Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review: A great smartwatch that's slightly tarnished by inaccurate GPS

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Samsung's Galaxy Watch line of wearables has long been Android's answer to the Apple Watch, offering as close to a comparable experience as there is. With the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic, that distinction is true for yet another year.

But for the first time, Samsung's year-over-year innovation of the Galaxy Watch feels minimal. The Watch 6 Classic is still one of the best smartwatches but not much has changed since last year's Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.

It runs Wear OS 4; offers in-depth sleep tracking insights; uses Samsung's body composition analyzer; and has a built-in temperature sensor, a sapphire crystal display, and an activity tracker. This is essentially the same feature list as the previous generation.

Even its actual new features, like a longer-lasting battery and rotating bezel, are things adopted from older models. The increased battery life debuted on last year's Watch 5 Pro and the rotating bezel was last seen on the Watch 4. It does have the largest screen of any Galaxy Watch, measuring 3mm larger than the Watch 5 Pro.

Because of those slight improvements, my biggest takeaway after wearing the Watch 6 Classic is that it's a great smartwatch, but not everyone needs to upgrade to it.

If you're wearing the Watch 5 or Watch 5 Pro (or even the Watch 4), the new features may not be enough to justify shelling out $400. But if you haven't upgraded in several years or you're looking to buy your first watch that works seamlessly with Samsung phones, this is one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy.

Everything about the Watch 6 Classic looks and feels premium

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 Classic has a round, stainless steel watch face and looks, feels, and functions like a premium smartwatch. It weighs just over 2oz which is slightly heavier than the Watch 5 Pro but I didn't feel it was too heavy for working out or wearing to bed. The overall design is sleek, too, as it looks more like a high-end wristwatch than a sporty activity tracker. 

The watch also sees the return of a rotating bezel which was last used on the Watch 4. Navigation via the touchscreen is fluid and easy but I found the rotating bezel to allow for more accurate scrolling, especially during workouts when my hands were sweaty.

My review model came with one of Samsung's hybrid leather bands, which features soft rubber on the inside and leather on top. I wouldn't normally run with a leather watch band but considering its inside is rubber, the band actually made for a nice experience while working out. I never felt that it got too hot or uncomfortable while sweating. 

The other band I used was a dark green sports band with a perforated strap that's intended more for workouts. I find it to feel almost identical to the hybrid leather band, although it's lighter. It also gives off a bit of a stylish look but in a much sportier fashion.

It excels as a smartwatch but the notifications can be laggy

The Watch 6 Classic offers solid smartwatch functionality but I did find it to be oddly laggy at times. I would often feel the buzz of a notification on my phone and when I raised the watch to see what it was, there was a delay of several seconds. While I don't feel like this is a dealbreaker, it does slightly alter the overall experience. With almost any other smartwatch I've worn, I'm used to notifications popping up the exact moment they vibrate on my smartphone.

Beyond that, the Watch 6 Classic is a quality smartwatch. Its use of Wear OS 4 makes navigating the interface smooth and intuitive, and even first-time Android smartwatch users shouldn't encounter a steep learning curve. 

The watch also allows for quick responses to texts and emails, and I found these suggested prompts to be legitimately useful. I especially enjoyed answering phone calls directly on the watch, which I used often when my phone wasn't nearby or I didn't want to fetch it from my pocket.

Another handy feature is the ability to customize not only what the watch face looks like but also what data is displayed or what I have quick access to. This can be easily done directly on the watch, and you're able to change the different complications featured, the color of the watch face, and the overall style. The watch face can display a lot of various data but even with a full screen, it never felt too busy or crowded. 

Lots of trackable fitness activities but GPS accuracy can be spotty

The Watch 6 Classic can track a variety of fitness activities — many of which are rolled over from the Watch 5 Pro and its workout interface and tracked data functions in a mostly similar fashion. It's easy to start, end, and interact with activities, and being able to use the rotating bezel in the middle of a run or bike ride is a nice touch as I found it to be a more accurate way to scroll through my data compared to using the touchscreen. 

However, its GPS syncing just isn't very accurate or fast. Not only would it take around a minute to sync but the tracking data was often inconsistent. To the casual wearer, this may not matter all that much but to someone training for an event, it can really throw them off. Let me explain why.

