[Review] The 'That Product' Son Heung-min Used: Galaxy Watch6 with a Bigger, Brighter Screen

Screen size increased by 20% and outdoor brightness doubled
Significantly reduced strap replacement difficulty, improved convenience
Enhanced sleep management features with scoring provided

The screen has become larger and brighter. The speed has increased, and battery life has been extended. It provides customized health and sleep management. Strap replacement has also become more convenient. These are the differences in the new products ‘Galaxy Watch6’ and ‘Galaxy Watch6 Classic’ unveiled by Samsung Electronics at last month’s Unpacked event. These are the very products that became a hot topic when Galaxy Ambassador Son Heung-min wore them before their release.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Watch6 features Samsung Galaxy’s unique circular design, while the Watch6 Classic incorporates a rotating physical bezel, capturing the feel of an analog watch. The Classic model has been revived since the Watch4. The Watch6 and Watch6 Classic differ only slightly in design and size, but share the same software specs, including the processor. I experienced the 44mm silver Watch6, examining its design, convenience, features, and battery life in detail. The Watch6 is available in 44mm (Graphite and Silver) and 40mm (Graphite and Gold), while the Watch6 Classic comes in 47mm and 43mm (each in Black and Silver).

Larger and Brighter Screen

A clearer and larger screen (Photo by Oh Yugyo)

The first thing that caught my eye was the noticeably larger screen. It looked more spacious compared to its predecessor. By reducing the bezel?the border around the watch?the screen size has increased by about 20%. This aligns with the trend of ‘large-screen era’ in smartwatches, where bezels are minimized and screens maximized. Thanks to this, most content could be easily viewed without increasing the font size.

There is another visual improvement: the maximum brightness of the screen has roughly doubled compared to the previous model. This is due to the application of a high-resolution Super AMOLED display. It supports up to 2000 nits of brightness, whereas the previous model supported up to 1000 nits. Because of this, the screen remains clearly visible even in bright sunlight.

You can enjoy the crisp display for a longer time as well. The battery capacity has increased compared to the previous model. For the 44mm version, the battery capacity is 425mAh (milliampere-hour), up from 410mAh previously?about a 3% increase. When fully charged, it can be used for up to 40 hours. If you use the ‘AOD (Always-On Display)’ feature, the usage time decreases to 30 hours. Thanks to a slightly improved processor, I never experienced any lag during use.

Strap Replacement Difficulty: A ‘New World’

Press the horizontally widened button and pull the strap to detach it (Photo by Oh Yu-gyo).

Design is important for electronic devices. Since performance no longer changes dramatically as before, there needs to be a ‘fun in decorating’ aspect. In this regard, the Watch6 scores full marks. The core of watch design?the strap replacement?has become extremely convenient. Pressing the button with your fingernail and pulling it off detaches the strap, and attaching it again works the same way, just like the previous model. The key difference lies in the details. The part you press with your fingernail is now wider and shaped like a ‘ㅡ’ (horizontal bar). In the previous model, the detachment button was the size of a ‘dot’. This caused some inconvenience when changing straps until users became somewhat skilled.

The improved strap replacement button is good news even for users of the previous model. As long as the size matches, you can purchase Watch6 straps and enjoy the same convenience in replacement. Many watch users change straps depending on their mood or location. A ‘Special Edition’ has already appeared. Starting from the 16th, straps featuring members of the popular K-pop group ‘Stray Kids’ will be available. Additionally, Samsung Electronics’ official mall offers a wide variety of strap designs.

Customized Health Management Also OK

It shows the sleep score by combining five types of data (Photo by Oh Yu-gyo).

The Watch6 aims to be a ‘health partner on your wrist.’ It perfectly fits the current trend of ‘wellness’ (well-being, happiness, fitness). Some representative features include △sleep management △fitness coaching △heart health monitoring △menstrual cycle prediction. For example, it provides customized running guides based on the user’s heart rate. The heart rate zones are divided into five categories. If the heart rate is judged to be excessively irregular, it is considered an abnormal sign and the user is notified. This helps prevent overexertion when immersed in exercise without realizing it.

The ‘sleep management’ feature, which benefits everyone whether they exercise or not, cannot be overlooked. This has also been upgraded from the previous model. Every morning, users can comprehensively review their sleep status. It shows the quality of sleep as a number, called the ‘sleep score.’ This score is derived from five factors: total sleep time, sleep cycles, awake time, physical recovery, and mental recovery.

In conclusion, the Watch6 is an attractive product for anyone interested in health and smartwatches. However, it is still disappointing that Samsung Pay is not supported. Naver Pay and Kakao Pay are supported. The price for Bluetooth-only models is 369,000 KRW for the 44mm Watch6 and 329,000 KRW for the 40mm. The Classic model costs 469,000 KRW for the 47mm and 429,000 KRW for the 43mm. Both Watch6 and Classic models with LTE support are about 30,000 to 40,000 KRW more expensive.

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