Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Just needs a pinch of pizazz

We're now on our fourth-generation Wear OS-powered Galaxy smartwatch. Long-time fans knew what to expect from the Galaxy Watch 7: a bright screen, minor Samsung Health changes, and incremental hardware upgrades.

It's my third year reviewing the "regular" Galaxy Watch, which means another year of playing Spot the Difference on expert mode. Setting up the Galaxy Watch 7 felt like a re-run of the Galaxy Watch 6 at first. But wear it for long enough, and you'll notice how the gimmicky AI-powered health metrics and new gesture controls make the experience more fun.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is worth buying, certainly the best Android smartwatch in terms of value and longevity. The Watch 8 will supplant it soon, but that just makes the Watch 7 more affordable now.

Ara Wagoner

Ara has reviewed and tested Wear OS watches all the way back to Wear OS 2 in 2018 and the Galaxy Watch Active in 2019. As an Android veteran, she was well-equipped to judge which features the Watch 7 needed or lacked.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Specs, price and availability

Samsung released the Galaxy Watch 7 on July 24, 2024, in two sizes: a $300 40mm model that comes in Cream (white gold) and Green, and a $330 44mm model available in Green and Silver. LTE models of the Galaxy Watch 7 are available for $350 (40mm) and $380 (44mm).

All sizes come with the Sport band colored to match the watch's housing, with small blue and orange accents along the edge. By default, the 40mm comes with a S/M band size, while 44mm buyers get a M/L band. Buy the watch through Samsung to customize this choice.

Our Galaxy Watch 7 buyer's guide goes into greater depth on trade-in deals and differences from the Watch 6 and Watch Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Design and display

• The Watch 7 displays are unchanged from the Watch 6 in size and quality.
• It also has the same overall design, aside from a new Sport band and taller health sensors.

The Galaxy Watch 7 kept the Watch 6's 1.3- and 1.5-inch, 2,000-nit touchscreens; they're just as bright, smooth, and readable in direct sunlight.

After three years of wearing 40mm Galaxy Watches, the 44mm's screen has been a welcome little upgrade. It won't display more elements, but they become much easier to glance at, even the thin complications on a watch face, and the $30 upgrade to 44mm seems much more justifiable if it fits your wrist.

Sadly, my wrist is smaller than the lug-to-lug span of the 44mm Watch 7 Sport band. I appreciate how it's grippy without being sticky, and how the notches help avoid slipping on sweat during workouts or hot days. But since it doesn't fit me, I had to look at alternate Galaxy Watch 7 bands that fit me better.

The blue-orange accents pop without being tacky, though I wish they were different colors for each colorway — and that the Watch 7's home button had a different rim color. Orange doesn't always look as good as Samsung thinks it does.

Outside the new band styles, the only exterior difference to the Galaxy Watch 7 is the new BIA health sensor array. The dome of the array curves higher, making the watch sit higher on lanky wrists like mine, but for thicker wrists, you shouldn't notice much of a difference.

Overall, despite it being larger than I'm used to, the Watch 7 44mm is much thinner and lighter than most other Android watches, especially the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the leaked Watch 8 Classic.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Software and performance

• One UI 6 Watch adds useful AI guidance and semi-reliable gesture shortcuts.
• The new Exynos W1000 is definitely faster, but maybe not as fast as Samsung promises.
• The Watch 7 will get four version updates, top-class for Android watches.

One UI 6 Watch, Samsung's Wear OS 5 version, arrived on the Watch 7 in July before coming to the older watches in November and December. We can assume that the Watch 7 won't get the next OS until end of 2025, though we should get Gemini on Galaxy Watches well before that.

Aside from subtle, under-the-hood changes for app developers, Wear OS 5 focused on new AI perks, sleep apnea detection, and expanded Accessibility-based gesture controls.

Despite the initial "OMG, they copied the Apple Watch" reaction to Samsung's gestures, they've been around for longer; now they're just easier to find.

Double-pinch gestures are built into many apps and system tools. You can quickly silence timers, turn off alarms, play/pause music, pause/restart workouts, and dismiss notifications. A window pop-up appears if your double-pinch gesture could be meant for different functions.

The double-knock shortcut won't get as much attention because it's more limited. It's just a shortcut, be it to your favorite app, workout style, or the flashlight. And boy, howdy does it come in handy to whip out a hands-free flashlight without any verbal commands — even if I have to twist my wrist up like a Power Ranger wannabe to use it.

Then there's "Shake to dismiss," a quick way to shake off spam calls and alarms without bothering to tap or even look at the screen.

These gestures are great when they work. But admittedly, the Watch 7 misses my pinches and knocks about a quarter of the time. Whether that's because of bony wrist or detection issues, I hope Samsung keeps working on this.

Samsung proclaimed the Exynos W1000 in the Watch 7 and Ultra as almost 3x faster than the Galaxy Watch 6, but I'm not seeing it.

Don't get me wrong, this is the zippiest smartwatch I've ever used, but it's not magnitudes faster, at least during everyday activities. That extra speed likely comes in handy more during offline GPS-tracked workouts and other intensive workout styles. In the day-to-day, it's faster, but not noticeably.

Image 1 of 2

A new generation of Galaxy Watch means new watch faces. Wear OS 5 added Flavors, or preset variations of watch faces with different styles and complications. The new Ultra Info Board, for example, lets you choose between swimming, hiking, running, and health versions.

The other two new watch faces are...okay? Simple Digital is a little too simple, in my opinion, and while Spatial Number is definitely distinctive, it feels awkward to have a balloon-ish numeral for the hour, analog hands for hours and minutes, and then a background gradient sweeper for seconds. Pick a lane, Samsung.

