The Galaxy Watch 7 is Samsung’s latest flagship smart watch. It’s been out a few months now, having launched in July alongside other slick Samsung wearables like the high-end Galaxy Watch Ultra and the innovative Galaxy Ring.

On the surface, this current model is practically identical to the previous Watch 6. Which isn’t a bad thing — it’s a great-looking gadget! But beneath its familiar circular screen, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7’s sharpened up with a few hardware upgrades, some handy new health and fitness features, and even has some Ai in the mix.

So, the question is this — is it worth upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 to a Watch 7? Read on to find out how these two smart devices stack up so you can decide.

We've compared the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 7's key features in detail further below, but here's a quick look at their main specifications side-by-side:

You'd have a tough time telling Samsung's 6th and 7th generation smart watches apart at first glance. They both sport crisp Super AMOLED displays that can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, so you can easily read their screens when walking or running outside in the sun.

Their touchscreens are also made from the same strong, scratch-resistant Sapphire crystal. While their cases are constructed from lightweight aluminium. This means both watches are geared up to survive everyday wear and tear, and even a few knocks during those intense gym sessions.

And when the rain arrives (which is often here in the UK), their IP68 and 5ATM ratings mean they'll survive when splashed or submerged in water up to 50 metres. So, you can keep these strapped on in the pool and have the laps counted for you — thanks to their clever workout detection tech.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 comes in the same two comfortable sizes as its predecessor (40mm and 44mm), which means you can find the perfect fit for your wrist. The smaller 40mm model is available in two colours — Cream and Green. While the 44mm version comes in Silver and Green.

The colour options for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 are a little different, with the smaller 40mm watch offering a choice of Graphite (black) or Gold (though it's more of a cream/champagne kind of colour). And for the 44mm Watch 6, you get Graphite or Silver.

Samsung has squeezed a new 3nm five-core Exynos W1000 chip into its Galaxy Watch 7, which they say is its most powerful smart watch processor to date. This makes the newer model tick along up to three times faster than the Watch 6's Exynos W930 processor, offering smoother operations with apps launching more quickly.

Both watches have the same 2GB of memory. But the Samsung Watch 7 offers twice as much storage as the Watch 6 — with 32GB instead of 16GB. This gives you a lot more space for your favourite apps, music, and photos. Although we’re sure some of this extra storage has been added to accommodate those nifty Galaxy Ai features (more on these soon).

Smart watches can do lots of amazing stuff, but a well-known drawback is that most need charging every day or two. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is pretty efficient, providing about 40 hours of use on a single charge and up to 30 hours with the display on all the time.

Both the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 7 models have the same size batteries as their Watch 6 counterparts. And despite Samsung saying their Watch 7's upgraded processor optimises battery life so it lasts longer, you still end up getting around the same number of hours out of one. This might be because the latest generation is powering extra health tech that the Watch 6 doesn’t have.

Most people buy smart wearables to keep tabs on their health and fitness, and Samsung smart watches have always been up there with the best for wellness tracking. Both the Watch 6 and Watch 7 can track over 100 different workouts, from indoor swimming to yoga. And they feature loads of sensors to detect and capture your key health data — including heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and even your body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

But with the Watch 7, you get an enhanced BioActive sensor that can record those metrics with even more precision. And for the first time ever in a Galaxy Watch, the 7th gen adds Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Index tracking — giving you a clearer picture of your metabolic health and overall biological aging process.

The Watch 7 (along with the Galaxy Watch Ultra) is also the first Galaxy smart watch to come equipped with a dual-frequency GPS system. This means that it can track your location more accurately and consistently than the Watch 6, even when going for a run or ride in a dense urban area. You'll have no trouble finding your way back home too!

Galaxy Ai

What really makes the Watch 7 a step up from the previous model are its Galaxy Ai smarts. Once the watch's sensors have done all the legwork tracking your activity, that data will sync to the Samsung Health app on your paired phone where Galaxy Ai will work its magic. It'll analyse everything you've done and help you plan your routine each day with a personalised Energy Score.

