There’s no real shame in coming second. If you finished the Olympics 100 metres final with a silver medal, that’s a greater athletic achievement than almost everyone on Earth. Sure, gold is better but you’ll get there next time, right?
This is basically the quandary Samsung finds itself in with regards to smartwatches. The good news is that it’s in second place compared to Apple. The bad news is that it’s nowhere near toppling the over 50 per cent market share enjoyed by its rival-in-chief. Remember, what started life as an iPhone accessory now sells more units than the entirety of Switzerland’s horological industry combined. That’s as close to total market dominance as you can imagine.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is an attempt to remedy this scenario. In a reunion for the tech ages – think those David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston rumours if they actually turned out to be true – it sees its South Korean maker hook back up with Google to create a wearable new operating system. One that features the likes of Google Maps and Strava this time around, as well as a whole host of quality-of-life improvements. As the first step in a long plan to wrestle back hearts and minds from Apple, it’s a good start.
Introducing Wear OS 3
First things first, a confession: I actually don’t think Samsung’s smartwatches were at all bad before now. Some of the more affordable fitness models such as the Galaxy Active 2 were great value for what they were and all of the Watch 4’s predecessors were impressively built. I still reckon its rotating bezel is a great alternative to Apple’s ‘digital crown’ when swiping through apps and notifications.
Whereas in smartphones you’ll often see the likes of Samsung lead in terms of experimental new features and software integration, it’s constantly been on the back foot when it comes to wearables. Hence the kiss and make up with Google on Wear OS 3, which brings a lot of basic features back into play immediately and promises further integration as time goes on. Especially since Google has fully acquired Fitbit for $2.1 billion as of January 2021 and so has a vested interest in fixing up the platform itself. For now, getting Google Maps back and being able to download smartphone and smartwatch versions of an app onto both devices are long overdue wins that are worth celebrating.
While I’d never advocate buying a bit of tech on the basis of what it might evolve into – especially in the tempestuous world of wearables – the foundations built by Wear OS 3 on the Galaxy Watch 4 are promising. The platform basically works as a mash-up of what used to be Wear OS 2 and the Tizen OS software that was used to run former Samsung watches. Swiping through menus is intuitive; everything lives where you would expect it to and there are a wealth of workout types for you to dig into. Where the Watch 4 lacks refinement is in terms of personalisation.
Needs a signature look
Regardless of how big a deal you are as a watchmaker, the goal is to have a signature style to your timepieces. A Cartier looks like a Cartier, a Rolex looks like a Rolex (unless it’s a Tudor) and a G-Shock looks like a G-Shock. As for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic? It looks like a watch. Any watch.
While you’d imagine this anonymous aesthetic was intentional a few years ago in order to help normalise the concept of a smartwatch, it feels a bit outdated now. Samsung’s recent Galaxy 21 Ultra and Flip 3 phones are a good illustration of its design team’s chops. I’d like to see them push the boat out the next time around. Combined with a limited number of watch faces and straps for you to play around with, the result is a device that feels particularly utilitarian to wear. Whether you opt for the 44mm or 40mm, both feel comfortable on the wrist and not too bulky to behold either. I wouldn’t wear either with a suit but they’re suitable for any occasion besides that.
Most of the time, you’re going to be pairing the Watch 4 Classic with some gym wear and on that front it’s particularly accomplished. There’s auto activity detection when you pop out for a run and can’t be bothered to setup the tracking yourself, you get onscreen guidance and rep counting for some activities such as weight lifting and GPS for looking back on the route you took the dog out for a walk on. The caveat? You’ll need to sign up to a bunch of Samsung apps and services to properly keep track of your health, achievements and plenty more besides.
If you’re solely interested a Samsung-made smartwatch that will bear witness to your fitness, it’s worth you opting for the standard Watch 4 (£249) instead, which is essentially the same device with a smaller screen and no rotating bezel. It looks a little cleaner on the wrist as well, albeit less ‘watchy’.
Made for Samsung phones
As much as the Watch 4 Classic represents a significant release for smartwatches in general, it’s really for people who own a Samsung phone already. It won’t work with an iPhone at all – which makes a whole bunch of sense, in all honesty – or devices that don’t support GMS (Google Mobile Services) such as those made by Huawei. Those Android phone owners who already keep tabs on their health through another app will need to sign up to Samsung’s own services additionally: an annoying turn of events but hardly a deal-breaking one. If the goal here was to make a Samsung smartwatch more appealing to people who’ve already bought into the brand, then it’s an inarguable success.
There’s certainly more work to be done to bring both Wear OS 3 and future Samsung wearables on par with what Apple does, but that feels like a much more attainable goal. Alas, if you do decide to invest in a Watch 4 you’ll have to make peace with its maker’s poor environmental track record. While many rival tech giants have set themselves lofty goals to combat the climate crisis Samsung Electronics’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 5 per cent year-on-year in 2020. Elsewhere it still relies on fossil fuels for more than 80 per cent of its electricity, according to Greenpeace. Unlike the Apple Watch, there are no recycled components used in the Watch 4 either.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic verdict
The Samsung Watch 4 is a wearable that’s no longer content to settle for second best. Rather than combat its shortcomings with some flashy but ultimately insubstantial new features, it has tackled the issue straight-on with a slew of obvious if practical changes. From the newfound charms of Wear OS 3 to its well-judged fitness tracking, the result is the best smartwatch Samsung has made by some distance. More importantly, it’s one that doesn’t feel like the pinnacle of its maker’s ambition.
From £349. samsung.com
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