Samsung Galaxy Watch4 review

Design and build

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 comes in two designs. Our review unit is the Galaxy Watch4 with a black Armor Aluminum casing and a virtual rotating bezel.

The Galaxy Watch4 is the spiritual successor to the Galaxy Watch Active2, and it carries that same design, with a single but not insignificant difference - the glass cover on the new watch is flat, while the old model' was slightly curved.

Because of this swiping on the virtual bezel is less enjoyable. You feel the sharp metal edge of the casing while gliding on the glass. And the black bezel is more noticeable with a flat glass than it is with the curved one, especially when the Watch is set to a lightly colored watch face.

Like the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Z Flip3 5G, the Galaxy Watch4 is made using the new Armor Aluminum, which Samsung claims is 10% stronger than the strongest aluminum alloy used before it.

The metal casing itself feels quality made. It has a two-toned finish - the round part of the casing is always glossy black, while the outer part of the casing and the lugs are matte. You have a choice of Black, Silver and Pink Gold.

Some people might like this dual-tone design, but we think that the glossy finish really lets it down. It looks a bit cheap and gets smudged up fast. And while we haven't had any scratches on the polished surface since we took the watch out of the box, it makes the impression that it would get scuffed easier than an anodized finish.

The Galaxy Watch4 Classic' case is made of stainless steel, which feels decidedly more premium than the aluminum of the Watch4, Armor or no. It's anodized in both its Black and Silver colors and has the aforementioned rotating bezel, which is not a superior control option but also adds to the perceived quality.

There are two buttons on the Galaxy Watch4 - the one on the top has a red accent, which alludes to its deeper functionality. The buttons have good feedback and are easy to find.

The band we received is a plain silicone black with a 20mm width attachment, which fits both the Galaxy Watch4 and the Galaxy Watch4 Classic in both their respective sizes - 40/44mm and 42/46mm. 20mm bands are a standard, but they aren't as widespread as 22mm bands, which fit the Galaxy Watch3 45mm from last year. So if you're upgrading from a 45mm Galaxy Watch3 to a 46mm Galaxy Watch4 Classic, you won't be able to carry over your bands.

Now, for the Watch4 price, the silicone band is very basic and a bit underwhelming. It looks cheaper than it is, and you wouldn't be surprised if we'd told you it's a cheapo replacement band from a no-name brand we found online.

The underside of the Galaxy Watch4 is bulbous and slightly protruding. It's filled to the brim with gadgetry like the BioActive Sensor, which does double duty as part of the ECG and Blood Pressure sensor, and here's where the Qi wireless charging circuitry is housed as well.

Being a watch, smart or not, the Galaxy Watch4 is certified for 50 meters of water resistance - so a shower with the watch or the odd training session in the rain or even swimming should not be any problem.

Usability and controls

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 doesn't feel uncomfortable, even after long stretches of wearing. The 40mm Galaxy Watch4, in particular, is very discrete and is easily forgotten on the wrist. Bear in mind the wrist in question is used to a 46mm smartwatch from one of Samsung's competitors, and this 40mm watch is plain tiny in comparison.

We'd go for the leather strap as it feels nicer on the skin. The supplied silicone one leads to skin sweating and it looks cheap and has zero character.

The two buttons are easy enough to get the hang of. A single press on the top button takes you home, while a long press either summons Bixby or the Power Menu. A single press on the second button brings up the last app, while a long press activates Samsung Pay. It's irksome that you can't set this button to bring Google Pay instead.

There are electrodes in the pair of buttons that work in tandem with the BioActive Sensor to perform an electrocardiogram or a blood pressure reading, both subject to approval in each country, after which Samsung activates them market by market via a software update.

The virtual rotating bezel is easy to use. It recognizes your finger immediately after you begin scrolling, and there's a reaffirming vibration that accompanies the action. However, it's nothing like rotating a physical bezel. There you can do most tasks with your index finger and thumb, while with the virtual bezel, it's mostly just index.

You can, of course, navigate the watch interface through the touchscreen. And specific actions require it, like the swipe from the top or bottom or holding on the screen to change the watch face.