Samsung’s Auto change function solved my smartwatch battery anxiousness

After utilizing Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch for almost six consecutive years, I lastly moved to the Galaxy Watch 4 someday final 12 months. From efficiency to app help, it was an enormous improve in each method — thanks largely to Samsung adopting Put on OS 3. However just a few days in, I discovered myself regretting my choice. I couldn’t shake the sensation that my six-year-old Gear S3 delivered considerably higher battery life than the Galaxy Watch 4.

If you happen to take Samsung’s claims at face worth, the Watch 4 ought to final 40 hours on a single cost. However I struggled to realize that in real-world use. Positive, I may undergo all of the Galaxy Watch 4 battery issues’ advisable fixes and disable the always-on show, automated exercise detection, steady coronary heart fee monitoring, sleep monitoring, and even the Google Assistant. All of that may get me nearer to 2 days between fees. However at that time — is it even value proudly owning a smartwatch?

I personally refuse to disable the always-on show — telling the time is among the core jobs of any wristwatch, and I received’t sacrifice glanceability for higher battery life. Nevertheless, the apparent draw back is that I’ve to succeed in for the charger each single day. That’s greater than a minor inconvenience contemplating that the Galaxy Watch 4 takes round 2 hours to completely cost — longer than it takes me (and most of the people) to begin their day.

On a couple of event, I needed to go away dwelling with the watch nonetheless charging on my nightstand. Finally, I gave up making an attempt to make use of the Galaxy Watch 4 for sleep monitoring. I’d set it down earlier than mattress and let it cost again up for the following day. However I’m glad to report that I’ve lastly discovered a first-world workaround for this decidedly first-world drawback. I’ll admit that it’s not for everybody, but it surely works so nicely, I’d encourage at the least making an attempt it out: simply use two smartwatches.

A couple of days in the past, I got here throughout my previous smartwatch — the Gear S3 — whereas rummaging by way of a drawer. I charged it and booted it up, absolutely desiring to promote it, solely to seek out that I hadn’t reset it but. And far to my shock, it robotically linked to my cellphone after I put it on my wrist. I additionally observed the “Connection misplaced” indicator present up on my Galaxy Watch 4 on the similar time.

Digging into the Galaxy Wearable app, I came upon that the app can keep paired with a number of smartwatches directly. Positive, that’s nothing particular. However right here’s the large deal — Samsung has a hidden function that makes use of pores and skin detection to know which watch you’re sporting at any given level. That explains why my Gear S3 took priority after I wore it; with “Auto change” enabled, the app robotically linked to the watch on my wrist and disconnected from the opposite one.

If you happen to’ve ever paired a number of wearables to a single cellphone, you’ll know why that is such an enormous deal. Usually, your cellphone will preserve a persistent Bluetooth connection and push notifications to any and each paired smartwatch within the neighborhood. I used to be by no means happy with this conduct due to the potential battery drain, so I might instantly unpair the additional machine. Even when I didn’t, Bluetooth audio high quality would nosedive beneath the load of three or extra simultaneous connections.

Seeing how nicely Samsung’s auto-switching function labored, one other thought crossed my thoughts — I may hold one watch on the charger and basically by no means have to fret about battery life. And that’s precisely what I’ve been doing for the previous couple of weeks.

Earlier than leaving the home, I now examine the battery share on the Galaxy Watch 4. If it’s too low, say beneath 40%, I’ll swap it for the absolutely charged Gear S3 on the way in which out. With Samsung’s auto change function enabled, I don’t have to fret about squeezing smartwatch charging into my every day routine. One of many two watches is all the time charged, it doesn’t matter what. And after I must swap between them, I don’t need to fiddle with Bluetooth settings and manually disconnect or reconnect.

I now activate all the battery-draining options I’d by no means dared to earlier. At all times-on show, increase to wake, GPS monitoring, SpO2 monitoring whereas sleeping — the entire 9 yards.

Battery life argument apart, I used to be afraid that I’d hate going again in time to an older smartwatch. Fortunately, there was no main re-adjustment concerned — at the least not in the way in which you’d scoff at utilizing a seven-year-old smartphone. The Gear S3 may lack Google Maps and different creature comforts, but it surely’s nonetheless nice at exercise monitoring, contactless funds, and replying to notifications.

Samsung has additionally achieved a commendable job of conserving its Tizen-based ecosystem alive, so I confronted no issues with auto sync both. My Samsung Well being knowledge from one watch robotically reveals up on the opposite watch, although they run totally completely different working methods. And as I’d suspected, the Gear S3’s battery life continues to be actually good in 2023. All in all, not unhealthy for a seven-year-old platform.

Now, I do know what you’re in all probability pondering — the newest Galaxy Watch 5 has a barely bigger battery and sooner charging. Why not improve as an alternative of juggling between two smartwatches? Nicely, I don’t assume these enhancements can be sufficient to match my present expertise. I anticipate the battery anxiousness to nonetheless exist, solely stretched out to an extended timeframe. And the very last thing I need to do is purchase yet one more brand-new smartwatch.

Is that this dual-watch answer for everybody? Like I stated earlier, perhaps not. If you happen to’re new to Galaxy smartwatches, you’d have to purchase two of them to make the most of the auto-switch function. However when you’re upgrading throughout the Samsung ecosystem, I’d advocate holding on to your previous wearable and never buying and selling it in.

The auto-switch performance additionally works with much less subtle Samsung wearables just like the Galaxy Match 2 ($76.50) — you could possibly seize one for sleep monitoring whereas your essential smartwatch fees at night time. And when you don’t thoughts the splurge, you could possibly all the time choose up a used Tizen-based Galaxy Watch 3 for lower than $60 on eBay. If wearable battery life bothers you, I can promise that the peace of thoughts is nicely value it.