Samsung recently unveiled its latest smartwatch, the Samsung Watch 6, which comes in two versions: the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The new watch has a larger display, a faster processor, and some new health features.
But is it worth upgrading if you already own a Galaxy Watch 5?
In short, the answer is: it depends. Let’s first take a look at some upgrades to help you decide:
Larger and brighter display: the Samsung Watch 6 has a larger display than the Samsung Watch 5, so you can see more information and notifications on your wrist. The Galaxy Watch 6 has a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, while the Galaxy Watch 5 has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display. The larger display offers slightly more screen real estate and a slimmer bezel with an insane brightness of 2,000 nits. The latter guarantees that you can read content well even in bright daylight without having to worry about reflections or shadows.
Faster processor: The Samsung Watch 6 has a new processor with a higher clock speed and faster memory, which should improve the performance and responsiveness of the watch. The Galaxy Watch 6 has an Exynos W930 processor with a clock speed of 1.4 GHz and 2 GB RAM, while the Galaxy Watch 5 has an Exynos W920 processor with a clock speed of 1.18 GHz and 1.5 GB RAM. The faster processor also enables some new features, such as better body composition analysis and skin temperature measurement.
The Galaxy Watch 6 has a larger battery than the Galaxy Watch 5, but battery life has not improved as much as you might expect. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 6 has a 300 mAh battery, compared to the 284 mAh battery on the 40mm Galaxy Watch 5. The 44mm Galaxy Watch 6 has a 425mAh battery, compared to the 410mAh battery on the 44mm Galaxy Watch 5. Despite the larger battery, Samsung only quotes a 40-hour battery life for the Galaxy Watch 6. If you enable the always-on display mode, the battery life drops to 30 hours. That is not much of an improvement over the Galaxy Watch 5, which also has a battery life of 40 hours. The reason for the lack of improvement in battery life is probably the faster processor and larger display of the Galaxy Watch 6.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 has a number of new health features that allow you to monitor your health and well-being more accurately and comprehensively. The Galaxy Watch 6 can measure your skin temperature, which can indicate your stress level or possible fever. This can be a helpful tool for staying on top of your health, especially during times of illness. The Thermo Check feature uses the Galaxy Watch 6’s infrared sensors to measure the temperature of foreign objects, such as the temperature of a body of water you plan to swim in, the temperature of your food, and more.
The Galaxy Watch 6 can also detect irregular heart rhythms, which can be a sign of serious cardiac complications like atrial fibrillation (AFib). This is a valuable feature for people who are at risk for heart problems, as it can help them identify potential issues early on. The Sleep Coaching feature has been improved in the Galaxy Watch 6 to give users customized step-by-step instructions on how to improve their sleep habits. This includes enabling sleep mode on the watch and connected phone, changing smart home device settings, and more.
Whether you should upgrade your Samsung Watch 5 to the latest Samsung Watch 6 depends on your personal preferences and budget. If you are happy with your Samsung Watch 5 and its battery life, health sensors, and durability, you may not need to upgrade right away. The Galaxy Watch 5 is still a great smartwatch and will likely continue to receive software updates for several years. If you value a larger display, faster performance, and some new health features, consider the Samsung Watch 6. However, you can also wait for some reviews and user feedback on the Samsung Watch 6 before making a final decision.
