Galaxy Watch 4 .... Anybody else preorder?

[Zito Abroad]

I've ordered the black Watch 4 Classic 46mm. I ordered it with a Flip 3 in white, which is a Samsung exclusive color. And because of pre-orders surpassing expectations, I'm now getting my watch and Flip 3, a couple of weeks later. Good thing I've got patience. In the meantime, here's a good review testing the health sensors on the watch.

 

[kkh786]

Gave in and pre-ordered the 46mm Watch4 Classic on the last day of pre-orders! Trading in the Watch3.

First impressions are very good.. although the design is identical the new band design makes the Watch4 much more comfortable.

Wear OS with One UI 3 seems like a great mix of the two earlier OSes.

No regrets so far!

 

[Achillias]

Many retailers are currently offering trade-in of £75 (Watch4) or £100 (Watch4 Classic) here in the UK for any smartwatch (even junk/cheapies). There's also up to £75 in Google Play credit so Samsung are clearly keen to get these off to a good start.

I don't think there's any other Android smartwatch worth considering right now, especially with these offers.

It's going to be my first smartwatch, so I won't have a smartwatch to use as an trade-in.

 

[The_Interloper]

It's going to be my first smartwatch, so I won't have a smartwatch to use as an trade-in.

Buy something incredibly cheap/throwaway (€10-20) from eBay and use that.

 

[Ludatyk]

It's going to be my first smartwatch, so I won't have a smartwatch to use as an trade-in.

Yeah, I didn't have a smartwatch to trade in... and I'm kicking myself that I didn't preorder it from Best Buy, which gave a 50 gift card for preorders. However, I will be checking daily to see any discounts from Best Buy or Amazon to get a price adjustment.

I honestly was hesitant. I wanted to try it out... but kept thinking to myself will it live up to my expectations. I've had my hopes on a Samsung Watch branded WearOS for awhile... didn't wanna feel let down. I've used it for almost a day...here's my impressions.

First off, deciding between Classic or Aluminum... I looked at several videos trying to get a understanding on the difference. Since I never owned a Samsung Galaxy Watch… I’ve had an Apple Watch for years and Apple makes it really straight forward. If a consumer wants the Stainless Steel they getting a premium build quality over the Aluminum.

But Samsung took a different approach, not only do Stainless Steel offer premium build quality.. but you get a bigger screen and mechanical dial vs the digital one. Well, the videos I watched were mixed on which one they preferred… some thought the digital dial was just as good as the mechanical dial.

So, regardless of the mix results over the dial… the bigger screen appealed to me. I feel that maybe it’s minor… but coming from an Apple Watch, Apple prioritized function over form. They wanted more text to displayed over the screen and I’m on that side of the fence. So, I decided to go with the bigger screen for more content to displayed on the screen… which is minor (I admit).

From a build impressions.. I like it. It’s quite different coming from the Apple Watch, I know this seems kind of odd to mention… but it looks like an actual watch. I plan on spicing it up with arm bands.. but I like the mechanical dial, the buttons seems solid.

Now onto WearOS… Google did a great job on the OS with all the gestures and the whole layout, which I‘m not really surprised about. I’m glad to see Google apps on it.. awaiting on Google Assistant, I’m sure it’s coming soon. Crossing my fingers for an Apple Music app and more 3rd party apps.

But what I’m curious about… what does this Samsung and Google partnership entail? Do Google itself controls the OS and Samsung controls the hardware. I know it’s skinned a bit, but mainly on Setting side.

 

[kkh786]

Yeah, I didn't have a smartwatch to trade in... and I'm kicking myself that I didn't preorder it from Best Buy, which gave a 50 gift card for preorders. However, I will be checking daily to see any discounts from Best Buy or Amazon to get a price adjustment.

I honestly was hesitant. I wanted to try it out... but kept thinking to myself will it live up to my expectations. I've had my hopes on a Samsung Watch branded WearOS for awhile... didn't wanna feel let down. I've used it for almost a day...here's my impressions.

First off, deciding between Classic or Aluminum... I looked at several videos trying to get a understanding on the difference. Since I never owned a Samsung Galaxy Watch… I’ve had an Apple Watch for years and Apple makes it really straight forward. If a consumer wants the Stainless Steel they getting a premium build quality over the Aluminum.

But Samsung took a different approach, not only do Stainless Steel offer premium build quality.. but you get a bigger screen and mechanical dial vs the digital one. Well, the videos I watched were mixed on which one they preferred… some thought the digital dial was just as good as the mechanical dial.

