Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm vs 42mm – Which Size is Right For You?

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The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic announced alongside Galaxy Watch 4 and released in 2021 are two of the best-selling smartwatches after the Apple watch. The new Samsung smartwatches run on Wear OS 3 out of the box and also come with a new 5nm Exynos W920 chip which Samsung says boasts a 20% increase in CPU performance and 10x increase in GPU performance. There is also the new Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) sensor that can measure your body composition. Storage capacity has been ramped up to 16GB alongside a whole lot of other features. Both Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic come in two sizes, however, in this post, we compare the difference between Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm vs 42mm so you know which is right for you.

Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Variants
Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is available in two colors; Black and Silver

The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic comes in two sizes; 46mm and 42mm. Each of these two is also available in Bluetooth and LTE models. The difference in size is obviously to give customers the option to choose the right size for their wrists since we all have different wrist sizes. So, clearly, the 46mm will be better for men and individuals with fat wrists, while the 42mm is more suitable for women and individuals with a slim wrist.

In the same vein, the Galaxy Watch 4 also comes in two sizes; 40mm and 44mm, and each of these sizes is available in Bluetooth and LTE units.

Apart from differences in the dimensions, weight, display size, price, and battery life, the 46mm and 42mm sizes have the same features.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm vs 42mm Full Specifications Comparison

 
 
Product Info
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm LTE full specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (46mm) (LTE) Full Specifications, Features, Price, Pros and Cons

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm (LTE) full specs and features

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (42mm) (LTE) Full Specifications, Features, Price, Pros and Cons

Price $136.48 $224.97
ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE
Device name Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (46mm) (LTE) Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (42mm) (LTE)
Device type Fitness/Classic/Standalone smartwatch Fitness/Classic/Standalone smartwatch
Gender Men Unisex, Women
Release date August, 2021 August, 2021
Predecessor Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Successor Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Versions Bluetooth/WiFi only, LTE Bluetooth/WiFi only, LTE
BODY BODY BODY
Dimension 45.5 x 45.5 x 11.0 mm 41.5 x 41.5 x 11.2mm
Weight 52g (excluding straps) 47g (excluding straps)
Shape Circular Circular
Case material Stainless steel 316L Stainless steel 316L
Strap material Fluoroelastomer Fluoroelastomer
Bezel material Stainless steel 316L Stainless steel 316L
Strap size 20 mm 20 mm
Interchangeable strap 20mm, Yes 20mm, Yes
Screen protection Corning Gorilla Glass DX Corning Gorilla Glass DX
Water resistance Yes, 5ATM Yes, 5ATM
Durability test MIL-STD-810G MIL-STD-810G
Swim-proof Yes, recommended Yes, recommended
Color Black, Silver Black, Silver
DISPLAY DISPLAY DISPLAY
Display size 1.4 inches 1.2 inches
Display type Super AMOLED, Full color Super AMOLED, Full color
Display resolution 450 x 450 396 x 396 pixels
Pixel density 454.5 PPI 466.7 PPI
Always on Yes Yes
Custom watch face Yes Yes
Input type 2 Physical buttons, Physical rotating bezel, Touchscreen 2 Physical buttons, Physical rotating bezel, Touchscreen
CONNECTIVITY CONNECTIVITY CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth Bluetooth v5.0 Bluetooth v5.0
Bluetooth calling Yes Yes
GPS A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo
NFC Yes Yes
Wi-Fi Yes Yes
MEMORY MEMORY MEMORY
RAM 1.5GB 1.5GB
ROM 16GB 16GB
Memory card slot No No
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY
Technology GSM / HSPA / LTE GSM / HSPA / LTE
SIM type e-SIM e-SIM
Band
NOTIFICATIONS NOTIFICATIONS NOTIFICATIONS
SMS alert Yes Yes
Calls alert Yes Yes
Email alert Yes Yes
Event reminder Yes Yes
Third-party apps alert Yes Yes
Reply to Notifications - -
MEDIA MEDIA MEDIA
Audio mp3/mp4 mp3/mp4
Bluetooth music Yes Yes
Loudspeaker Yes Yes
Microphone Yes Yes
Camera No No
Radio No No
SENSORS SENSORS SENSORS
Sensor(s) BIA sensor BIA sensor
ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING
Blood oxygen Yes Yes
Blood Pressure Yes Yes
Calories Yes Yes
Distance Yes Yes
ECG tracking Yes Yes
Heart rate monitoring Yes Yes
Sleep tracking Yes Yes
Steps Yes Yes
Floors climbed Yes Yes
Stress Yes Yes
Fall detection Yes Yes
Menstrual cycle No No
VO2 Max Yes Yes
Swim-tracking Yes Yes
Underwater heart rate tracking
On-screen workout Yes Yes
Sport modes 90 90
BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY
Battery type Non-removable Li-ion battery Non-removable Li-ion battery
Battery capacity 361mAh 247mAh
Battery life ~2 days Regular: 24hrs+
Charging type Charging dock, WPC based wireless charging Charging dock, WPC based wireless charging
Charging time 1-2 hours 1-2 hours
Solar charging No No
PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM
Chipset Exynos W920 Exynos W920
CPU 1.18GHz Dual-core (Cortex-A55) 1.18GHz Dual-core (Cortex-A55)
GPU Mali™-G68 MP2 Mali™-G68 MP2
Operating system Wear OS 3.5 Wear OS 3.5
MISC MISC MISC
Companion app Samsung Galaxy Wearable app Samsung Galaxy Wearable app
Compatibility Android 6.0+, RAM 1.5GB+ Android 6.0+, RAM 1.5GB+
Payment system Google Pay, Samsung Pay Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Voice command Google Assistant, Yes, Bixby Google Assistant, Yes, Bixby
Find my phone Yes Yes
Box content Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, Straps Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, Straps

