With its latest wearable, Samsung is kickstarting a new era of Android tech, said The Independent. Thus far, while iPhone users have been able to invest in the “do-it-all wearable that is the Apple Watch”, owners of Android phones have been “half-served” by a disjointed range of Fitbits, Fossils and Garmins.
Now, though, Samsung has teamed up with Google to make its first Android smartwatch. This is a best of both worlds deal: as the watch runs on Google’s superior Wear OS software (as opposed to Samsung’s Tizen system), you get access to all the Google Play apps and functionality you need, on a “sophisticated-looking device that’s a joy to use and comfortable to wear around the clock”.
Samsung’s previous smartwatches have scored well on compatibility, said Tech Radar. So it’s a shame that the Galaxy Watch4 falls down there. You can’t use it with an iPhone and, though it operates with all modern Android phones, you’ll need to own a Samsung to access some of its features, such as its blood pressure monitor. On the other hand, it has good battery life, and a nice bright screen with good resolution.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Users will appreciate the range of apps it offers access to, said The Wall Street Journal. There is Maps, for instance, which gives turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking and biking (and can be set to buzz when you need to turn), while Citymapper is great for navigating the transport systems of major cities.
The watch also has some “new health capabilities”, such as snoring detection. It’s a bit of a work in progress, though; not all the apps run smoothly. But it’s the best Android watch on offer, and the first with the potential to challenge Apple’s market dominance.
-
West Africa’s ‘coup cascade’The Explainer Guinea-Bissau takeover is the latest in the Sahel region, which has quietly become global epicentre of terrorism
-
Daddy Pig: an unlikely flashpoint in the gender warsTalking Point David Gandy calls out Peppa Pig’s dad as an example of how TV portrays men as ‘useless’ fools
-
Codeword: December 3, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Homes by renowned architectsFeature Featuring a Leonard Willeke Tudor Revival in Detroit and modern John Storyk design in Woodstock
-
Film reviews: ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ and ‘Eternity’Feature Grief inspires Shakespeare’s greatest play, a flamboyant sleuth heads to church and a long-married couple faces a postmortem quandary
-
We Did OK, Kid: Anthony Hopkins’ candid memoir is a ‘page-turner’The Week Recommends The 87-year-old recounts his journey from ‘hopeless’ student to Oscar-winning actor
-
The Mushroom Tapes: a compelling deep dive into the trial that gripped AustraliaThe Week Recommends Acclaimed authors team up for a ‘sensitive and insightful’ examination of what led a seemingly ordinary woman to poison four people
-
‘Chess’feature Imperial Theatre, New York City
-
‘Notes on Being a Man’ by Scott Galloway and ‘Bread of Angels: A Memoir’ by Patti Smithfeature A self-help guide for lonely young men and a new memoir from the godmother of punk
-
6 homes built in the 1700sFeature Featuring a restored Federal-style estate in Virginia and quaint farm in Connecticut
-
Film reviews: 'Wicked: For Good' and 'Rental Family'Feature Glinda the Good is forced to choose sides and an actor takes work filling holes in strangers' lives
