Galaxy Watch 9 Review Finds a Very Good Smartwatch With a Familiar Caveat

The 44mm Bluetooth model costs $409.99, while the 40mm starts at $379.99. LTE adds $50 to either size. Android Authority said every version costs about $30 more than the equivalent Galaxy Watch 8 did at launch. There is no Galaxy Watch 9 Classic this year, so the Watch 8 Classic remains the only current option for buyers who want a mechanical bezel.

Coming from a Watch 7 or older, users will first notice the squircle design, Android Authority said. Samsung introduced the shape two years ago with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and last year replaced the standard Galaxy Watch's fully circular body with a squared-off chassis and a circular display inside it. The body bulges out around all four corners. The reviewer said users stop noticing it while using the watch because attention stays on the circular screen, but he still prefers Samsung's older design when looking at the watch as an object. He also suspected the darker Graphite version hides those corners better than the Silver model he tested.

The new shape helps with comfort, according to the review. A square-ish chassis gives Samsung extra internal space around the corners. The 44mm Watch 9 weighs 34g, about the same as the reviewer's 33.8g Watch 7, but its body is 8.6mm thick instead of 9.7mm. A flatter underside sits more flush against the wrist, and Samsung's Dynamic Lug System lets straps fall more naturally from the case. Android Authority said these design changes are not new to the Watch 9 because they came with the Watch 8 last year. The reviewer wore the Watch 9 through full workdays, workouts, DJ sets, and to bed every night, and it never felt cumbersome or heavy.

The Dynamic Lug System also makes changing bands easy. Any bands bought for a Watch 8 will carry over, but standard bands collected for a Watch 7 or older will not work. The right side still has Samsung's Home and Back buttons. On the reviewer's Watch 7, the buttons would occasionally be pressed by accident during workouts, usually by the back of his wrist, and the watch would pause his workout without telling him. That has not happened once on the Watch 9, though he could not say whether Samsung changed the button travel or the flatter case simply sits differently on his wrist.

The 44mm Watch 9 has a 1.47-inch Super AMOLED display with a 480 x 480 resolution, the same size and resolution as the Watch 8 and effectively the same as the reviewer's Watch 7. The big difference coming from the Watch 7 is brightness. Samsung increased peak brightness on its smartwatches to 3,000 nits with the Watch 8, and that carries over unchanged to the Watch 9. Android Authority said the improvement was noticeable almost immediately and that the Watch 9 requires less squinting or wrist-twisting in direct sunlight. The display is protected by sapphire crystal, and the reviewer had not seen any scratches or scuffs.

The watch body carries 5ATM, IP68, and MIL-STD-810H durability ratings. The reviewer did not think twice about wearing it to the gym, in the shower, or while swimming. However, it has no raised edges to protect the screen from direct impact, so Android Authority said a screen protector may be worth buying for hiking.

Android Authority said the biggest hardware change on the Watch 9 series is the processor. After years of using its own Exynos chips, Samsung has switched the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 to Qualcomm, according to the review.

Editor's Summary

Android Authority's review says the Galaxy Watch 9 is very good, extremely comfortable, and equipped with a bright 3,000-nit display and improved button behavior. It also says the watch is not one the reviewer can wholeheartedly recommend because of a familiar caveat, while the move to Qualcomm marks the series' biggest hardware change.