Samsung Watch6 Classic issues that I didn't experience with FITBIT

[Neha1222]

I recently upgraded to the Samsung Watch 6 Classic from the Fitbit Versa 2. The watch is decent but has many issues, especially regarding workout features and battery life.

1) Workout activity tracking is inconsistent: Simple workouts like machine exercises and Zumba are not recorded by the watch. The watch has some redundant workout categories that should be consolidated into a single major workout category.

2) Workout Monitoring: Fitbit's workout monitoring capabilities surpass those of the Samsung watch. Fitbit provides more accurate tracking of calories burned and steps taken during workouts. Additionally, while in a workout, Fitbit displays calories burned and heart rates within the target heart rate zone, a feature absent in the Samsung watch.

3) Connectivity with major apps: The Samsung watch is not integrated with apps like CycleBar and Solidcore, while the Apple Watch is. Considering the watch's hefty price tag, one would think its health features would be more robust.

4) Lock features: The watch feature that concerns me the most is the unlock and lock features. The watch can only remain locked when it's off the wrist; otherwise, when it's on your wrist, it will remain unlocked. This is irritating because sometimes menus and widgets open up without your knowledge. Samsung needs to update the watch to remain locked whether off or on the wrist.

5) No option for calories burned on the watch face: The metrics displayed on the watch face does not have calories burned as an option for one of the complications. The Fitbit would display all metrics such as total steps, heart rate, total calories burned along with the date and time. That is not the case for Samsung watch 6 . There are ton of options you can add as a complication on the watch face but they are all mostly useless. Samsung should again condense unnecessary options and add important features.

6) Watch buttons getting in the way of a workout: Recently, I was at a Solidcore class with my workout tracker on. However, as I was working out, my wrists were actively moving, which accidentally clicked the buttons and caused the workout tracker to pause. The watch paused a few more times during class, and I had to stop working out just so I could click to resume the workout on the watch. This was very irritating. Samsung knows that the buttons might get triggered during a workout and should introduce a "workout lock feature" to avoid touch sensitivity issues.

Lastly, the battery life is terrible. The battery drains so quickly on the Samsung Galaxy Watch, it's not even funny. Even when the watch is idle and not on my wrist, the battery drainage is excessive. I find myself charging the watch every day, and mind you, this is a brand-new watch. I would charge the Fitbit Versa 2 once every two or three days. It's absolutely ridiculous that this watch doesn't last one day on a full charge. I am very disappointed. I so want to switch back to either the new Fitbit or Galaxy pixel watch because this watch is not serving. I would hope Samsung would come out with new updates to fix these issues.

[realaud]

#1 - If you have auto-detect workouts on, it may not detect things like Zumba, because it's not a defined exercise in Samsung health.  You can add a new exercise that's not listed, and you can then start exercise tracking for that workout from your watch. You can even create a workout routine that encompasses several exercises, if you choose. Once you define a new exercise, it *might* auto-detect the activity, but I don't know for sure.  

#2 - I don't know how you can tell which is more accurate at determining calories burned, since it's a subjective measurement and would depend on the accuracy of the height/weight/age data you put in.

#3 - Connectivity with other apps depends on the developers of other apps allowing it/negotiating a deal.  They just can't willy-nilly start adding code to apps they did not develop.

Regarding #4 - No they don't.  They tried that and you could hear the complaints on the moon.  No one, and I mean no one, needs or wants to have the watch locked while on their wrist.  If you have apps or widgets opening without your knowledge, then you need to turn off raise wrist to wake or turn off touch sensitivity.  The only way unintended app use happens is if the screen is on and something touches it.  You won't have this problem if you use touch to wake or lower the screen sensitivity.

re #5 You can't put the calories burned as a complication, but if you start a workout from your watch (You can add a workout tile), the data screen will show you the stats you want to see.  You can set the data screen to show what you want.

On #6 - I don't know how you move your wrists while working out, but I have never accidentally pressed any buttons on my watch while moving my wrist, exercising or not. I think it's actually physically impossible - unless they lowered the button position on the watch 6 from the watch 4, but I doubt it.  If you find this is happening, you can always reverse the watch for your left hand when you go to your workout, which would put the buttons on the opposite side.  There's a setting for orientation.

For your last point - if you are getting a full 24 hours out of the watch, you are doing well - watches should be charged every day and the fact that everyone seems to think these devices are like normal spring wristwatches that only need to be wound once a week, or quartz watches which need a battery change every 6 months, is ludicrous.  These are mini wrist computers and, as such, take a lot of energy to function.  Even when not in active use, the sensors alone are always active, so that's going to drain power.  It's compounded by using raise wrist to wake, because every time you move your arm the screen powers on and the screen uses an enormous amount of energy in relation to the tiny battery.