Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 : Full SCIENTIFIC Review

Summary

The Galaxy Watch 6 by Samsung has been put to the test by postdoctoral scientist Rob, focusing on its health and sports tracking capabilities. After two weeks of rigorous testing, including heart rate monitoring during various workouts and sleep stage tracking, the watch showed mixed results. It performed well in detecting heart rate during indoor cycling but struggled with outdoor cycling and weightlifting. Sleep stage tracking was not as accurate as expected, often misidentifying deep sleep as awake time. Oxygen saturation measurements were a bright spot, showing good correlation with a reference device during a flight simulation. GPS tracking was adequate for casual use but not precise enough for detailed mapping. Overall, the Galaxy Watch 6 received a moderate rating of 3 out of 5 stars, with improvements suggested for sleep tracking and the potential for better value in its predecessors.

Takeaways

• 📈 The Galaxy Watch 6 has seen some improvements over the previous model, including a slightly larger screen, a newer processor, Bluetooth 5.3, and increased RAM.
• 🏃‍♂️ Heart rate tracking during indoor cycling was generally accurate, but the watch occasionally missed detecting heart rate dips during rest periods.
• 🚴‍♀️ Outdoor cycling heart rate tracking was less accurate, with a significant drop in correlation compared to indoor cycling, leading to the recommendation against using the watch for outdoor biking.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Weightlifting heart rate tracking was also not recommended due to the watch's inability to accurately capture heart rate peaks and dips.
• 💤 Sleep stage tracking was not up to par, with the watch often misidentifying sleep stages and recording too much awake time.
• 👎 The overall sleep stage monitoring received a low rating, with the watch not being recommended for this purpose.
• 🌟 Oxygen saturation measurements were a bright spot, showing good performance during a flight where reduced cabin pressure was expected to lower oxygen levels.
• 📍 GPS tracking was adequate for casual use but not precise enough for those needing detailed mapping of their routes.
• 🔄 The watch's performance can vary based on individual factors such as skin color, hairiness of the arms, and the presence of tattoos on the wrist.
• 🤔 Despite improvements in some areas, the Galaxy Watch 6's health and sports tracking did not show significant advancements over the previous generation.
• 💲 Considering the lack of major improvements, the Galaxy Watch 5 might offer better value for money.

Q & A

What was the focus of the review on the Galaxy Watch 6?

The focus of the review was on the health and sport tracking capabilities of the Galaxy Watch 6, including heart rate tracking accuracy, sleep stage tracking, GPS tracking consistency, and low oxygen saturation detection.

How long was the Galaxy Watch 6 tested before the review?

The Galaxy Watch 6 was tested for more than two weeks, which resulted in the reviewer having about four times more data compared to his initial review.

What device was used as a reference for heart rate tracking performance?

The Polar H10 ECG chest strap was used as a reference device for heart rate tracking performance.

What was the correlation value between the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Polar H10 during indoor cycling workouts?

The correlation value between the Galaxy Watch 6 and the Polar H10 during indoor cycling workouts was 0.92.

How did the Galaxy Watch 6 perform in outdoor cycling heart rate tracking compared to indoor cycling?

The Galaxy Watch 6 showed a significant drop in performance for outdoor cycling, with a correlation value of 0.6 compared to 0.92 for indoor cycling.

What was the reviewer's overall rating for the heart rate tracking performance of the Galaxy Watch 6?

The reviewer rated the heart rate tracking performance of the Galaxy Watch 6 at 3 out of 5 stars, stating it works decently enough for static exercises like indoor cycling.

How did the Galaxy Watch 6 perform in sleep stage tracking compared to an EEG device?

The Galaxy Watch 6 showed poor agreement with the EEG device for sleep stage tracking, particularly in detecting deep sleep and REM sleep accurately.

What is the reviewer's rating for the Galaxy Watch 6's sleep stage monitoring?

The reviewer rated the sleep stage monitoring of the Galaxy Watch 6 at two or maybe two and a half out of five stars.

How did the Galaxy Watch 6 perform in measuring low oxygen saturation during a flight?

The Galaxy Watch 6 performed well in measuring low oxygen saturation during a flight, showing patterns that matched closely with a reference device.

What was the reviewer's overall rating for the Galaxy Watch 6's GPS tracking?

The reviewer rated the GPS tracking of the Galaxy Watch 6 at three and a half or maybe even three out of 5 stars, noting that while it acquired signals quickly, the signal was quite noisy and not very precise.

What was the final overall rating given to the Galaxy Watch 6 by the reviewer?

The final overall rating given to the Galaxy Watch 6 by the reviewer was 3 out of 5 stars, considering it an average performer in health and sports monitoring.