIM, which depends on operator availability. This connection mode allows the watch to be completely independent from the smartphone, remaining with data connection and receiving and making calls.

Operational system

Samsung opted for Tizen, operating system developed by Linux Foundation together with its own Samsung, Panasonic e Intel, for application on multiple devices, including smartphones, w and residential and automotive systems.

In this version 4.0, the voice data entry through the Bixby, Samsung's virtual assistant, which replaces S Voice. To work, the device must be connected to the internet (paired with smartphone, via Wi-Fi or 4G), as there is no capacity on the device to run this type of application.

To perform system actions, such as a calendar entry or adding an alarm, the Bixby understands only English commands. For text input, in the system and third-party applications, Bixby accepts words in Portuguese, with a good rate of correct words.

The clock interface has received elements to enhance the effect of a real clock. If you get close to the device, you may hear a faint TIC Tac, like analog clocks – but only if you want to, as the feature is disabled by default.

The watch may also beep at full time, as with traditional digital watches. With the built-in gyroscope, flick the watch and you'll see reflections and shadows from the hands of the watchfaces accompany the movement.

For Android device users, the daily assistant displays a Good Morning, informing you of appointments, reminders and the weather forecast for the day. At the end of the day, a Summary of the Day, with a summary of activities tracked by Samsung Health, and a preview of the next day.

Installing apps on the Galaxy Watch takes place through the app Galaxy Wearables, installed on your smartphone through the Samsung app store. Samsung's choice of Tizen as the operating system ends up limiting the application options available for the watch, as developers direct their efforts to the Wear OS, from Google.

Everyday with the Galaxy Watch

We received the device with the charging base and the source, and we noticed a curious fact: the Samsung is implementing USB-C as standard for its line of smartphones, however the charging base of the Galaxy Watch has a micro USB input, which is being discontinued.

Device in hand, the feeling is that we are holding a… clock. And Samsung's design has precisely this intention, to offer a wearing experience as close as possible to a conventional watch.

When placing the watch on the arm, the silicone strap is easy to handle, slipping easily into the loop, securing it without difficulty. By moving the arm, the system displays a Watchface with analog hands, in addition to step indicators and battery charge.

The watch's sliding crown shows what it's all about: screen transitions and selection of items in apps without the need for your finger to cover the information on the display.

Our first action with the device: pairing with a smartphone, in this case a Samsung Galaxy A8. As we are within the same ecosystem, when pairing the devices via Bluetooth, the phone recognizes the SmartWatch and automatically install the app Galaxy Wearable.

Through this application, it is possible to view information about the watch such as battery, storage and RAM status, in addition to performing all its settings.

In the app it is also possible to transfer content to the Watch, such as gallery e MP3 files (although the available storage is small), select watchfaces and install apps through the Samsung store.

As mentioned before, the options are limited depending on the operating system, and among the most downloaded apps, most are watchfaces. The apps that most interested us were the Spotify and Strava, which we installed for testing and will talk about next.

The system already comes with some options for watchfaces, among which we highlight some optimized for certain profiles: there is a minimalist one, in which only the analog hands, date and scheduled appointments are shown; there's a sports one, where the focus is on step counting and a quick-start exercise tracking button; and there's a completely customizable one, with the time in the center and four fields that can tell from battery level to sunset time.

When starting to use the watch, a strange thing for those who are new to smartwatches: the vibration of notifications arriving on the device. This is one of the parts that most caught my attention in everyday use, receiving a preview of messages directly on the device, without having to take out the smartphone from the pocket.

The Galaxy Watch is able to display all the notifications that the smartphone receives, and if there are too many it can be a nuisance; in this case it is possible to select through the Galaxy Wearable which notifications should be displayed on the device.

In everyday use, the main notification was that of WhatsApp, and along with it comes frustration: for not having a dedicated application (in which it is considered that there is not for any platform of smartwatches), only the Android notification information is displayed, without previewing images and unable to hear audio messages.

Through notifications, it is possible to respond with short phrases and pre-determined words, or typing with the device's keyboard or Bixby voice recognition.

It would be interesting if there was, through the implementation of WhatsApp itself, a way to respond with voice messages directly on the Galaxy Watch.

Other notifications also copy the same content shown on Android, most notably the Social media coordinator, which just like on the cell phone shows the image that received comments and likes.

To dismiss notifications, just swipe up, or navigate to the Delete all option. It is important to note that at times when there were many notifications open, the device showed a slight slowness in screen transitions.

From the moment the watch is on your wrist, the Samsung health logs all your activity. through the sensors installed on the device, the system is able to perceive movement patterns that result in step count, stairs climb and even the performing physical activities specific activities such as cycling and running.

Also interesting is the measurement of altitude and barometer: if there is a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure, the watch warns that rain may be coming (and indeed: every time it rained, I checked the graph that records the last 6 hours of atmospheric pressure, and there was always a previous pressure drop to rain. Physics and thermodynamics demonstrated in real time).

