Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: A Classy Upgrade That Refines, Not Redefines, the Wearable Experience

Опубликовано: 3 марта, 2025

We referred to the Galaxy Watch 6 of 2023 as a “subtle enhancement” over the Galaxy Watch 5, which was likewise deemed “quite similar” to its forerunner, the Watch 4. Therefore, it is not unexpected that Samsung’s new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 7, introduces yet another subtle advancement over the previous model. This pattern is typical for annual updates on devices that are already quite effective.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 7 in late July of 2024, and I began my evaluation of the watch in October. Due to a series of events (Black Friday, the holiday season, CES), this review was delayed, allowing me ample opportunity to wear the watch casually over a span of about three months before conducting a formal assessment.

Samsung/Engadget

85100Expert Score

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

The Galaxy Watch 7 serves as a commendable companion for Samsung smartphones, featuring an easy-to-use Health app, dependable activity monitoring, and quick performance. However, its performance with the Always-On Display (AOD) could be better.

Pros

Design resembles a traditional watch more than its competitors
Performance is swift due to its enhanced processor
Health app is enjoyable and user-friendly
Accurate activity tracking that automatically records walks
Sophisticated sensors to evaluate intricate health metrics

Cons

Always-on display rapidly depletes battery
Notifications may not always appear
Bezel-swiping navigation feels awkward and unnecessary

$300 at Samsung

Design and functionality

Samsung has maintained a design with a flat, round face along with very slim aluminum bezels, giving the Galaxy Watch 7 a more traditional watch feel compared to the square “I’m a computer” Apple Watch or the avant-garde style of the Google Pixel Watch 3. The Watch 7 incorporates the curved casing that was introduced with the Watch 5, purportedly to enhance the contact between the sensors and your wrist. Unfortunately, the sensor at the bottom protrudes significantly. It took around a week of use before I found it comfortable, and on the first night I tried to sleep with it, I was so uncomfortable that I ended up removing it in the middle of the night.

This raised sensor now features 13 heart rate sensor LEDs, up from four in the Watch 6. We found heart rate monitoring on the previous version satisfactory and when comparing workouts between my personal Apple Watch Series 9 and the Galaxy Watch 7, the bpm readings were almost identical. A manual heart rate check on each device yielded the same results.

Similar to last year, the watch comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, equipped with 1.3-inch and 1.5-inch displays, respectively. I tested the 40mm model and was pleasantly surprised by its readability. I usually wear a 45mm Apple Watch since the 41mm variant is too small for me, but despite its smaller size, the Galaxy screen was nearly as easy to read. When holding both watches side by side, I noticed that the 40mm Samsung model is actually wider where it displays most text. This is due to the way rectangular screens are measured diagonally, while circular screens maintain the same diameter regardless of angle. Though the Galaxy Watch has a thicker bezel, it allows for screen interaction with a finger running along it.

New color options, green and cream, complement the silver from the previous year. My silver review model looks elegant, and the updated sport band features a textured scallop design reminiscent of the Apple Watch Ultra’s Ocean band, but less cumbersome. Four colorful threads peek out past the attachment points, adding a unique touch. Additionally, you can extensively customize the watch faces, selecting from various background colors, clock styles, and complications. I particularly enjoyed the new Ultra Info Board face, and overall, I felt there were more attractive options available than on the Apple Watch — even before exploring the Play Store for additional selections.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is powered by an upgraded processor, Samsung’s own Exynos W1000, featuring one primary CPU core and four smaller efficiency cores designed for quicker app performance and transitions. The Watch 6 was not particularly slow, but the Watch 7 impressed me with its speed when browsing notifications, controlling Spotify, initiating workouts, and casually opening and closing apps while familiarizing myself with the interface. RAM remains the same at 2GB, but storage capacity has doubled to 32GB (21GB is available right out of the box). Though I didn’t have the watch long enough to fully test the storage, the RAM seemed adequate to keep everything running smoothly.

