Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look and unboxing – Rotating bezel returns

Launched alongside its sportier looking sibling the Galaxy Watch6, the classier looking Galaxy Watch6 Classic has the same improvements but takes things up a notch with a larger display, a more premium looking strap design and most important of all, a physical rotating bezel to navigate the menus. 

We got our hands on the Galaxy Watch6 Classic 47mm variant for review and we’ll put it through its paces over the coming week. Before we get stuck in, here’s our Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look and unboxing feature where we see what comes in the box and share our first impressions on their latest smartwatch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look – What’s in the Box

An interesting fact to note is that like the packaging from Samsung’s latest foldables, the Galaxy Watch6 series feature an image with the exact colours of the watch itself so our sample unit is neatly depicted on the front in black though you can also obtain the watch in a shade of silver with matching straps. 

Much like the Galaxy Watch6 44mm that we reviewed awhile back, our Galaxy Watch6 Classic 47mm first look sample has the bare minimum of extra kit bundled with the watch itself in its packaging. 

Out of the box, you get a USB-C charging dock that lets you magnetically latch the watch on for wireless charging, a quick start and warranty guide as well as the watch itself with matching coloured straps inset in a form-fitted cardboard tray.

In the unlikely event you lose the charging cable, you’re still able to wirelessly reverse charge the watch using any of the Galaxy S23 series or the new Galaxy Z Flip5 or Fold5 as they have reverse wireless charging support via a Qi charging coil on the backplate to juice smaller items of gear like the Galaxy Watch6 itself.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look – Build and Design

The new Galaxy Watch6 series which comprises the sporty looking Galaxy Watch6 and the more premium looking Galaxy Watch6 Classic have larger displays across the board, use a slightly faster Exynos W930 processor and generally have larger batteries under the hood compared to last year’s Galaxy Watch5 series. In order to get larger displays without having to scale up the size of the Galaxy Watch6 series, Samsung has instead shaved down the display bezels to make them even thinner. 

Where the Galaxy Watch6 Classic and Galaxy Watch6 differ from each other primarily in terms of what they’re made of with the former being made of stainless steel and the latter of Samsung’s own Armor Aluminium. Another key difference between both series is that the Galaxy Watch6 Classic brings back the much-loved physical, clicky rotating bezel while the standard Watch6 relies on a haptic rotating bezel on the touchscreen itself.

These differences and upgrades aside, the Galaxy Watch6 series have, across the board, robust durability ratings with IP68 touch and water resistance as well as 5 ATM depth resistance which lets you take them swimming without issue though they’re not rated for diving.

Out of the box, our Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look sample in black with a 47mm dial looks surprisingly stylish in a manner akin to an actual timepiece. While the Watch6 Classic Utilises a silicone strap much in the fashion of the Watch6, the strap itself looks like authentic black-stitched leather to the untrained eye with a faux leather finish complete with stitched textures all around and a steel clasp. The illusion only breaks when you flip it to its underside where you can see it is made of silicone. 

Should the existing strap design not quite appeal, it’s easy to swap it out as the Galaxy Watch6 series all support third party 20mm straps. This time around, they’ve made swapping straps easier with a recessed button release rather than having to fiddle with sliders like that in the Watch5 series. Fortunately, the provided strap fits wonderfully on my wrist though this is also on account of the fact that I got the largest sized model out of the entire series.

At the top in terms of display size is the Galaxy Watch6 Classic 47mm which I got for review. Moving on down the totem pole is the Galaxy Watch6 44mm, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43mm and for those with smaller wrists, the Galaxy Watch6 40mm. Size and dial aside, Samsung also issues versions of both the Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic that have 4G LTE connectivity or are WiFi only so you’ll need to check before you buy.

Our Galaxy Watch6 Classic 47mm in black has a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED rounded touchscreen up front protected by watch-grade sapphire glass that is framed by a matte black rotating bezel. 

Like its siblings, it also has a home button at the 1 ‘o’ clock position and a back button at the 4 ‘o’ clock position on the side of the watch case. Both buttons also do double duty as electrical biosensors for ECG readings. The watch is also able to support blood pressure and SP02 measurements as well as the usual array of sleep and fitness tracking functionality.

The underside comes with the same array of sensors that include an infrared temperature sensor and optical heart rate sensor as the Galaxy Watch6 that we tested previously and is functionally identical so a purchasing decision between either the Classic or standard versions primarily falls down to the size of display you want and if you want a rotating bezel.

At first blush, our Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look sample looks suitably regal as smartwatches go and feels more comfortable on account of the traditional strap design that snugly hugs the contours of my wrist. Thus far, it’s being worn to sleep to track my sleep quality while also being taken around to work as a daily use digital timepiece. Stay tuned for our full review where we share our findings on Samsung’s largest sized smartwatch in the market.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic first look sample courtesy of Samsung Malaysia. For more details and to purchase please visit https://www.samsung.com/my/watches/