Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic were unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, August 11 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable phones. The new smartwatches are the first to run on the new Wear OS that Google unveiled in May in collaboration with Samsung. The new operating system for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic comes with Samsung's latest One UI Watch custom skin.
Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Galaxy Watch 4 is aimed at the sportier variant of the Watch series. It gets a slightly smaller body and is thinner than the Watch 3. It is also 40 percent lighter than the predecessor and it has reduced to bring it closer to the size of a ladies watch. The watch is water-resistant up to 50 meters and the crown has been moved on to the left side to improve the fit. In addition to the changes to the body, there is also a new feature on the new smartwatch called S Voice that works with both the watch and the phone. It uses AI to analyse user voice input and deliver information in a smarter way. The new Galaxy Watch also comes with enhanced training on activities like running, walking, swimming, cycling, and more.
Key Specs and Features of the Galaxy Watch 4
The new Gear Sport and Galaxy Watch series comes with the new "Wear OS" that's Google's new Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch OS that is optimized for the wearable devices. The new Android Wear OS is a much faster and lighter operating system that is optimized for the small display screens of the smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch comes with the new features such as improved fitness tracking modes, support for some apps from the Google Play Store including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail. There is also support for Spotify, Fitbit and Google Fit apps. There is a new Galaxy Watch application that can be used to view the watch's heart rate data, send and receive messages and also a music player.
The Wear OS from Google
Samsung unveiled the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic along with Google's revamped Wear OS at the event. Google's Wear OS was developed in collaboration with Samsung for both new smartwatches. Users will have access to all of Google's productivity apps and fitness apps like Google Fit, Google Play Music, and Google Assistant. The new watches have also been designed to help the user track their activities and health at an affordable price. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are water resistant up to 50 meters with IP68 certification, which means they can be submerged in up to 1.5 meter of water for 30 minutes.
A New Way to Interact
The new Samsung Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch 4 take the biggest leap forward in interaction. While the Gear S3 Frontier did away with the touch panel as Samsung's signature feature, the new Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch 4 feature it on the edge. This is more than just an extra button; it is your shortcut to interactions. You can swipe up to see notifications and control music playback. On the Galaxy Watch, you can also control the activity tracker with the built-in button. Swipe up and you are taken to the heart rate monitor and as per our review, it's a great way to see how your workouts are going. The device's battery level is shown too. You can also use the side button to access Siri, and Samsung Pay for payments.
What Might Happen in Future?
One UI is a complete redesign of the interface and introduces the Smart Clock, messaging features like Bixby integration, integration of Google Fit and Samsung Health, and new watch face options to let you customise them to your preferences. It is powered by Tizen but still connected to Google's ecosystem. The new operating system also comes with a Walkie-Talkie mode, which lets you make audio and text messages. It is powered by an updated version of S Voice that lets you perform actions such as setting timers, answering calls and sending messages on the watch. One UI is capable of translating voice commands into text, so you will not have to type out the commands.
Conclusion
Samsung has been working with the Korean company Bixby for several years to enable the smartwatch users to use their voice. The company may use Bixby for the next-generation of Galaxy watches. The Galaxy Watch features include an always-on display, personalised watch faces, and screen clock. The Galaxy Watch 4 models have an infra red detector (IR) and barometer to track weather data. It also has features to tell the user when to take a break. The Watch 4 models run on Wear OS by Google and have 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic model also has 50-meter water resistance. It has a 420mAh battery and has the latest wireless charging as well. Both Galaxy Watch models have GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. The watches are Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.2.
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