Two new additions to the Watch 7 include a dual-band GPS receiver and a sensor for measuring your advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) index. The AGEs index, measured during sleep, reflects your metabolic health by identifying the buildup of sugar and lipid compounds in your skin. Higher levels indicate accelerated aging and potential health risks. The result is expressed as a dot on a spectrum rather than a numerical value. Mine fell slightly above the midpoint, and recommendations for improvement included consuming more vegetables, limiting processed foods, sleeping better, and being more active. Yes, noted, little watch.

Initially, I had some trouble getting the GPS to function as desired. Accuracy in cadence and distance measurements was confirmed against my Apple Watch and a map check, but routing details were absent when reviewing the workout on my phone. After some investigation (thanks to Reddit), I found that precise mapping was disabled by default. To enable it, I had to activate Location Information in the Samsung Health app settings on my phone, then navigate to the Wear app, select Watch Settings, Samsung Health settings, toggle Activities to detect, and choose Precise Location for the specific activity I wanted to monitor. Once I implemented this adjustment, I started receiving accurate routes in the workout details section.

Monitoring sleep

I’m pleased to announce that I (likely) do not suffer from sleep apnea. After enabling the sleep apnea detection feature, you only need to wear the watch to bed for two nights to record signs of the condition. This feature debuted with the Watch 7, but Samsung has stated it will extend availability to earlier compatible models in the future.

After tracking seven nights of sleep, you receive one of eight “sleep animals,” each accompanied by a description of your sleeping style. This feature has been available since the Watch 4 and is also utilized by the Pixel Watch. I discovered that I’m categorized as a lion (the best sleeper, so I’ll take that). Those who rank lower in the sleep animal hierarchy can access coaching tips within the Health app to enhance their sleep quality. Unsurprisingly, these tips encourage maintaining a consistent bedtime while minimizing distractions, alcohol, and caffeine before sleep.

For the purpose of comparison, I wore both the Galaxy Watch 7 and my Apple Watch Series 9 to bed for three consecutive nights. Both watches appeared to record similar patterns of wakefulness and sleep; however, Samsung’s device was notably more generous, reporting an average of 45 additional minutes of slumber and significantly more deep sleep. Since perceptions of health can be subjective, I preferred the readings from the Galaxy Watch. Nevertheless, I wish Samsung would use the term “core” sleep for the light sleep stage, as Apple does — it gives a sense of greater importance.

After conducting tests with the Watch 7, I don’t envision myself willingly wearing it (or any watch) to bed again. The darkest setting on the display is 5 nits, which is significantly brighter than the single nit achieved by the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch. When activated, sleep mode turns off the watch face until touched, but the LED sensors underneath are considerably brighter than those found in competing models and often disturbed my sleep. One night, I had to turn on sleep mode early because the brightness interfered while I was getting my child to sleep around 8 PM. I kept it on while watching TV and went to bed a few hours later. At four in the morning, I received a congratulatory buzz for reaching my sleep target, which woke me, and needless to say, I was quite displeased. That incident did not happen again, even after keeping sleep mode active for over eight hours on several occasions, hinting it was either an isolated issue or resolved by the January 2025 software update.

Health and activity monitoring

A new feature in the Galaxy Watch 7 is a daily Energy Score, which is calculated in the Samsung Health app yet is easily accessible on the watch. This score evaluates sleep statistics and activity levels from the previous day to assist you in planning your day. On mornings with higher scores, the watch advised pushing my limits by increasing the intensity of workouts or trying new activities. On days with lower scores, it was clear why. It’s worth noting that this type of feature is not novel in the industry. Garmin has its Training Readiness score, and Fitbit has been providing Daily Readiness scores for several years (and it’s finally available for free now).

All previous workout and health features are still present — our review of the Galaxy Watch 6 explores those extensively. To summarize, like any fitness tracker, the Galaxy Watch captures overall activity levels via various metrics, which include steps taken, active time (minutes spent moving with an elevated heart rate), and calories burned apart from those needed for basic survival. The watch tracks around 90 different workouts and can automatically recognize several activities, including walking, running, cycling, high-intensity interval training, and swimming.