Health can also register your heart rate e sleep monitoring – which is a challenge, given the limited autonomy of the tested model. If the system senses that you are stressed, a break for a quick breathing exercise will be suggested; by our tests, in fact a new measurement after the breathing exercise shows a drop in stress.

The system can also sense that you have been inactive for a long time, without moving, and suggest that you move your arms, or take a quick walk.

With the greater availability of payment methods compatible with NFC in commercial establishments, the integration of the Samsung Pay on the Galaxy Watch.

The app is already integrated into the watch, so no installation is required. To activate Pay, just hold the Back button for a moment and the app opens, showing the registered cards.

To release a payment, simply enter a PIN registered when configuring the app, and then bring the clock closer to the card machine. The registered cards will be the same ones used on the smartphone, however it is necessary to ask the bank for authorization to use the Watch.

An important point to consider: when connecting the watch to your smartphone the app Galaxy Wearable remains on and the two devices maintain constant communication, so we perceive a drop in phone battery life.

Another observation that we made: during the practice of physical exercises, in which the skin gets sweaty, the watch has difficulty reading the heart rate, suggesting that the watch is better attached to the wrist - even if it already had a very tight bracelet.

Apps

O Spotify allows you to listen to music online – if the device is within range of a Wi-Fi network, or is using the LTE version – or offline, for the platform's Premium subscribers.

To get the watch to access your account Spotify, it is necessary to access the platform's website and set a password for devices – I personally had not used this procedure until then.

Once this is done, the password is entered into the app installed on the Galaxy Watch, and then all you have to do is browse and listen to music. To download songs to the device, use the same dynamics present in the app to smartphones: when accessing a playlist, just select offline mode and it will be downloaded via Wi-Fi.

While using the app, after 20 seconds of idle time, the clock returns to the home screen, and you have to look for the Spotify icon in the menu to change songs or turn the volume down/down.

To make it easier, it is possible to add a widget on the main screen, which gives easy access to these commands. A curious case occurred after downloading playlists: when receiving or making calls on the paired phone, when the call was ended, the watch started the Spotify song automatically.

We didn't find a configuration to undo this behavior, but after some time it stopped happening.

O Strava records exercises such as walking, running and cycling. During its use, due to the need to obtain the location in real time, the GPS remains on and limits the autonomy of the device.

Unlike Spotify, Strava remains the last open app, making it easy to see your workout tracking. Due to limitations of the platform itself, it is not possible to load personalized workouts in the app, which is limited to recording activities; for these purposes, there are more suitable options, such as training computers from Garmin.

Particularly, it would be recommended to use Strava only if you are already a user of the platform and make use of other monitoring devices, otherwise the Samsung health, native to the system, fulfills the same task.

And how these two apps behave working together? One of the most common scenarios when thinking about this type of device is accompanying physical exercises, listening to music to liven up.

So, with the Bluetooth headset paired, I went for a run without the phone, using only the watch. And it's a relief to be able to do your exercise without receiving notifications, being able to stay focused.

During the exercise, information from the Strava are available on the main screen of the device; to exchange songs on Spotify, you have to turn the bezel to navigate to the app widget, which distracts from the exercise.

A perceived problem with the BT version when using these two apps, which actively consume resources, is the drop in performance of the device. Screen transitions become sluggish, a little stuttered, and music playback was sometimes interrupted.

4G/LTE: connections and operators

Important when choosing between versions of the Galaxy Watch is the availability of the eSIM to your carrier. At the moment, Clear e Living are the operators that make this product available to their customers.

Claro's service is called Clear Sync, and the hotsite points out that it is an exclusive service for the Apple Watch – but it works for any device compatible with eSIM. At the moment, the operator is offering the service as an add-on to post-paid plans for R $ 29,99 per month, with the first 3 months free.

Vivo offers the live sync, and the hotsite points out that the service lends itself to the Galaxy Watch. The operator offers the service as an add-on to post-paid plans in a free for 1 year, and after this period you will be charged additionally 19,99 BRL monthly for your use.

What changes in everyday life with the 4G connection? Very simply, you can dispense with your cell phone, as the Galaxy Watch works autonomously. The handset receives and makes calls independently on the same line as the main handset. To do so, simply use a paired BT headset, or through the watch's speaker.

In addition to calls, there is also the constant availability of an internet connection, allowing Bixby and Spotify to work.

Conclusion

O Samsung Galaxy Watch It's a great device, both for keeping up with your smartphone and working alone. the version Bluetooth delivers a great user experience, however the version LTE it becomes interesting because it has more RAM and leaves the user free from the cell phone company. It's the Tizen OS delivers a good user experience at the cost of low app availability on the platform.

Specifications

The tested version is BT , with a diameter of 42 mm and without connectivity LTE. O suggested price by Samsung is from 2.199,00 BRL, while the version 46 mm is found by 2.399,00 BRL.