I am an early smart watch adopter. I got the very first Pebble watch and every subsequent iteration of Pebble until Fitbit bought them out. I also got an early LG watch with the Google Wear OS and have had a newer Fitbit. Of these, the Pebbles have been the best, particularly the last iteration: the battery life is several days and the screen is visible constantly using an LCD paper screen.
Therefore my main criteria for a successful smart watch is
- long battery life
- an always-on screen
- responsive apps
- ease of use
So far, the 46 mm Galaxy Watch seems to meet all the criteria.
Software: The watch runs the Tizen operating system developed by Samsung, and it interfaces with my phone via the Android Samsung Wear app. There was a minor watch software update that occurred soon after I fired up my Galaxy Watch.
Setup: Easy. I just extracted the large watch from the packing and put it on the charging stand. The quick setup guide states to charge the watch full before use. I downloaded the Samsung Wear app for my Android phone and it paired with the watch quickly. I went to the watch face selector in the app and selected a cool, neon blue-green digital face that displays seconds also. It also has a cool step tracker display built in.
Use: I have been using it for about a week now. The rubbery watch band is comfortable and so far no carpal tunnel symptoms that I have experienced with other watches at times.
I switched the screen on for constant display as I need to use the watch for various timings during my work day. Despite this increased use of power, the watch still has 40-50% of its power supply left at the end of they day. I could easily wear it without recharging for a couple of days or more with the screen on constantly.
It’s a large watch but it fits with me; I have large hands. Throughout the day, it does a good job of displaying time and steps. I also get a few notifications which I don’t mind.
When the phone rings, the watch rings with a very pleasant soft melodic ring tone. I can reject or accept calls from the watch. I can also play music ON THE PHONE from the watch.
Navigation with the rotary bezel around the crystal is smooth and silky. The two buttons on the site are “back” to move back and the home button, to resume the watch face you have selected. So far I have not encountered any lag.
I can pause, stop, or restart music that is playing on the phone.
Summary: I believe this is the first advanced smartwatch that meets all my criteria for a success. I am particularly fond of the long battery life and smooth software experience. I will modify the review above as my experience lengthens with this watch.
Let me know if you have questions by typing in comment section below.
[last update 6/9/2019]