In general, I found the activity tracking to be precise, and I appreciated how much faster the Galaxy Watch was at recognizing when I went for a walk compared to my Apple Watch. Unlike the Apple Watch, which prompts me to confirm when I want to start tracking exercise, the Galaxy Watch automatically logs it. The Galaxy Watch matches the Pixel Watch 3 in terms of quickness of detecting I’m on a walk, but much like the Apple Watch, the Pixel requires confirmation to track the workout. So during a walk with my dog in gloves, I often find it tricky to tap the start button before seeing my data. In contrast, the Galaxy display promptly shows duration, step count, and heart rate metrics. Samsung’s wearable also acknowledges my movement promptly, granting me credit for getting up and moving when prompted to do so.

All health and activity monitoring occurs through the Samsung Health app, which is vibrant and user-friendly — I actually found it more enjoyable to navigate than Apple’s Health app. I discovered a medication widget that not only reminded me to take my medication daily but also informed me about potential interactions between drugs and allergies. When it’s time to take the medication, the watch buzzes, and I can mark it as taken without needing to grab my phone. Samsung launched this feature at the end of 2023; while Apple released its version a year earlier, I attribute the ease of navigation in the Samsung Health app to my ability to locate and utilize it — I’d never really noticed it within Apple’s app.

Instead of a distinct app like Fitness from Apple (which includes paid workouts), there’s simply a tab (also labeled Fitness) embedded in Samsung Health. This tab offers many videos from providers such as Zumba, Pocket Gym, FitOn, and more for free. When the videos are played, your watch’s heart rate data appears on your phone’s screen, similar to how Apple Fitness+ utilizes the Apple Watch and how Fitbit Premium classes integrate with the Pixel Watch. While you will ultimately need to pay for full access to each provider’s offerings, it’s advantageous to have free content available for occasional use.

One noteworthy detail is that even if the watch is on silent, it will still provide vocal coaching upon hitting or nearing specific metrics during a workout. The first attempt I made to track a yoga session was a bit embarrassing, as the watch loudly announced calories burned and goals achieved while everyone else lay silently in shavasana. To avoid such red-faced moments, make sure to disable audio cues in the settings prior to starting a workout.

Functionality and experience

The Watch 7 was the first to utilize Google’s new Wear OS 5 — even before the Pixel Watch 3. Samsung adorns this software with its One UI interface, resulting in an experience that diverges somewhat from that of the Pixel Watch. You can pull up notifications by swiping from either side of the screen or by navigating around the screen’s bezel; this movement is intended to accompany the physical rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch Classic variant. In practice, I found my finger often obscured the view, so I preferred swiping like on a Pixel or Apple Watch.

In 2023, Samsung introduced gesture controls to the Galaxy Watch via an update to One UI 5; however, this feature, which started as an accessibility tool, only gained traction after Apple enhanced such functionalities with the introduction of the Series 9. The double-tap option on the Galaxy Watch 7 performs tasks like pausing timers, answering calls, and other simple commands similarly to how it functions on the Apple Watch. Both devices detected the gesture equally well; however, I found myself utilizing the Galaxy Watch’s gestures more frequently, as it included a small animation over icons that indicated the functions I could control.

The Galaxy Watch 7 also includes a “knock knock” feature, allowing you to tap your fist lightly downwards twice to launch a designated app from the Buttons and Gestures section in the Wear app’s settings. I configured it to access the timer app and then the Google Assistant, which I found to be quite handy.

Speaking of the Google Assistant, users have had the ability to switch the default assistant to Google since the Galaxy Watch 4 in place of Bixby. I suggest taking advantage of that. Asking Bixby something like “What is the capital of Finland?” prompted me to refer back to my phone. In contrast, using Google Assistant displayed the word Helsinki on the watch screen. While none of these features are groundbreaking — previous versions allowed changing assistants and gestures started with the Galaxy Watch 4 — the improved processor and new sensors in the Galaxy Watch 7 certainly enhance its precision and responsiveness.

Notifications, however, leave room for improvement. Often, I would feel a vibration, but upon lifting my wrist to check, I would only see the standard watch face. I could swipe to discover the source of the notification, but I would prefer immediate visibility.