So, regardless of the mix results over the dial… the bigger screen appealed to me. I feel that maybe it’s minor… but coming from an Apple Watch, Apple prioritized function over form. They wanted more text to displayed over the screen and I’m on that side of the fence. So, I decided to go with the bigger screen for more content to displayed on the screen… which is minor (I admit).

From a build impressions.. I like it. It’s quite different coming from the Apple Watch, I know this seems kind of odd to mention… but it looks like an actual watch. I plan on spicing it up with arm bands.. but I like the mechanical dial, the buttons seems solid.

Now onto WearOS… Google did a great job on the OS with all the gestures and the whole layout, which I‘m not really surprised about. I’m glad to see Google apps on it.. awaiting on Google Assistant, I’m sure it’s coming soon. Crossing my fingers for an Apple Music app and more 3rd party apps.

But what I’m curious about… what does this Samsung and Google partnership entail? Do Google itself controls the OS and Samsung controls the hardware. I know it’s skinned a bit, but mainly on Setting side.

It’s not “skinned” a little bit. Having used Tizen OS for many years, I can tell you the software on the Watch4 series is more Samsung than Google.
Google my have done the innards (and still inefficient at that) but on the surface this is definitely One UI heavy which I prefer.

 

[Ludatyk]

It’s not “skinned” a little bit. Having used Tizen OS for many years, I can tell you the software on the Watch4 series is more Samsung than Google.
Google my have done the innards (and still inefficient at that) but on the surface this is definitely One UI heavy which I prefer.

Fair enough, I’ve never used Tizen OS. I’m hoping that we get better 3rd party app support. I’m thinking that’s the reason for the partnership… it’s concerning that Google Assistance is missing on day one launch.

 

[three]

When I preordered the Z Flip, I was planning on holding off until the (supposedly coming, I don't know at this point) Pixel Watch was released and comparing it to the Galaxy Watch 4 and making my decision based on that. Well, that didn't work. Switching from the iPhone 12 mini + AW S5, I totally forgot how much I relied on having a smartwatch. I went by Best Buy yesterday and saw they surprisingly had a few Galaxy Watch 4 models in stock. I live in a smaller area so my Best Buy rarely has products available on launch day. I opted for the Galaxy Watch4 (not classic) in 40mm, Wi-Fi / GPS, and silver. I've only had it for 24 hours at this point but so far I don't have too many complaints. I have to say that the Apple Watch and watchOS is a much smoother and nicer overall experience, but I don't have any real gripes about wearOS and Samsung's customizations to it. Didn't realized I'd go all in on Samsung this year. Haha.

 

[MisterMillz]

PSA: T-Mobile is offering the 40mm Watch 4 for free with a $10/month plan over 24 months and $99 for the Classic. Solid deal. Forgive me if someone else already posted. Only viewed a few posts.

 

[titoaida2078]

Is the watch waterproof but more relevant is can it withstand soapy water unlike the apple watch?

 

[titoaida2078]

PSA: T-Mobile is offering the 40mm Watch 4 for free with a $10/month plan over 24 months and $99 for the Classic. Solid deal. Forgive me if someone else already posted. Only viewed a few posts.

I did not know this

 

[titoaida2078]

The sleep snoring detection works very well. I don't snore in the stereotypical sense, but it did record my heavy breathing. And was even smart enough to detect that under the noise of my loud A/C which was on full blast.

Where do I find this feature?

 

[Achillias]

Yeah, I didn't have a smartwatch to trade in... and I'm kicking myself that I didn't preorder it from Best Buy, which gave a 50 gift card for preorders. However, I will be checking daily to see any discounts from Best Buy or Amazon to get a price adjustment.

I honestly was hesitant. I wanted to try it out... but kept thinking to myself will it live up to my expectations. I've had my hopes on a Samsung Watch branded WearOS for awhile... didn't wanna feel let down. I've used it for almost a day...here's my impressions.

First off, deciding between Classic or Aluminum... I looked at several videos trying to get a understanding on the difference. Since I never owned a Samsung Galaxy Watch… I’ve had an Apple Watch for years and Apple makes it really straight forward. If a consumer wants the Stainless Steel they getting a premium build quality over the Aluminum.

But Samsung took a different approach, not only do Stainless Steel offer premium build quality.. but you get a bigger screen and mechanical dial vs the digital one. Well, the videos I watched were mixed on which one they preferred… some thought the digital dial was just as good as the mechanical dial.

So, regardless of the mix results over the dial… the bigger screen appealed to me. I feel that maybe it’s minor… but coming from an Apple Watch, Apple prioritized function over form. They wanted more text to displayed over the screen and I’m on that side of the fence. So, I decided to go with the bigger screen for more content to displayed on the screen… which is minor (I admit).