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm vs 42mm – The Difference

Design – The 42mm is more compact, but the 46mm will let you see more at a glance

The dimension and displays of the 46mm and 42mm sizes differ. Although both sizes have the same stainless steel case and same stainless steel physical rotating bezel. The straps are made of the same fluoroelastomer material. However, the 46mm has a 45.5 x 45.5 x 11mm dimension and weighs 52g while the 42mm has a 41.5 x 41.5 x 11.2mm dimension and weighs 47g. So you can see that the 42mm is a more compact smartwatch. It also weighs slightly less than the 46mm size.

So, it’s a more comfortable smartwatch. Although the 46mm is not bulky and it’s also somewhat lightweight going by the average weights of smartwatches we have reviewed so far.

The strap sizes also differ, the 42mm is compatible with 20mm straps (width) while the 46mm is compatible with 22mm.

The display size differs between these two. The 46mm has a wider 1.4inches display compared to 1.2 inches of the 42mm. Thus, the 46mm size will allow you to see a little more at a glance. Though, 1.2 inches display isn’t so small. You should get a nice view of the display unless for individuals that have an eye problem.

Battery Life – The 46mm has a longer battery life

The 46mm comes with a 361mAh battery capacity while the 42mm comes with a 247mAh capacity. So, just like older Samsung smartwatches, the difference in battery capacity is also reflected in the battery life. In this regard, the 46mm has a longer battery life than the 42mm. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has up to 2 days of battery life, while the 42mm unit avergaes about 36hrs.

Price Comparison

The Bluetooth model of the 46mm is priced at $379.99, while the 42mm is priced at $349.99.

The 42mm LTE unit costs $399.99, while the 46mm LTE unit costs $429.99. So, the 46mm will cost you more, this explains the larger display and longer battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm vs 42mm – Which is Right For You?

Going by the sizes, the 42mm is a suitable fit for women and individuals with a slim wrist. On the other hand, the 46mm unit is a more suitable choice for men and individuals with moderate to fat wrist.

To make it easier, you can use a meter rule to measure the width of your wrist and then compare it to the size of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. In my case, my wrist measures 45.7mm, so i settled for the 46mm unit.

Beyond the size factor, the 46mm is a better choice. It has a larger display and longer battery life but will cost you more money which is where the 42mm wins. On the other hand, the 42mm is cheaper and a more comfortable smartwatch to wear but has shorter battery life.

