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The Galaxy Watch 4 has finally been unveiled and we’ve whittled down all the key specs to know how Samsung’s latest wearable compares with the Apple Watch 6.

Even though it was a modest upgrade over its predecessor, the Apple Watch 6 still stands as the best smartwatch you can buy right now. Now that we know what to expect from Samsung’s next mainline wearable however, there’s a chance that Apple’s reign could be coming to an end.

Until we’re able to fully test out the Galaxy Watch 4, this comparison will be based purely off of specs and the features that Samsung has made public, against the more familiar experience of using an Apple Watch 6. Out of all the info that dropped during the Samsung Unpacked event, these are the five key differences you need to know that could give the Galaxy Watch 4 a serious edge over its competitor.

Better integration with Google services

With previous Galaxy Watches, Samsung has been keen to push its Tizen platform, walling off a bunch of Google services in the process.

While Google Maps is no stranger to watchOS on Apple’s device, the fact that the Galaxy Watch 4 is operating the new Wear OS powered by Samsung means that Google apps will not only feature, but will likely be far better optimised to work for the platform.

We’ve already seen apps like Google Maps and Google Pay working on Galaxy Watch 4, but it won’t be hard to imagine other apps like Google Home or Gmail being treated with similar reverence. Simply put, if you’re even remotely integrated into the Google ecosystem then Samsung’s watch could be of better service to you.

The Galaxy Watch 4 paints a more detailed picture of your health

To its credit, the Apple Watch’s Health app is one of the best of its kind, being intuitive and easy to use. It’s a shame then that the only major update on this front for the Apple Watch 6 was the inclusion of a blood oxygen sensor, something which already features in abundance on Wear OS devices and even some low-cost fitness trackers.

By comparison, Samsung seems to have spent as much time focusing on fitness tracking as it has on implementing the new Wear OS platform. The Galaxy Watch 4 will introduce a new ‘BioActive’ sensor that is capable of analysing not just blood oxygen, blood pressure and atrial fibrillation, but it can also take an overall view of your health by looking at your skeletal muscle, body water, body fat and basal metabolic rate.

In theory, all of these metrics should allow the Galaxy Watch 4 to provide a wider reaching overview of your current health, something that the Apple Watch 6 is unable to do.

The Galaxy Watch could win with its battery life

Battery life has always been a sticking point for the Apple Watch. According to Apple itself, the Apple Watch 6 has an 18-hour battery but if you want to make the most of it then that almost always results in a daily charge.

The Galaxy Watch 4 on the other hand has a quoted battery life of up to 40-hours. Of course, compared to some devices like the Coros Vertix or even the Withings ScanWatch, 40-hours is a bit paltry but it’s a marked improvement over what Apple can offer.

Will it actually last that long? We’ll have to find out when we do the full review.

Screen resolution is higher on the Galaxy Watch 4

This is the type of feature that will probably go over the heads of most people, particularly as the Apple Watch 6 has a gorgeous display, but it is worth pointing out that the Galaxy Watch 4 does beat out its competitor where resolution is concerned.

While the 40 and 44mm versions of the Apple Watch 6 pack a 324×394 and 368×448 resolution respectively, they are edged out by the 396×396 and 450×450 displays on the 40 and 44mm Galaxy Watch 4.

The Galaxy Watch 4 is considerably cheaper

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone now that the Apple Watch is on the far pricier end of the smartwatch scale. While the Apple Watch 6 has a high starting price of £379, we still feel that the price is justified for everything you get in return.

If budget is your biggest concern however then you might be drawn automatically to the Galaxy Watch 4, which has a far more tempting entry-level price of £249. Even the pricier Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is cheaper than the Apple Watch at £349.

Does the Galaxy Watch 4 have you tempted, or do you plan on staying firmly in camp Apple? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook @TrustedReviews.

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