The Galaxy Watch 6 releases alongside a classic

If you’ve been counting down the hours for Samsung’s next smartwatch, your time has come. At this evening’s Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, rounding out a decade of smartwatch releases for the tech giant.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic are available now ahead of a wider release on the 18th of August.

In a packed Galaxy Unpacked event that included the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5 and three new tablets, the Galaxy Watch 6 stood out thanks to the return of the Galaxy Watch Classic variant, last seen in 2021’s Galaxy Watch 4 series. Though mostly identical in all the ways that matter, the hook of the Watch 6 Classic is its rotating bezel.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series starts at $549 in Australia (Watch 6, 40mm Bluetooth). Both the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic come in 4G (Cellular) and Bluetooth variants, and various sizes. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is generally more expensive, while 4G connectivity and a bigger watch face will also cost a premium. Here’s a breakdown of Galaxy Watch 6 pricing in Australia:

• Larger display: 20% larger compared to Galaxy Watch 5
• Brighter display: 2,000 nits brightness
• Better battery: Claims an extra eight hours of battery life
• Slimmer bezels: 30% slimmer bezel on Watch 6 (compared to Watch 5) and 15% thinner bezel on Watch 6 Classic (compared to Watch 4 Classic)
• Upgraded processor: Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz

This year, Samsung is making a lot of noise about day and night wellness tracking. Samsung is promising improved sleep tracking with its Sleep Score Factors– an overview of your sleep that evaluates overall sleep time, ongoing sleep cycle and awake time against other factors like your physical activity during the day and recommended recovery. An improved Sleep Coaching feature will also deliver actionable advice to help you get a better night’s sleep, based on your current trends. There’s also a new “Personalised Heart Rate Zone” feature that tailors five levels of running intensity based on your physical prowess.

On the outside, you’re getting a 20% larger display (compared to the Galaxy Watch 5) and the company’s brightest smartwatch display yet at 2,000 nits. As always, the bezel is slimmer again, with a 30% slimmer bezel on the Watch 6 and a 15% slimmer rotating bezel on the Watch 6 Classic. Samsung also claims the bigger batteries in both models can add an extra eight hours of battery life to support all-night sleep tracking. Both models also support fast charging.

Besides the rotating bezel, and resulting difference in display size, there really aren’t many differences between the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. Same processor, same durability, same display materials and technology. Battery size is slightly different due to the different display sizes, but the expected battery life is the same across the board.

The colour options are also different across the range. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 6 is available in Graphite and Gold, the 44m Galaxy Watch 6 comes in Graphite or Silver, and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is available in Black or Silver.

One noticeable difference in the spec sheets for both devices is the 3D Hall Sensor, something available in the Watch 6 Classic but not the standard Watch 6. Looking back at the Watch 4 Classic, it seems this sensor is dedicated to the rotating bezel. Its omission in the standard Galaxy Watch 6 doesn’t impact functionality.

Here are the key specs of the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic side-by-side: