Samsung did announce the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic alongside the Z Fold 5 and Flip 5. On this device, we get WearOS for the first time. This watch is compatible with Android devices, allowing users to download applications and access many more functions.
Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Features
It comes in different sizes and LTE variants. With the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, we get a physical crown instead of a digital one, enhancing the overall experience. In the box, you will find the watch and a magnetic USB Type-C charger, and it also supports reverse wireless charging.
Regarding design, this device has two physical buttons on the right side of the watch, as well as microphones and a speaker. The bands on the watch are replaceable, and the device comes with a 1.5” 40x40p resolution display.
Under the hood, the device has 2GB of RAM and a 425mAh battery. At the bottom, you have a sensor with all the necessary features. On the left, everything is clean. The main watch face provides all the information required at a glance. It does have an AOD, but it consumes a lot of battery. Other features, like Rise and Wake, are pretty unique as well.
On the right, you have all your notifications. On the left, you have all the widgets to check, such as health, exercise, body composition, sleep, weather, calendar, ECG, BPM, stress level, oxygen saturation, and more. Swiping up from the bottom gives you your app drawer, where you can launch or open any app.
There is also support for Google Assistant. To access it, simply long-press. However, it is preconfigured as the Bixby button, which you can change to your preferences. You can also change the secondary button to launch anything you want.
The Galaxy Watch app is a standard, easy-to-use application. There, you have all the information, including everything it has on the watch, such as battery percentages, titles, quick panels, watch faces, and more features to further customize according to the user’s preference.
Watch settings include modes, notifications, sounds and vibrations, display, Samsung Health (including Predict Period with skin temperature), wallet, safety, emergency, and more. They are straightforward and similar to smartphone settings.
Samsung Health
This is another good thing for which it is primarily designed. It tracks your daily activities and exercises and provides information on various aspects such as sleep, heart rate, stress, body composition, cycle tracking, water intake, ECG, blood oxygen, and more. You can also compete with your friends, track your fitness progress, and join classes to stay updated.
You can also earn achievements and view summaries of your activities. The ECG tracker is a separate app directly linked to Samsung Health.
Double-tap or Double-Pinch, similar to Apple’s Double Tap Feature
Last week, Apple announced a hands-free gesture feature called double-tap for their Apple Watch Series. This feature allows users to perform tasks by double-tapping with their fingers, which triggers the primary button on the watch. With this feature, you can snooze the alarm, stop the timer, answer calls, and perform other essential tasks.
However, this feature, called Universal Gesture, is already available on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6. We will discuss how this feature can be helpful and explain how it works.
How to Enable Universal Gesture
This feature is available on the Galaxy Watch 4 or higher. Here are the steps mentioned below.
- Open the watch settings.
- Go to Accessibility, and then navigate to Interaction and Dexterity.
- From there, tap on Universal Gestures and enable it.
- Confirm your action, and that is it!
How to Use Universal Gestures
After enabling Universal Gestures on your device, you can twist your wrist to activate this feature. A yellow box will indicate it. Once activated, you can start double-pinching to use it. If you do a one-pinch, it will move to the next item. Double-pinch to go back, and clenching will perform a tap. Double-clicking will open the action menu.
Users have mixed opinions about this; however, there is a learning curve, and it takes time to get used to it. This is very helpful, especially for medical professionals, who must always keep their hands sterile.
However, it could be better; it has hit or miss. It is easier for regular tasks but becomes more complicated for some functions since it takes 5 to 10 gestures at a time. This is essential for surface-level tasks, but some exciting features come with Samsung’s universal gestures. There is an on-screen cursor that you can use for precise selections, which can be helpful, and you can customize the universal gestures.
Your Galaxy Watch 6 is primarily connected through Bluetooth, even if it’s an LTE watch. Data can be synced if your device is paired with the same Samsung account. However, this is limited to particular carriers. Everything works as expected, including GPS tracking, LTE connectivity, and other features. It gets the job done, and the connectivity option on the device gives you the flexibility to respond.