Before I got my Samsung Galaxy Watch4, I wasn’t much of a watcher. I always have my phone on me to tell the time, so wearing a small clock on my wrist wasn’t very appealing and didn’t seem necessary. However! Smartwatches have totally changed the game. They’ve turned this little wrist clock into an extension of our phones, allowing us to reply to texts, skip to the next song, track our steps, and more.
For me, select the Galaxy Watch4 ($250) was a no-brainer. If I have to wear something, it has to be elegant. And I don’t think there’s anything fancy about the other bulky, square-shaped smartwatches on the market. So I was drawn to the simple circular shape of the Galaxy Watch. Also, I’m a longtime Samsung Galaxy user and loved the idea of having something that could go down well with my phone.
Aesthetics aside, the watch has a bunch of really amazing features that make it super practical. It’s a great aid to anyone’s fitness journey, helping to track everything from exercise time to heart rate. It can be linked to Samsung Pay, allowing you to tap to pay directly from your watch. Plus, you can use it to track your menstrual cycle. Having all of these metrics at your fingertips is super fun and convenient, as long as you don’t overdo it.
“Having all this data is a catch-22 – the idea is great, but knowing it’s not necessarily going to initiate behavior change,” Hillary Cauthen, PsyD, CMPCcertified consultant in mental performance with the Association of Applied Sports Psychology, previously said Well+Good.”Look what you think of [your tracker] and what is your attitude about it. It’s tricky because you can get significant positive feedback, which can inspire you to do more. But you could fall into over-reliance and go from healthy application to this over-diligence and obsessive thoughts about having to do more and keep nurturing, and people can become obsessed with that, which is a problem.”
The main takeaway? Use it as a resource. Not an ultimate health guide. But as a resource it’s great – and I couldn’t love it more. Below is a breakdown of my honest experience with the Galaxy Watch4.
What it’s like to use the Samsung Galaxy Watch4
Aptitude
The Galaxy Watch4 is a great companion for any workout, as you can use it to track the workout modality you’re doing, the duration of your workouts, the number of calories you’re burning (if you care!) and your heart rate. changes during your workout. I like being able to let him know what I’m doing, so the readings are more specific to the type of exercise I’m doing. It also has built-in run coaching to help you get the most out of your runs.
Beyond tracking, the watch lets you take readings like body composition, VO2 Max, and electrocardiogram (ECG), to help you stay on top of your metrics between doctor appointments. . Navigating between these different options is pretty straightforward, and there are plenty of instructions on how to get the best readings.
Sleep monitoring and coaching
If you want to know how well you sleep, the watch has sleep tracking that lets you see when you fell asleep, how healthy your sleep was, and how long you slept. If you feel tired and could sleep more, the watch offers sleep coaching based on your own measurements. First, it collects seven days of data, then assigns you one of eight sleep types. From there, you’re guided through a four- to five-week coaching program that includes assignments, checklists, sleep-related articles, meditation tips, and regular reports.
Phone Capabilities
I love having a little extension of my phone on my wrist. I find it especially useful when I’m walking or exercising and want to keep my hands free. For starters, it keeps you on top of communication by letting you take speakerphone calls from your watch. Then it lets you read and respond to texts, either by tapping the screen (using swiping and/or predictive text) or by doing voice to text. It’s also connected to my Google calendar so I can be alerted of upcoming meetings and events. I can use the watch to set timers, Shazam a song, manage Spotify, use a calculator, set alarms, and check the weather. My favorite ability is Samsung Pay. This allows me to have my credit cards stored on my watch and ready to use at checkout. This allows you to take the metro or make a quick purchase so easy.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 worth it?
If you’re looking for a smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch4 is an amazing choice. The only downside is that it can currently only sync with Android phones. All other versions of Galaxy Watches are iOS compatible, but this one is not (yet). So if you have an iPhone, this probably isn’t the choice for you. But, if you have an android, I think you’ll like it as much as I do. I feel like I have so much at my disposal right on my wrist. It makes walks so enjoyable because I don’t have to pull out my phone to change songs or check the weather. It makes things easier.
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