Your sleep pattern, activity, and heart rate data will feed into this daily Energy Score (ranging from 0 to 100), so it'll always give you a good idea of what your current condition is. And the Galaxy Watch 7 will even offer personalised Ai-driven Wellness Tips to help you improve your rating and feel better in general. Didn't get a good night? It'll suggest skipping the gym so you can get your energy levels back up and smash your fitness goals tomorrow.

Both the Watch 6 and Watch 7 are fantastic sleep monitors. They can track your total sleep time, sleep heart rate, and more — summing it up in a neat Sleep Score to help you understand your nightly patterns. And with the Sleep Coaching feature, you'll get tips on how to improve your routine too. It'll even turn on Sleep Mode automatically to mute notifications and dim the screens on your watch and connected phone — encouraging you to head to bed at the right time.

But the fresh-faced Watch 7 goes the extra mile when it comes to sleep tracking. A powerful new sleep Ai algorithm works in tandem with the enhanced BioActive sensor to give you even more insights into your sleep habits. Like how long it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency) and how much you're moving around in the night.

And in a world first for a big smartwatch manufacturer, the latest Samsung Watch 7 provides FDA-authorised sleep apnoea risk detection to help you breathe easy and get more restful nights. But it's worth mentioning that this feature only works if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 7 smart watches have Samsung Wallet, so you can make easy contactless payments when you're out and about shopping. And as Samsung Wallet combines both Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass, this means that you can store IDs, event tickets, boarding passes, and membership cards all in each watch too. You can leave your actual wallet at home if you want to!

But with the Galaxy Watch 7, you get the benefit of Ai-powered Suggested Replies that let you answer messages on your wrist in seconds. This feature will recommend suitable responses by looking over your previous chat — all you have to do is tap on your favourite. And it'll even provide suggestions in different tones to match the mood of your conversation, so your personality still shines through.

With Galaxy Ai, you can even use the Watch 7 as a neat little voice recorder that'll write out a summary of everything it hears on your paired Samsung smartphone. Perfect for when you want to capture your thoughts on something so you don't forget. Or get it to take meeting notes for you instead.

At the time of writing, the most affordable model in the Samsung Watch 7 line-up is the 40mm Bluetooth-only (BT) version. You’ll be looking at a little more for the bigger 44mm Samsung Watch 7, while the 5G-enabled LTE versions (that let you access the internet and receive calls and messages without being connected to a phone) are the most expensive.

As the older model, there are currently some great deals on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. But stock is running out, especially with the newer Watch 7 being out a few months already.

If you're using a Watch 6, upgrading to the Watch 7 means you’ll get more precise health-tracking sensors and Ai-driven Wellness Tips to help you improve your life — especially with the daily Energy Score. It also offers preventative health monitoring features like sleep apnoea risk detection, plus the Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Index so you can keep an eye on your metabolic health.

These improvements make the newer model tempting if you’re really interested in keeping tabs on your health at all times. But if you're a more casual wearer who likes to track workouts and hit the gym just a couple of times a week, then you'll probably be fine sticking with your Watch 6.

If you're coming from an older smart watch or buying your first one ever, then the Galaxy Watch 7 is a no-brainer. The improved sensors, Ai features, and faster processor make it a more future-proof option — even if it costs a bit more.

Watch trade-in

If you're interested in trading in your Watch 6 or any smart watch that's eligible, you can get money off a brand-new Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. Just head to our watch trade-in page to see how much you can save.

Need more advice?

Samsung smart watches have amazing features and pair perfectly with Samsung Galaxy phones and most Android smartphones. But there are loads of other smart watches and fitness trackers you should check out, including the Apple Watch (which is a go-to choice if you’re using an iPhone). Our smart watch and fitness buying guide has some excellent extra shopping tips too.