In most ways, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 isn't a big improvement over the Galaxy Watch 6. They have the same design, screen, battery, and price. However, the Galaxy Watch 7 has a new BioActive health sensor, a faster processor, better GPS, and more storage. 

It also includes Galaxy AI, which brings advanced and helpful health tools, making it a smarter fitness and wellness tracker. However, some issues, like the average battery life, haven't changed.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specs

Case Sizes: 40mm and 44mm

Display: High-resolution AMOLED touchscreen

Shape: Round

Buttons: Two physical buttons on the right side

Build: Slim and lightweight

Processor: Exynos W1000 (3nm chip)

Operating System: Wear OS 5 with Samsung’s One UI Watch 6

Storage: 32GB

Sensors: BioActive sensor (heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and body composition analysis)

Sleep Tracking: Detailed sleep analysis, including sleep cycles, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, and more

Energy Score: Daily updates based on sleep and activity

FDA-Authorized Sleep Apnea Detection: Requires manual activation, takes two nights to track

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Index: Monitors metabolic health and biological aging

Battery Life: Approximately 24 hours with standard settings; up to 40 hours in power-saving mode

Charging Time: About 2 hours for a full charge

GPS: Dual-band GPS for improved accuracy

Bluetooth: Yes

Wi-Fi: Yes

Smartphone: Works with Samsung Galaxy smartphones for full feature access; compatible with other Android phones, but some features may be limited

Water Resistance: Yes (IP68 or 5ATM)

Design Options: Various straps and finishes available

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Design

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has a similar design to the Galaxy Watch 6, with a round face, a high-resolution AMOLED touch screen, two buttons on the right side, and a slim look. 

It doesn’t look as much like a typical smartwatch compared to other square-shaped wearables, and while it might not be something you'd wear with a suit, it looks less "techy" than the Apple Watch SE.

The Galaxy Watch 7 has a better dual-band GPS for more accurate location tracking in cities and wooded areas. It also offers 32GB of storage, double the 16GB on the Galaxy Watch 6.

In performance tests, the Galaxy Watch 7 was faster and more accurate with GPS than the Garmin Forerunner 165 and matched the Apple Watch in distance and elevation gain data.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Health And Sleep Tracking

The Galaxy Watch 7 uses Samsung's BioActive sensor for most of its health-tracking features. This sensor combines heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen measurements, and body composition analysis.

With a faster processor—three times quicker than the previous model—the watch provides detailed wellness insights and tips. This includes your daily Sleep Score and a new daily Energy Score that looks at your sleep quality and recent workout efforts. Both scores range from one to 100 and help motivate you to improve your sleep habits and avoid late-night indulgences.

The sleep analysis on the Galaxy Watch 7 is particularly impressive for its detail and ease of use. While the watch gives a basic overview, you can get more in-depth data through the Samsung Health app on a paired Galaxy smartphone, with both syncing quickly.

The app offers a clear view of your sleep patterns, including details like sleep cycles, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, snoring, body movement, heart rate, and breathing rate.

Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 7 introduces FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection, the first for an Android wearable. This feature needs to be manually turned on and takes two nights of tracking to provide results.

The watch also tracks Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Index while you sleep, which helps monitor metabolic health and aging. This index is shown in a graph and updated daily.

For metabolic health, you can use the Samsung Health app to measure your skeletal muscle weight, fat, water weight, and body mass index by simply placing two fingers on the watch’s buttons for 15 seconds and entering your height and weight.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Review: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the first smartwatch to use Wear OS 5, Google's latest software for wearables.

This new software is designed to offer more running metrics and better battery life. However, Samsung adds its own One UI Watch 6 on top, so it feels more like a Samsung watch compared to other Android smartwatches.

The watch comes with Google apps and many Samsung apps, and you can also add more apps from the Google Play Store. It uses a new 3nm chip, which is the first of its kind for Samsung.

3nm chips are known for their high efficiency in wearable devices. Samsung claims that the Galaxy Watch 7 has a CPU that's three times faster and 30% more efficient than before, though actual performance may vary.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 uses the same battery size as its previous models. Even though the new Exynos W1000 processor is more efficient and powerful, the battery life is similar to earlier versions.

The smaller 40mm Galaxy Watch 7 lasts about 24 hours with the default settings, including the always-on display and health features turned on. 

When you switch to power-saving mode, which turns off the always-on display, Wi-Fi, and other features, the battery can last up to 40 hours. These numbers are similar to the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5.

Overall, you’ll need to charge the watch at least every other night. It takes about two hours to fully charge, which is reasonable.

Final Thoughts

While the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 may not have the flashy appeal of the Galaxy Watch Ultra and resembles earlier Galaxy Watch models, it excels in health tracking. It features Samsung's advanced BioActive health sensor, which provides detailed health data along with AI-powered tips and visuals that enhance your understanding of your well-being.

Its sleep insights are notably detailed, and the Energy Score offers daily updates to encourage healthy habits. 

However, to fully leverage the Galaxy Watch 7’s advanced features, you’ll need a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Although it works with other Android devices, you’ll miss out on some of the unique benefits that distinguish the Galaxy Watch 7 from its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6.