Over the last couple of months, the term artificial intelligence (or AI as it often gets abbreviated to) has been thrown around so much it’s become a broken record. It's something that's coming to Apple devices soon, and is already on the latest Google and Samsung devices, from phones to laptops. It's also what makes the new Galaxy Watch7 stand out, but thankfully for the right reasons.
Samsung's latest standard smart watch looks identical to its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6, but it comes with more accurate heart rate tracking, a more fluid experience and some excellent AI-aided health features that make it one of the best smart watches you can buy. I've lived with it for over a week and now I don't want to take it off.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: At a glance
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable design
- Great performance
- Easy to use
- Interface is slick and simple to navigate
- Genuinely helpful AI health features
Cons
- Battery life could be better
- Some features restricted to Galaxy phone users
- Some software features will come to older Galaxy Watch models
Key specifications
| Sizes | 40mm, 44mm |
|---|---|
| Casing material | Aluminium |
| Weight | 28.9g (40mm), 33.8g (44mm) |
| Strap options | Sport Band, Fabric Band Slim, Milanese Band, Fabric Band |
| Battery life | 300mAh (around a day of use) |
| Operating system | Wear OS 5 with Samsung One UI 6.0 |
| Contactless payments | Yes, though Samsung Pay |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Design and build
I'll be honest, when I first put the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 on my wrist, I thought it was too big. I'm used to the Apple Watch Series 9 in the 40mm model, which I've worn since it was released in September last year, and that's quite a bit smaller than Samsung's 40mm option.
After a couple of days though, the Galaxy Watch 7 really grew on me. It has a lovely premium build quality and its aluminium casing makes for a lightweight and very comfortable smart watch. So much so that I've barely noticed it on my wrist, and that includes whilst sleeping. It is bigger than your average fitness tracker, but there's a gorgeous display that's lovely to use, simple to navigate and very difficult to scratch thanks to its floating design.
None of that is new compared to the Galaxy Watch 6 however. Apart from colour options and strap choices, the Galaxy Watch 7 is identical in design to last year's smart watch. The new colours and straps will suit a range of tastes, however, and the straps are easy to change. It's a simple press of a button on the underside of the device if you want to swap between a couple of different options — I like one for exercising and one for everyday wear.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Health features
Inside the Galaxy Watch 7, things are quite different to the Galaxy Watch 6. Some of that is thanks to a new processor (think of this as the smart watch's brain), which allows for a smoother, slicker experience from swiping around the interface to opening apps, while an upgraded BioSensor results in the Galaxy Watch 7's improved heart rate tracking.
Some smart watches and fitness trackers aren't brilliant at keeping up with the peaks and troughs of heart rate changes throughout say, a HIIT workout, but the Galaxy Watch 7 had no issues at all, adapting quickly and effortlessly. Certainly more so than me sweating away on my Peloton anyway.
It's really the AI features that make this smart watch a little different though, and one that I not only want to keep wearing (that isn't something I say about all smart watches I review), but one that has forced some better habits. Energy Score is my favourite, using sleep data from the last seven days, coupled with activity data from the previous day, average sleeping heart rate and sleeping heart rate variability to estimate your capacity for that day with a score out of 100.
The once-a-day score arrives every morning, similar to Daily Readiness Score from Fitbit, and it gives you an indication of whether you should be having a duvet day or trying to get your steps in. It becomes a little bit of a game to better your score, but where AI comes into its own is by analysing the data that feeds Energy Score to then advise on the small, manageable changes you can make.
The morning I wrote this review for example, it suggested that I "manage my stress", and highlighted that yesterday's activity was lower than normal and required "attention" so I know what I need to work on. It's absolutely right too, I've been busy and my husband has walked the dog rather than me, reducing my daily exercise significantly.
Sleep Score is great too, also benefiting from AI to offer guidance and Sleep Coaching to help you get a better night's sleep. It too feels like a game trying to beat your Sleep Score from the previous night, and it forced me to think twice about a second glass of wine, or what time I stayed up catching up on the Olympics.
Elsewhere, the Galaxy Watch 7 still offers SpO2 monitoring, the ability to take an ECG and blood pressure monitoring from your wrist, like the Galaxy Watch 6. The latter you have to calibrate but it's fairly accurate (or at least good enough to give you an idea) with the Galaxy Watch 7 giving me 110/75 compared to my Omron measurement of 116/77 at the same time.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Battery life and performance
For all its excellence when it comes to design and health features, the battery life of the Galaxy Watch 7 isn't amazing. This may improve with a software update, but at the moment, you'll get around a day. Occasionally a day is a stretch too if you use it for sleep tracking, which you really need to in order to get the most out of this device. Charging isn't super speedy either, taking over an hour to get itself back up to 100 per cent. That said, you can work around it when you know the limitations, such as a quick top with you're on a work call and not moving for example.
Overall performance is excellent (battery aside), with accurate fitness tracking as I mentioned, along with a fluid and seamless user experience on the Wear OS 5 platform. If you have a Galaxy phone paired up to the Galaxy Watch 7 (it's not compatible with iPhone but it is compatible with other Android phones), you'll get even more out of it too, including the Double Pinch gestures that will let you stop a timer, answer a call, play or pause music and take a picture by double tapping your thumb and index finger together. It's handy, and something I especially liked for taking a picture and answering calls.
Good Housekeeping’s verdict on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 might look familiar if you're aware of the company's smart watches, but it offers plenty of upgrades under the hood that make it superior to its predecessor. The lightweight, stylish design didn't need changing, while the upgraded processor and BioSensor both make for a quicker, more seamless and more accurate smart watch overall.
Couple the hardware upgrades with AI software updates in features like Energy Score and Sleep Score and you not only have a super smart watch that helps create better habits, but one that helps you understand the data it collects in a digestible format so you can use that information to make better choices. It's a delight of a smart watch.
Britta O'Boyle has been a technology journalist since 2003. She's covered everything from phones, tablets and fitness devices, to smart home, and beauty tech. You’ll find her name on reviews, explainers, roundups and expert tips, covering Apple, Google, Samsung, Sonos, Dyson and many more.
She’s always tried to take a more simplified approach to products, focusing on what she thinks actually matters in use, rather than getting caught up in the jargon. She was one of the first journalists in the world to try Apple's Vision Pro headset, she's gone behind the scenes at Peloton and she can give you more than 40 fun facts about Mac.
Britta has a First Class Honours degree in Fashion Journalism from the University of the Arts London and prior to a 10-year stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint from 2013 to 2023, she wrote about interiors for 3 years, covering the rise in technology in the home.
As a freelance journalist, she co-founded The Disconnekt and she’s Editor-at-Large for The Ambient. You’ll also find her byline on several prestigious titles including The Telegraph, British GQ, The Express, The Mirror, TechRadar, T3, Stuff, TechAdvisor, Trusted Reviews, Expert Reviews, Wareable and iMore.
She’s also been a guest on several radio stations, including BBC Radio, Siren FM and Academy FM, discussing features to implement on devices to keep children safer online. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on (usually alongside another fitness tracker she’s testing), aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate. When she’s not recording the dog walk as an Outdoor Walk, she’s trying to keep up with her two young children.