Similar Features

Beyond the differences in sizes, dimensions, battery life, and price, both sizes of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic have the same features. Each of these two is a durable and sturdily built smartwatch with a vivid Super AMOLED display and as well rated 5ATM.

The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic comes with a handful of sensors that enables tracking of your steps, calories, heart rate, sleep, stress monitoring, SpO2, and more health tracking features. It’s a premium smartwatch with a focus on health tracking and productivity.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm/42mm Features

  • Has a 1.4/1.2 inches always-on display powered by super AMOLED. Navigation is via touchscreen support, 2 physical buttons and a physical rotating bezel.
  • Case is made of stainless steel, bezel is also made of stainless steel while straps are made of fluoroelastomer.
  • Available in black and silver colors.
  • Rated 5ATM (50 meters) Swim-proof and you can eject water from the loudspeaker after immersion in water.
  • Watch face is interchangeable, and you can select from preloaded watch faces or choose more from the app store.
  • Rugged smartwatch with MIL-STD-810G- US military grade rating for shock.
  • Equipped with 16GB storage capacity allowing you store your favourite tracks. You can also stream music from popular services like Spotify. To get best music experience, connect a headphone.
  • It is equipped with both a microphone and loudspeaker.
  • Features voice assistant like Google Assistant (Not available yet) and Bixby by Samsung that will allow you use your voice to do simple tasks.
  • Features on-the-go non-contactless payment with Samsung pay. Google Pay is expected to also be available in the future.
  • Keeps you connected to all that matters to you like email, SMS, reminders, weather forecast, unlock phone, music playback on phone, remote camera control and notifications from third-party apps are beamed to your watch.
  • Equipped with 1.5GB RAM and a new 5nm W920 Exynos chip which according to Samsung enables 20% faster CPU and 10x faster GPU performance.
  • Will run on the new Wear OS/Tizen operating system out of the box. It’s an overhauled OS with Samsung’s One UI 3.0 interface that enables better user experience plus access to more apps.
  • Its compatible with Android 6.0 or higher, RAM 1.5GB above

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 46mm/42mm Fitness Tracking Features

  • It will continuously track all the basic such as your steps, calories, distance and floors climbed.
  • Comprehensively tracks your sleep in four stages; light, deep, awake and REM.
  • Comprehensively tracks your heart rate continuously, and will show your average, maximum and resting heart rate.
  • Allows you to measure your stress level and can help you manage stress via guided breathing sessions.
  • There is an electrical heart sensor that will allow you take ECG tracking for irregular heart rhythms and can help you detect atrial fibrillations.
  • Features blood pressure monitoring that allow you to easily measure your blood pressure directly from the watch. You must calibrate the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic with a traditional cuff to get the best result. You will need to install the Samsung Health Monitor app to do this.
  • There are about 90 preset workout modes for you to choose from with the ability to auto detect and track 7 of these.
  • It features Spo2 measurement, a feature that allows you to measure your blood oxygen directly from the watch.
  • Features incidental fall detection that will call preset emergency contacts when the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic detects a hard fall. It also features SOS emergency feature that allow you set emergency contacts the watch will auto call when you press the home button three times. It will also send messages to a preset emergency contact with your location.
  • Tracks your fitness level and show your VO2 Max. after working out outdoors.
  • There is the hand washing app that will remind to wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds.
  • New: Features Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) that will allow you measure your body composition. It will measure your body fat, body water, skeletal muscle mass and BMI.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Pros

  • Premium, stylish and lightweight design.
  • A comprehensive fitness smartwatch.
  • 16GB onboard music storage.
  • Loudspeaker and microphone inbuilt.
  • A rugged and durable device certified MIL-STD-810G.
  • Has physical rotating bezel for easy navigation.
  • Wear OS gives you access to more apps.
  • Great performance with Exynos W920 and 1.5GB RAM.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Cons

  • Battery life is short.
  • Not compatible with iOS devices.
  • ECG, BP and BIA might not work with non-Samsung phones.