Battery life and recharging

I was taken aback by the number of complaints regarding the Galaxy Watch 7’s battery life found in user reviews and on Reddit. At first, I managed to get through an entire day and night, then some of the following day, before needing to recharge. This was comparable to my Apple Watch Series 9 (both devices sport approximately 300mAh batteries). However, I initially did not have the Always-On Display (AOD) activated on the Galaxy Watch.

Once I enabled the AOD, the battery life quickly began to decline. On one Sunday, I departed around noon with a 40 percent charge. After a 20-minute walk, hanging out at a café, and interacting with various features on both the watch and the paired Galaxy phone, the battery dropped to four percent by the time I returned home at 3 PM, prompting the watch to recommend activating watch-only mode. Subsequently, I used the watch solely without the AOD.

That said, using the watch without AOD is not exceptionally inconvenient. The display wakes swiftly upon wrist movement. I recall being frustrated at the difficulty of checking the time on my Apple Watch Series 4, often raising my arm multiple times before the screen illuminated (I was aware of the tap-to-wake feature, but it was more about principle).

If you plan to utilize the watch for sleep tracking while also employing the AOD, you might need to allocate time to recharge your device before sleeping (or dealing with restlessness, depending on your sleep animal). The positive aspect is that recharging is relatively brisk; I noticed it charging from 4 percent to 75 percent in under 40 minutes. Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Pixel Watch 3 have shown to charge faster in other assessments, but I didn’t find the Galaxy Watch to be excessively slow.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (middle) alongside the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 (right) and 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3 (left) (Amy Skorheim for Engadget)

Cost

A favorable aspect carried over from last year is pricing. Much like the Watch 6 at its launch, the Watch 7 starts at $300 for the 40mm variant. This is $49 less than the base price of the Pixel Watch 3 and $99 lower than the Apple Watch Series 10. Our top pick for running smartwatches, the Garmin Forerunner 165, retails for $250. There is no Classic variant of the Galaxy Watch 7 with a spinning bezel (nor was there for the Watch 5 Classic). At the time of the seventh-generation watch announcement, Samsung introduced the $650 Watch Ultra and the $400 Galaxy Ring, both of which position the flagship watch as an affordable option. If you seek a genuinely budget-friendly smartwatch from Samsung, the Galaxy Watch FE offers a slightly smaller screen, a less powerful processor, and fewer sensors.

Conclusion

Though the Galaxy Watch 7 may appear strikingly similar to its predecessor, several internal improvements and software upgrades (including some AI enhancements) render it an attractive partner for Samsung devices. It even excels in some areas compared to the Apple Watch Series 10 (currently our choice for the best smartwatch overall). As with most new model launches, you may not need to upgrade from the earlier version if you already own it. However, if you own a Samsung phone and are seeking an aesthetically pleasing accessory that provides valuable sleep insights, helpful fitness features, and comprehensible health data, this might be your choice.

Historically, the Galaxy Watch has been regarded as the premier Android smartwatch available. However, the release of the Pixel Watch 3 has dethroned Samsung’s device. The Galaxy Watch 7 successfully ticks many boxes and its timeless design and customizable watch faces will appeal to many users, including myself. Moreover, Samsung continues to enhance the Health app — I was particularly excited about the beta Meditation and Mood-tracking features, and I hope these make their way from smartphones to the watch.

The progress made by the company with the Health app enhances the usefulness of the Galaxy Watch, and Samsung has successfully deployed an efficient suite of sensors capable of delivering advanced health metrics such as AGEs index, EKGs, and body composition. The accuracy of heart rate and distance monitoring was comparable to my Apple Watch Series 9, but the Galaxy Watch was swifter in detecting that I was on a walk — it also automatically logged my activity.

Nevertheless, if an always-on display is a priority for you and you intend to use the watch for sleep tracking, you might want to consider other options. Still, this is a capable watch that serves as a delightful companion for an Android phone, particularly those from Samsung, and I was genuinely sad to remove it when my review concluded.