From a build impressions.. I like it. It’s quite different coming from the Apple Watch, I know this seems kind of odd to mention… but it looks like an actual watch. I plan on spicing it up with arm bands.. but I like the mechanical dial, the buttons seems solid.

Now onto WearOS… Google did a great job on the OS with all the gestures and the whole layout, which I‘m not really surprised about. I’m glad to see Google apps on it.. awaiting on Google Assistant, I’m sure it’s coming soon. Crossing my fingers for an Apple Music app and more 3rd party apps.

But what I’m curious about… what does this Samsung and Google partnership entail? Do Google itself controls the OS and Samsung controls the hardware. I know it’s skinned a bit, but mainly on Setting side.

For me there are two things important on a smartwatch: the looks and the smooth experience. And I love the looks of the Skagen Falster 1, 2 and 3. And it looks like they will release a new version of that smartwatch after Fossil launch there gen 6. Otherwise I would already had ordered the Watch 4. I'm not someone that will navigate and use the small screen tbh. For me notifications, Google assistance (for smart lights) and tracking will be my only usercase.

Who can beat this on looks?

 

[The_Interloper]

Who can beat this on looks?

Well, this is the image that changed my purchasing decision from a Watch4 Classic to the regular 44mm Watch4.

The issue with the Skagen Falster is that it uses a relatively stock version of WearOS; like other Fossil-group watches, the 1 and 2 were woefully underpowered for the OS. The 3 corrects that with 1Gb of RAM but the SOC (SD 3100) is outdated and results in truly dreadful battery life.

As someone who has had two Fossil WearOS watches (Sport and Carlyle), I can confirm the battery life is dismal and Skagen also uses the same charging mechanism which is known to be faulty (the rings on the back of the watch drop out over time).

 

[Achillias]

Well, this is the image that changed my purchasing decision from a Watch4 Classic to the regular 44mm Watch4.

The issue with the Skagen Falster is that it uses a relatively stock version of WearOS; like other Fossil-group watches, the 1 and 2 were woefully underpowered for the OS. The 3 corrects that with 1Gb of RAM but the SOC (SD 3100) is outdated and results in truly dreadful battery life.

As someone who has had two Fossil WearOS watches (Sport and Carlyle), I can confirm the battery life is dismal and Skagen also uses the same charging mechanism which is known to be faulty (the rings on the back of the watch drop out over time).

The battery life on the Watch 4 and Wear OS 3 in general isn't much better. It's still around 24-28 hours. Which the Falster 3 is also able to get. Also I'm someone who's easily spots imperfections. Look at that band colour and the watch itself. It doesn't match . Would annoy me a lot.

 

[The_Interloper]

The battery live on the Watch 4 and Wear OS 3 in general isn't much better. It's still around 24-28 hours. Which the Falster 3 is also able to get. Also I'm someone who's easily spots imperfections. Look at that band colour and the watch itself. It doesn't match . Would annoy me a lot.

That’s a third party band. Look, if you love the Skagen then that’s fine but you will be pushed to get even 12-18 hours out of a Fossil group watch running WearOS. There is a reason I gave up on them. Add in any sort of activity tracking and they are absolutely hopeless.

Also, if you hate imperfections then check out the thin recessed circular gap around the Skagen watch face. The same exists on the Fossil Carlyle and it gathers tons of dust and crud that will quickly drive you nuts. 😁

 

[Achillias]

That’s a third party band. Look, if you love the Skagen then that’s fine but you will be pushed to get even 12-18 hours out of a Fossil group watch running WearOS. There is a reason I gave up on them. Add in any sort of activity tracking and they are absolutely hopeless.

Also, if you hate imperfections then check out the thin recessed circular gap around the Skagen watch face. The same exists on the Fossil Carlyle and it gathers tons of dust and crud that will quickly drive you nuts. 😁

I know it's a third party band. Just pointing it out. I'm just going to will till november - december before deciding what brand will get my money. There will be a couple of more releases this year of brands releasing their Wear OS 3 watches. Google is also one of them.

 

[Healer Flame]

I just hope they won't design cameras on smart watches, we already are bombarded with cameras everywhere.

 

[Ludatyk]

I know it's a third party band. Just pointing it out. I'm just going to will till november - december before deciding what brand will get my money. There will be a couple of more releases this year of brands releasing their Wear OS 3 watches. Google is also one of them.