That said, Galaxy Watch faces beat other Wear OS brands for variety and quality, so I can't complain too much.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Health tracking and fitness

• The new health sensor array provides better accuracy for workouts.
• Some health features require a Galaxy phone to work.

The Watch 7's new health sensor array triples the LEDs that track heart rate and blood oxygen to help improve tracking accuracy during high-intensity workouts.

Thanks to a fun bout of COVID, I focused on the Watch 7's sleep tracking and new Galaxy AI-powered Energy score to start. The tracked data has been quite good. Blood oxygen readings have fewer random discrepancies than on my Watch 6, and both the temperature and heart rate charts are less prone to sudden dropouts or spikes.

Plus, the Energy Score matches my real-life energy, on par with Fitbit Daily Readiness or Garmin Body Battery. And the next version of One UI will add even more AI tools, like free nutrition plans and a Samsung Health coach.

I'm still angry that Samsung keeps finding new Watch features to restrict to its phones: first ECGs, now sleep apnea tracking. You shouldn't have to spend another $300–1,300 on a phone for a core advertised feature, especially since they target mainstream health conditions that affect millions of people.

Although it's not specific to the watch, I'm grateful for Samsung's Medications tool. You scan bottles to add each type, set reminders for meds at certain times of day, and get warnings on possible drug interactions.

The Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra share the same dual-band GPS and health sensors, and our Galaxy Watch Ultra fitness test showed how the dual-band GPS is significantly better than it was during our Galaxy Watch 6 fitness test. Heart rate accuracy was pretty good, but about 1 bpm short for normal runs and 5 bpm short for max-effort anaerobic effort. It's not perfect, but about on par with the Pixel Watch 3 and better than many rivals.

Since this test, we've taken out the Galaxy Watch 7 specifically for workouts, just to make sure it matches the Ultra. And it does! It's quite reliable for tracking, if not perfect.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Battery and charging

• The Watch 7 lasts between 30–50 hours depending on features, usage, and conditions.
• Charging is a bit slower than other brands, and Wireless PowerShare no longer works.

While the Exynos W1000 may not offer a huge performance boost, its improved efficiency shone through during my review testing. Even with my animated Photos watch face cutting into battery life, the Watch 7 did as expected.

With AOD (always-on display) disabled, continuous HR tracking, and overnight sleep tracking, the Galaxy Watch 7 lasted two days on my wrist before needing a charger on days I did not work out. On outdoor-heavy days and when I could manage a light workout or two, the battery life dropped to 33-36 hours.

I'd need daily charges if I turned on Google Assistant hotword detection or used music streaming. But overall, battery life is a bit better than on my Watch 6.

My main complaint pertains to charging. The 10W charging speed hasn't changed, as Samsung prioritizes battery health over speed; it can take about 90–100 minutes to go from 0% to 100%. But I'm more annoyed that it no longer supports Wireless PowerShare — the best backup charger a smartwatch can have.

Basically, you can place older Galaxy Watches on top of face-down Galaxy phones with reverse wireless charging. If your watch is dying and you don't have a proprietary cable on hand, this saves your Galaxy Watch from being dead and useless all day. But the Watch 7's redesigned sensors pushed the charging coils so that this no longer works.

This isn't the end of the world by any means, but it's a small bummer worth mentioning for folks who relied on this feature in a pinch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Competition

The Galaxy Watch 7 had few rivals at launch, and now that you frequently see the price fall as low as $200, it's easy to recommend an upgrade, especially if you're still rocking a Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 5. Either way, you're getting faster performance, much better display quality, more storage, newer health sensors, and a couple extra years of updates.

As for the Galaxy Watch 6, the main changes are the HR sensor, GPS, and newer 3nm Exynos chip. I still think this new sensor array is a double-edged sword since it makes the Watch 7 sit higher on my wrist, but the main reason to upgrade is if you're an athlete who wants the best data. Otherwise, sit tight and save your money for the Watch 8.

The other main rival is the Pixel Watch 3, which won't mesh as well with a Galaxy phone but has unique perks like Fitbit insights, a crown instead of a digital bezel, and a unique edge-to-edge design. But it's also more expensive, with smaller displays and without the same ruggedness or sapphire glass.

You could also look into the OnePlus Watch 3, simply because it can easily last twice as long as the Galaxy Watch 7. But I already know this watch is too large for my wrist, so I'll wait for the rumored Watch 3 Mini.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 review: Should you buy it?

You should buy the Galaxy Watch 7 if...

• You are new to smartwatches and want the most consistent experience without being forced into a subscription.
• You've had issues with past Galaxy Watches not tracking you properly.
• You own a Galaxy phone and don't mind sticking around for exclusives.

You shouldn't buy the Galaxy Watch 7 if...

• You already own a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6.
• You want better battery life and the bells and whistles of the Galaxy Watch Ultra.)
• You prefer a more flashy or "classic" watch style.

Behind the flashy Galaxy AI tricks and gestures is a core performance boost delivered by Wear OS 5, a new processor, and the upgraded health sensors. Samsung is great at tweaking things to keep working smoothly, erasing past pain points without people realizing that anything has changed.

This mix of flashy and understated adds up to a snappy smartwatch with a bright screen, the decked-out feature toolbox of One UI 6 Watch, and almost 2 days of battery life.

It's easy to recommend the Galaxy Watch 7 to new smartwatch buyers and older ones looking to get back in the game. Far easier than recommending the Galaxy Watch Ultra at twice the price and weight. Look for a good discount or trade-in deal, but even without one, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 earns its keep better than any other sub-$500 watch on the Android stage.