[Galaxy Z Unpack] "Measure Body Fat in 15 Seconds" Galaxy Watch4 Challenges Apple

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] On the night of the 11th, Samsung Electronics unveiled the ‘Galaxy Watch4’ series, the first to feature the integrated operating system (OS) ‘Wear OS 3’ co-developed with Google, at ‘Galaxy Unpacked 2021.’ It supports health checkup-level services that can measure skeletal muscle mass, body fat percentage, and more in just 15 seconds, and enhances connectivity so that applications installed on a smartphone are automatically added to the Watch4.

The Watch4 series is the first product to apply the ‘One UI Watch’ interface based on the integrated wearable OS developed with Google. When apps are downloaded from the Google Play Store, the same apps can be used on the Watch4, increasing usability. Google Maps, Spotify, and other apps that were not available on the previous Tizen OS can now be used.

The device specs have also been upgraded. The most notable feature is the first-ever 5-nanometer (nm) processor in the Watch series. Compared to its predecessor, the central processing unit (CPU) performance has improved by 20%, and the RAM by 50%, resulting in faster speeds and smoother screen transitions.

The Watch4 series is equipped with the ‘Samsung BioActive Sensor,’ which combines three sensors: an optical heart rate sensor, an electrical heart sensor, and a bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor, enhancing health management functions. Notably, it is the first Watch series to support body composition measurement. By simply placing two fingers on the device, users can check skeletal muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, body water, and body fat percentage in just 15 seconds. It also informs whether the body is sufficiently recovering during rest, measures blood oxygen saturation and snoring, and can assess sleep quality.

Samsung Electronics is focusing on improving Galaxy Watch functions to avoid falling behind in the rapidly growing wearable market. It is also a challenge against the market leader Apple. The collaboration with Google is seen as a move to enhance the competitiveness of the Android camp against Apple. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, as of the first quarter, Apple’s global smartwatch market share was 33.5% (1st place), while Samsung Electronics, ranked 3rd, held only 8.0%.

The Galaxy Watch4 series will be released in ‘Watch’ and ‘Classic’ models. Prices range from 269,000 to 330,000 KRW and 369,000 to 429,000 KRW, respectively. They are scheduled to be released sequentially worldwide starting from the 27th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.