Design and Build

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, features an aluminum chassis with an 11.2mm (40mm) or 11.0mm (44mm) depth. The 40mm model weighs 25.9g, while the 44mm model weighs 30.3g. Colors include Black, Silver, Pink Gold (40mm), and Black, Silver, Green (44mm). It fits 130–200mm wrists, with a digital touch bezel, two side buttons, and interchangeable 20mm bands. The Gorilla Glass DX+ front offers IP68 water and dust resistance (up to 1.5m for 30 min) and MIL-STD-810G durability. Users praise its lightweight, sleek design but note it’s less premium than the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic’s stainless steel.

• Aluminum chassis, 11.2mm/11.0mm depth
• Digital touch bezel, two side buttons
• Gorilla Glass DX+ front
• IP68 water/dust resistance, MIL-STD-810G
• Interchangeable 20mm bands

Galaxy Watch 4 Display

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is built with a Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 396 x 396 pixels (40mm, 1.2 inches) or 450 x 450 pixels (44mm, 1.4 inches), both with a pixel density of ~330 PPI. The screen can light up to 1000 nits and has always-on functionality. The display is not only bigger, but it is also sharper than the one on the Galaxy Watch Active 2, and the colors are vivid and lively. This has been very helpful for the users. They can very quickly find it on your wrist or read notifications, though some have said that the brightness only slightly suffers when compared to the Galaxy Watch 6.

• Super AMOLED, always-on
• 40mm: 396 x 396, 44mm: 450 x 450, ~330 PPI
• Up to 1000 nits
• Gorilla Glass DX+ protection
• Larger than Galaxy Watch Active 2

Performance and Software

Powered by the Exynos W920 (dual-core, 1.18GHz, 5nm) with 1.5GB RAM and 16GB storage, the Galaxy Watch 4 runs Wear OS 3 (powered by Samsung, upgradable to Wear OS 4). It supports Google Play apps, Samsung Health, and Bixby, offering a richer app ecosystem than the Tizen-based Galaxy Watch Active 2. It’s significantly faster than the Exynos 9110. Users praise its smooth performance and app variety but note some Wear OS bugs.

• Exynos W920, dual-core, 5nm
• 1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage
• Wear OS 3 (up to Wear OS 4)
• Samsung Health, Bixby, Google Play
• Faster than Galaxy Watch Active 2

The Exynos W920 delivers robust performance for fitness tracking and apps, with Wear OS 3 enhancing versatility over Tizen OS.

Sensors and Health

The Galaxy Watch 4 includes a BioActive Sensor (heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen), body composition sensor (BIA), accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, ambient light sensor, and compass. It supports ECG, blood oxygen (SpO2), sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and body fat/muscle analysis, a first for Samsung watches. Health features require a Samsung phone for full functionality. Users value its comprehensive health tracking but note ECG and blood pressure are region-limited.

• Heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, body composition
• Sleep tracking, stress monitoring
• Accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, compass
• Ambient light sensor
• Region-limited ECG, blood pressure

Battery and Charging

The Galaxy Watch 4 offers ~40 hours of battery life with a 247mAh (40mm) or 361mAh (44mm) battery. It supports wireless charging (0–100% in ~1.8 hours) via a magnetic charger (WPC-based). Real-world use yields 24–30 hours with always-on display and heavy tracking. Battery life is similar to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 but shorter than the Galaxy Watch 5. Users report daily charging needs.

• 247mAh (40mm), 361mAh (44mm)
• ~40h (normal), ~24h (always-on)
• Charging: 0–100% in ~1.8h
• Magnetic charger (WPC-based)
• No fast charging

Connectivity

The Galaxy Watch 4 supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, BDS), NFC, and LTE (cellular models, $279.99+). It includes a microphone and speaker for calls and Google Assistant/Bixby. Connectivity is improved over the Galaxy Watch Active 2 with dual-band Wi-Fi. Users praise GPS accuracy and LTE stability but note no Wi-Fi 6 support.

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, LTE (cellular models)
• NFC, Samsung Pay, Google Pay
• Microphone, speaker playback
• No Wi-Fi 6

Pricing and Availability

Sold at a price of $249.99 (40mm, Bluetooth, aluminum), the Galaxy Watch 4 came into the market on August 27, 2021, through Samsung, carriers, and retail outlets. For LTE models, you have to pay an extra $50, as the price starts from $299.99. No longer in production after 2022, the device is sold as a refurb or at a lower price of ~$120-$200. It is believed by the users the product is worth the purchase as it provides Android Wear OS and health tracking, opposed to the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Some people who have learned to live without smartwatches are now discovering that they really miss having one that does health tracking as well as maintaining a connection to its OS.