Samsung Galaxy Watch6 review: first look

Samsung’s new Galaxy of products has landed this winter and I for one am so excited to see these beauties hit the market. After many months of speculation of what will and won’t be included in the launch, it feels great to finally get my hands on the devices.

For clarity, this 2023 launch includes the latest Galaxy Watch6 series and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series, as well as the innovative folding smartphones Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5. The pre-order period for these new Samsung products started on 26 July 2023, with an official release date of 18 August 2023.

The timing from Samsung couldn’t be better for me personally, as I’ve been itching to upgrade my legacy laptop to a tablet and am finally ready to take the plunge in buying a smart watch now that I know smartwatches can be used to help reduce screen time.

What’s more, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra seems like it was made for me. The big screen lets me run multiple apps at the same time¹, the S Pen with handy charging slot at the back of the tablet lets me capture my ideas intuitively and in the moment, while the water and dust resistance rating² combined with Armour Aluminium casing gives me the confidence to take it almost anywhere. And there are also two other variations of the Galaxy Tab S9, a straight Tab S9 model as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+, to give options on price points as well as feature sets.

First look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 series

Turning attention back to the article hero, the new Samsung watch in the form of the latest Galaxy Watch6, and my initial impressions after getting a first look at the Watch6 Classic. Note there are two variations of this new Samsung watch 2023 series – a Watch6 and Watch6 Classic.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 stand-out features

Trialling a new Samsung watch model, the higher specced Galaxy Watch6 Classic, I was instantly impressed by how quickly I became accustomed to having it on my wrist. It feels like it’s always been there, and I’m so grateful. My Watch6 has essentially become like a PA to me, reminding me when it’s bedtime or time for a workout as well as delivering reports on how successful each of those activities was. I’m also using it paired with my smartphone to set myself micro alerts throughout the day, prompting me to raise my desk and stand for 30 minutes, and then again to sit down for the next 30, and so on. Although I know it’s me telling the Watch6 to do these things via my phone, it still feels like I have someone in my corner, wanting me to succeed and do well.

Here are my top features of the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic:

• Sleep coaching and tracking, including a daily sleep score and REM reporting
• Health tracking / workout performance
• Personalised health monitoring – including fall detection
• The biggest Samsung Watch screen to date³
• A battery you can count on
• Robust design and scratch-resistant display for enhanced durability
• A connected experience – by syncing Watch6 to my phone I can stay contactable, pay for things and even use my Watch6 to find my misplaced phone.⁶

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 vs Watch5 quick comparison

The main difference between the new Samsung Watch6 series when compared to the older Galaxy Watch5 series is in the size of the screen, with Watch6 enjoying a larger than Watch5. Combined with health and wellness technology⁴, a faster chipset and the new band swap system, including a sleep-friendly fabric band available⁵, and it feels like Watch6 represents a true step forward from the Watch5.

Particularly exciting is the return of the rotating bezel featured in the Watch6 Classic models, and I’ve seen many people discussing this feature online. Why is it so exciting? Well, for me it comes down to user experience and how pleasing it is to twist the bezel to scroll through various Watch6 Classic functions. This feels like a far better and more accurate experience than scrolling on the watch’s edge with your finger, as is the way with Galaxy Watch5 and some other Samsung watch models.

See below for a summary of Samsung Galaxy Watch6 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch5 specs:

Samsung Galaxy Watch6: Price

As we might expect, a newer processor, ‘one-click’ band designs and enhanced feature sets push the latest Galaxy Watch models price higher than that of the Watch5. If you buy a Watch6 from Optus, you can choose to pay it off in interest-free installments over a period of 12, 24 or 36 months alongside a $10/mth Watch Plan. For example, you can buy a Galaxy Watch6 40mm on a 36 month device payment plan for $18.02/mth plus your $10/mth Watch Plan fee – outside of any special deals. If you want to go one better and buy a Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43mm from Optus on a 36 month device payment plan, outside of any promotional offers this will be $22.18/mth plus your $10/mth Watch Plan fee.

These prices are slightly higher when making a comparison between Watch6 and Watch5 prices, with the latter starting at $16.62/mth for a 40mm Watch5 model on a 36 month device payment plan from Optus, plus your $10/mth Watch Plan fee.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 review: Physical design

Design-wise, it’s really the edge-to-edge larger screen and slimmer, rotating bezel that are the stars of the latest Galaxy Watch6 series models³.

The durability of materials used in the Watch6 series is also worth calling out as well, as the use of Armour Aluminium on the casing and the crystal scratch-resistant display should help provide longevity.  

A new band switching system helps inject a sense of fun and personality into your Watch6 – letting you switch between band colours and materials to suit your mood and activities. Starting with the base colour of the watches, Gold and Black for Watch6 and Black and Silver for Watch6 Classic, there are plenty of combinations you can try.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 review: Display

The new Samsung Watch6 crystal scratch-resistant display is where beautiful design meets durability, helping you take on your days fearlessly. The larger screen³ provides more space to play with, so you can boldly do more and see more, with easy tapping to help you get things done on the go. I found the Watch6 display on my Classic variant to be excellent, displaying content clearly and brightly.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 review: Processor and performance

The latest Galaxy Watch6 series relies on Samsung’s Exynos W930 processor for performance, which is a step above the Exynos W920 found inside the Watch5 and Watch4 series models. This newer processor inside the Watch6 series feels key in providing a good experience for users when using features such as the advanced sleep coaching and wellness tracking . This is because the processor should provide the ability for Watch6 models to open apps 18% faster than previous models. There’s also 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal memory space to further support the speed and smooth operation of such apps and features.