At this year’s Unpacked, what excited me most was not the Note 9, but Samsung’s latest wearable. Simply named the Galaxy Watch, this smartwatch boasted better performance than previous wearable releases like the Galaxy Gear Sport and it also looked so good in that beautiful rose gold option.

So, what can this watch do? Who is it for? Will it match all #OOTDs? I set out to get answers.

For the fashionista

If you’re the fashion-forward type and you’re looking for a wearable that looks as good as it works, the Galaxy Watch should definitely be on your list of possibilities.

I still believe that the Galaxy Watch is one of the best-looking smartwatch options out there. And when I say best-looking, I mean it will go with most outfits: Work attire? Check. Night out? Definitely. Casual? You betcha.

I barely took it off because it just went with most things I threw on. The Galaxy Watch can easily become a daily wardrobe staple because of how classic-looking it is. It’s basically my favorite accessory now.

There are two watch sizes, the 46mm which is admittedly too big for my wrists, but looked good nonetheless, and the 44mm which has a rose gold version that I’m totally in love with. It also comes with matching straps in a faint pink that looks oh-so-good. The best part? It’s silicone, but it doesn’t look it. This just means you don’t have to worry about the straps getting dirty, wet, or sweaty which is a great victory if you plan to wear it every day like I’ve been doing. There’s also a myriad of strap options so you can also change things around.

Of course, the normal gray and silver options are available too, but why pick those when you can get this? 😍

The screen looks bright and amazing on this thing, and hyper-real watch faces can make it look like a classic timepiece. Yes, I did a double take when I first saw them. 👀 You can also change your watch face to many other fun options depending on your mood.

But, enough about looks (even if it really, really looks awesome and I can’t get over that fact). This timepiece is pretty powerful, too. Having the Galaxy Watch on your wrist means seeing social media alerts and notifications without looking at your phone or you can even set it up to take remote photos of you, perfect for shooting your own #OOTDs.

And, that’s not all…

For the girl boss

If you’re always on the go; if you want added functionality from something that you can effortlessly wear, consider the Galaxy Watch.

I know my phone is right there but looking at this watch is way more fun

Like mentioned earlier, it will give you alerts or notifications straight from your phone. You can set it to vibrate or do an audio alert for certain things and customize notifications depending on which app alerts you want to be bothered with.

I love that you not only get message alerts on this watch, you can also reply either via typing with the iconic Samsung wearable rotating bezel that this watch still features, voice dictation, or you can even scribble letters for text replies. You may also make and answer calls on it but IRL, I still feel pretty weird talking to my watch so I stick to my phone for that. It’s still nice to know, though, that I have this option.

There’s also a function that gives you morning and evening briefings to help you wrap up and start off each day with a bang.

Admittedly, I only ever got updates on my activity and step count. I would have loved for the watch to tell me calendared activities, reminders, or even appointments but it didn’t do that because all that information was on my Google accounts and not on my Samsung calendar. I’m not actually sure if this briefing function could or would work as I imagined, but heck, I’m not moving my data out of Google to find out.

That being said, it has to be pointed out that the watch does work best with Samsung devices — everything just seems more seamless. But, don’t worry, the Galaxy Watch will still work fine with other smartphones.

Normal watch face versus Always On Display

One thing that was definitely improved on this wearable is the battery time. As much as I enjoyed the previously released Gear Sport, the one-day battery life was a deal breaker. Samsung remedied that on the Galaxy Watch which now lasts up to three days. Of course, turning on certain functions like the Always On display zaps the battery faster. Personally, I would’ve loved longer battery time, but three days is so much better than one so I’ll take it!

For the fitness enthusiast

Casual health trackers, those dipping their feet into the fitness pool, and people who appreciate wearables with extra health functions will enjoy this watch.

For one thing, you can go straight from any attire (because this watch will definitely match it) to gym wear. I always say that the best fitness tracker is one that’s always on your wrist so since this thing will match most #OOTDs, you better keep it on — and that makes it a clear winner in that department.

The Galaxy Watch tracks your step count, calories burned, floors climbed, and even your heart rate. This time around, you also have the option to do continuous heart rate tracking, but this will definitely kill your battery. There are workout shortcuts on the watch that’s designed for easier exercise tracking, but the watch will, nonetheless, automatically track your activities no matter where you are… even in the water. Yep, it’s waterproof.

Went swimming with my watch for this review

I did notice, though, that the automatic tracker wasn’t as accurate as I’d like. On a day where I did an hour of Kali martial arts and an hour-long gym session, Daily Briefing told me I was only active for 26 minutes — certainly not the case! Heart rate tracking also takes a little while when it’s on default frequent mode which only measures your heart rate every 10 minutes if you’re still. This poses a problem for me since the one time I’d want to check my heart rate would be when I’m moving, grooving, and exercising.

All this being said, if you’re a serious sports tracker, or you’re looking for a wearable for the sole purpose of tracking fitness, this might not be for you.

Just me tracking my stress levels

The Galaxy Watch also tracks and records sleep, stress levels, and it even has a relaxation app which gives you breathing exercises.

Everything is collated in the Samsung Health app. Of course, this works best with Samsung phones, but you can install this on any device — you’d have to, with the Galaxy Wearable app, to get to your data from the Galaxy Watch.

Final thoughts

All things considered, the Galaxy Watch is a promising wearable. It’s something I’d wear just because of how great it looks and for those who still struggle with how most smartwatches look (yes, I hear you, girls!), this might be the perfect fit.

Despite caveats, especially in the health tracking department, this watch offers all-around functionality without compromising fashion — and isn’t that what we all dream of when it comes to wearables?

Photos by Joshua Vergara