Some days the watch's GPS would be within .05 miles of my standard mile time and distance, while other days it would be closer to .1 miles or more. While you'd like to see accuracy closer to .01, .05 isn't terrible. But for it to be off by as much as a tenth of a mile is a significant discrepancy. This spells the difference between me seeing that I ran an eight-minute mile when I really ran a mile closer to seven minutes.

If it's accurate activity tracking you're after in a Galaxy Watch, the Watch 5 Pro is a far better option with more reliable GPS. The Watch 6 Classic's shortcomings as a fitness tracker shouldn't be a dealbreaker to the ordinary active user but should cause advanced athletes, or anyone training for a specific race, to think twice about using it as their go-to training wearable.

Health tracking is a major highlight

The Watch 6 Classic has a number of health tools I use daily, including its in-depth sleep tracker and, my personal favorite, the body composition analyzer. 

With the body composition analyzer, the Watch 6 Classic assessed certain data like my body fat percentage, muscle mass, and skeletal muscle all via an easy-to-use, 15-second process where I put my middle and ring finger on the watch's side buttons. Although the data isn't considered medical-grade, and shouldn't be viewed as 100 percent accurate, I did like that it provided another way for me to track my fitness progress. 

I used the sleep tracker often, too, and it provided similar data compared to the Watch 5 Pro. While it tracks the different sleep zones I entered each night (like REM, deep, and light), the most useful part was its sleep coaching which provided guidance on how to improve my habits and get the most rest. Some days it recommended I go to sleep earlier while on others it would offer things I could do throughout the day to sleep better at night.

The best experience requires the use of a Samsung phone

Compatibility has long been a weakness of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, and the Watch 6 Classic is no different. I tested the watch using a Samsung Galaxy S21 and a Google Pixel 7 and although the watch is supposed to be compatible with any smartphone running Android 8.0 or later, the differences between the two were apparent.

First, there were syncing issues. With the S21, the Watch 6 Classic synced a Bluetooth connection right away and the setup process was smooth and easy. The Pixel 7 was the opposite. Syncing a connection required several attempts as the initial setup process failed repeatedly.

Once I got the watch synced with the Pixel 7, I then needed to download a wholly different app than what I used with the S21. While the S21 uses the Samsung Health Monitor, the Pixel 7 requires the Galaxy Wearable app — and it pales in comparison. 

While both centralize your health and fitness data, like workouts, steps taken, and calories burned, the Galaxy Wearable app is devoid of a few key health features native to the Watch 6 Classic. These include blood pressure monitoring and access to the ECG app. This meant I just didn't have access to either while using the Pixel 7.  

Because of that, I felt as though the Pixel 7 delivered a watered-down version of the Watch 6 Classic, especially in terms of its health-tracking capability. For those wanting a full-featured health tracker, know that the absolute best experience is achieved via a Samsung smartphone.

A larger battery means it only needs to be recharged every other day

One of the most useful features the Watch 6 Classic adopted from the Watch 5 Pro was its longer-lasting battery. Instead of needing to charge the watch each night, I would routinely get a full day and a half of battery life before needing to put it on the charger.

I didn't think a half-day would matter all that much but I felt a lot less consumed by the idea of the watch dying while I was out or if I spaced on recharging it at night. The watch also charges fairly quickly, so if I ever did need to give it some juice in a pinch, I could get it charged to a half day of battery life in around 30 minutes. Even charging it full to 100% only took a couple of hours.

Should you buy it?

The Watch 6 Classic is another high-quality entry in Samsung's Galaxy Watch lineup. It looks, feels, and functions like a premium wearable that excels in terms of smarts, health tracking, and battery life.

It's not without a few drawbacks, though. Poor GPS syncing and compatibility issues with non-Samsung smartphones ultimately hold it back. It's a great smartwatch but a mediocre activity tracker. 

This is why anyone looking for a reliable Android fitness tracker should opt for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro instead. Not only is it still considered Samsung's flagship wearable but it's just $50 more expensive than the Watch 6 Classic. It's durably built for the active user plus has the same long-lasting battery.

But if you do care more about smartwatch functionality, and are wearing something like the Galaxy Watch 3 (or older), then the Watch 6 Classic is a fine choice. Wear OS 4 delivers a smooth and intuitive experience that helps the watch function incredibly well as an extension of your smartphone.