Wasn’t aware Google was releasing a watch this year… so far only one brand will have WearOS 3 and thats Samsung. Only reason why I favor having a Samsung branded watch is due to having a Galaxy phone.. I think both devices will communicate more efficiently.

I wonder what kind of deal Samsung and Google inked… theres no telling when Fossil will have WearOS 3, they only mentioned coming 2022. The fact Samsung will have the only WearOS 3 for the holiday season is a huge selling point to Android users.

 

[Achillias]

Wasn’t aware Google was releasing a watch this year… so far only one brand will have WearOS 3 and thats Samsung. Only reason why I favor having a Samsung branded watch is due to having a Galaxy phone.. I think both devices will communicate more efficiently.

I wonder what kind of deal Samsung and Google inked… theres no telling when Fossil will have WearOS 3, they only mentioned coming 2022. The fact Samsung will have the only WearOS 3 for the holiday season is a huge selling point to Android users.

To be honest, I don't see the big fuss about Wear OS 3. The battery life is still not great. And the fluidity of the OS is more depended on the ram usage. But what I do hate are the exclusive deals, that screws others on not having the newest OS, yet because of commercial reasons.

 

[Ludatyk]

To be honest, I don't see the big fuss about Wear OS 3. The battery life is still not great. And the fluidity of the OS is more depended on the ram usage. But what I do hate are the exclusive deals, that screws others on not having the newest OS, yet because of commercial reasons.

Wait a min.. I’m enjoying WearOS 3, specifically the Tiles features.. i think that‘s a nice edition. I’m hoping more devs do more to support the Titles feature. And I like the gestures… how everything is laid out. Maybe I’m looking at it differently, since I’ve been without a smart watch for two years.

And yeah, exclusive deals doesn’t benefit consumers as a whole. But in this case, WearOS needed a boost… Apple Watch is dominating the market and Google hasn’t put forth a major push to make their platform a viable option. I think having WearOS tied to Samsung at the moment... provides Google a chance to focus on optimization.

 

[The_Interloper]

To be honest, I don't see the big fuss about Wear OS 3. The battery life is still not great. And the fluidity of the OS is more depended on the ram usage. But what I do hate are the exclusive deals, that screws others on not having the newest OS, yet because of commercial reasons.

Why shouldn’t Samsung have an exclusive deal? They seem to be the only manufacturer taking WearOS seriously right now and, don’t forget, they are running it on their own silicon. Don’t think of it so much as WearOS 3 but as OneUI (based on WearOS) for watches optimised for Exynos. Tizen actually had greater market share than WearOS, so Samsung are the ones taking the risk here.

As for battery life, Apple‘s is still woeful after six generations.

It’s not like other OEMs haven’t had an opportunity to do something better over the last several years. The likes of Fossil, Mobvoi etc have all wasted it using garbage chips from Qualcomm that were designed for tablets originally. Those things are thermally compromised, battery-intensive junk. Those OEMs made things worse by repeatedly adding insufficient RAM, making the whole experience terminally lousy.

If anything, Samsung is doing the whole WearOS platform a massive favour here. They have lifted it out of a complete pit of mediocrity into something that actually resembles a competitor to the Apple Watch. To be fair, Samsung‘s hardware was always decent but there was a reason they used Tizen – because WearOS was such a dumpster fire. Their involvement may actually result in a better OS for everybody.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Why shouldn’t Samsung have an exclusive deal? They seem to be the only manufacturer taking WearOS seriously right now and, don’t forget, they are running it on their own silicon. Don’t think of it so much as WearOS 3 but as OneUI (based on WearOS) for watches optimised for Exynos. Tizen actually had greater market share than WearOS, so Samsung are the ones taking the risk here.

As for battery life, Apple‘s is still woeful after six generations.

It’s not like other OEMs haven’t had an opportunity to do something better over the last several years. The likes of Fossil, Mobvoi etc have all wasted it using garbage chips from Qualcomm that were designed for tablets originally. Those things are thermally compromised, battery-intensive junk. Those OEMs made things worse by repeatedly adding insufficient RAM, making the whole experience terminally lousy.

If anything, Samsung is doing the whole WearOS platform a massive favour here. They have lifted it out of a complete pit of mediocrity into something that actually resembles a competitor to the Apple Watch. To be fair, Samsung‘s hardware was always decent but there was a reason they used Tizen – because WearOS was such a dumpster fire. Their involvement may actually result in a better OS for everybody.

Perfectly said!!!!

 

[Air_M1]

I missed the pre-ordered bonus, but just ordered 46mm classic yesterday.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I got a huge jump in battery life today. And that's with AOD always on, and auto brightness enabled. Nothing turned off and power save mode disabled.