The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 surprised me after a week of testing – here's why I'll keep wearing it

Whether you like to make sure you're hitting your step goal and getting eight hours of sleep or training for something special, having one of the best fitness trackers is a good idea. Samsung has just added one to the list - the brand new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9.

I took this one for a spin before its August 3 release to see what's new and improved. The feature that impressed me most was the new Vitals metric. After seven days, you'll get your skin temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and HRV baseline. When these deviate from normal, you'll get a notification. Instead of simply being a fitness tracker, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 joins the ranks of the best Garmin watches and the Oura Ring 5 as a device that can cast a second glance over your everyday wellbeing.

After a week of wearing the watch every day and night, I can certainly see the benefits of upgrading, but there are a few details I'd suggest you look at before you do.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 review

Specifications

• Size: 46.0 x 43.7 x 8.6mm
• Weight: 34g
• Materials: Aluminium, glass, silicone
• Battery life: Up to 40 hours (without always-on display)
• GPS: Dual-band (built-in, leave your phone at home)
• Waterproof: Up to 5ATM (50 meters)

Design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 has a sleek, futuristic design with a round face fixed to a soft square bezel made of aluminium. I could argue the bezel could be made smaller in favour of a larger screen, but I actually love this feature. In the sea of bulky fitness trackers, it adds a stylish element to the watch, turning it from a basic watch into a stylish piece I actually want to wear, versus 'have' to wear.

I'd always suggest turning the 'always-on' function off to save battery life. In this case, battery life increases from up to 30 hours to 40 hours when you do. When the screen is on, it's bright. I could read it even in the scorching sun of midday. While it doesn't sound like anything serious, there's nothing more frustrating (or potentially hazardous) than having to squint at your watch to check your pace or distance during a run or hike.

Despite the 8mm height off the wrist, this watch sits flush and doesn't clip things around the house or in the gym. However, the durability of the aluminium bezel does concern me. As far as I'm aware, it hasn't been made especially scratch-resistant, and it could lose its sleek appearance over time if it's scratched or bumped.

Tracking workouts with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

I can start a workout on my Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 in three taps. The Walking, Running, and Cycling workout modes are pre-loaded, and others are available from a drop-down menu. It's such an easy process. For a walking workout, you'll get duration, distance, steps, average speed, live speed, elevation gain, estimated calories burned, average heart rate, and live heart rate. All on one of the clearest and easiest-to-read screens I've seen on any fitness tracker.

I was very impressed by the additional features you could add to the workout. For example, a heart rate alert to warn if yours is above or below your desired range, and fuelling reminders at your desired distance. It turns this fitness tracker into a contender for one of the best running watches.

Should you forget to log a workout, don't worry. The watch is keeping tabs on your movements at all times, so you'll get a notification and a workout will automatically start. It's saved me on my walking workouts a few times.

When the workout is over, all your data will be available in the Samsung Health app. In here, I can see all my workouts and delve deep into what they mean for my overall fitness. For example, with the sparkling new Cardio load feature, I can set a goal (e.g., cardiovascular fitness or healthy weight) and see how my workouts have contributed to this and where I need to do more - or less.

The Fitness Index feature is also worth noting. This looks at all the pillars of fitness, including flexibility and endurance, and tells you where you're putting most of your efforts. I used this to help balance out my routine. I was doing way too much cardio and strength work and not enough flexibility training up until recently.

All of this is housed in easy-to-read formats with graphics and further information points. It goes to show that advanced insights don't always need to come packaged in advanced language or complicated layouts.

It's also how the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, like other premium fitness trackers, helps women actively improve their fitness rather than just logging their workouts.

My only complaint is with logging strength workouts. This workout comes under the 'Weight Machines' profile, or you can be incredibly specific and install a whole workout for specific exercises, like press-ups. These are general workout modes. They don't count reps, sets, or break times. Given the advanced features available for running and walking, it would be great to have this as a focus in future models, as found in watches like the Coros Pace 4.

Sleep tracking with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

Sleep tracking features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 are impressively detailed. All you have to do is wear your watch to bed, and you'll get a Sleep Score in the morning, with a plethora of data about your night.

You'll get basic sleep duration and stages (REM, deep, light) insights, sleep latency (how long it took you to fall asleep after getting into bed), blood oxygen saturation, and skin temperature compared to your baseline. These last two metrics aren't ones I tend to look at very often, but laid out so clearly in the Vitals tab, they can detect if anything is straining your body. For example, if you're getting a cold, your skin temperature will be higher than normal. On other devices, this feature has warned me I'm under the weather before any symptoms.

Otherwise, the sleep-tracking information is very similar to what I've experienced on the likes of Garmin watches and Fitbit devices. So, if it's a sleep tracker you're after really, I'd recommend the Oura Ring 5. Sitting at about the same price, it offers more data on your overnight activities than most other devices.

Smartwatch features on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is as much a smartwatch as it is a fitness tracker. You can essentially leave your Samsung phone at home, confident you can do pretty much everything from your watch.

I liked that the watch's smartwatch features are customisable. Some give you all the apps immediately on set-up, which can leave the screen feeling cluttered if you don't want all of them. On this watch, swipe right and add the tiles you want.

Choose from Google Maps, Spotify or YouTube Music (which you can play directly through your exercise headphones), calendars, alarms and timers, and Google's digital assistant. You can also pay using Samsung Wallet with the bottom side button.

Price of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is available to buy online from £349. You can also buy it from Amazon, but only in the all-black colourway, and from Argos and Very, but only in black or white.

It is available to pre-order now, with deliveries sent out from August 3 2026.

This is a typical price for a smartwatch like this when compared to similar options like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Google Pixel Watch 4.

Why I'll keep wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

The Galaxy Watch 9 continually impressed me with its advanced-yet-accessible features. While many other devices offer similar or the same insights as this watch, few do so in such a clear way. I can see all my insights at a glance, with the chance to dig deeper into the ones I'm most interested in at any time.

Vitals is the new feature that stood out to me most. Fitness Index and Cardio Load are also impressive additions, and together, they put it up there with performance-focused devices from Garmin and Coros.

Even with very little knowledge of fitness trackers, you can make the most of everything this watch has to offer - and it's a lot. Runners and hikers will be particularly happy with the offering, as well as anyone new to fitness or looking to improve their health.

Battery life is an issue with up to 40 hours (without 'always-on' screen), but it's a problem shared my similar devices with the same screen quality, GPS function, and third-party app connectivity, such as the Apple Watch or Google Pixel.

That being said, there seem to be more fitness trackers released every week, and each one is more advanced than the last. As woman&home's digital health editor, I get to test them all. While other brands might present the information differently, many offer the same insights as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 does.

The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro, for example, has very similar fitness and sleep tracking metrics (including skin temperature readings and an ECG). It also has a longer battery life (10 days) and is priced at £169 at the time of writing. It lacks the same AI functionality and comprehensive layout of the wellbeing insights, but is a fraction of the price.

The new Fitbit Air is just £84. This screenless tracker is backed by full Google functionality, offers many of the same sleep and fitness insights, and Gemini integration, much like this Samsung watch. It doesn't have any of the smartwatch features or an ECG sensor, however.

That's not to say the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 isn't fantastic. It has standout features worth investing in. The only real downside is the 40-hour battery life, but even that's pretty standard across similar watches with this screen quality. I'd just say, with so many options out there, I suggest weighing up Samsung vs Garmin and exploring at least a few others before investing.