Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm vs 46mm Compared

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch comes in two sizes; 42mm and 46mm, and each of these sizes is available in Bluetooth and LTE models. Both sizes have the same design and features except for the differences in sizes, battery capacity, available colors and price. In this post, we take a look at the differences between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm and 46mm units to help you decide which size is right for you.

Apart from the differences in sizes, battery life, color and price, there is absolutley no difference between the 42mm ann 46mm. The idea behind the two available sizes is to give the consumer the option to choose the size that is right for them.

Samsung Galaxy Watch at a glance

Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm vs 46mm Specifications Compared

 
 
Product Info

Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm) Full Specifications, Features and Price

Samsung Galaxy Watch (42mm) Full Specs and prices

Samsung Galaxy Watch (42mm) Full Specifications, Features and Price

Price $53.97 $46.99
ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE ABOUT DEVICE
Device name Samsung Galaxy Watch (46mm) (42mm), Bluetooth only, Samsung Galaxy Watch
Device type Fitness/Classic smartwatch Fitness/Classic smartwatch
Gender Men Unisex
Release date August, 2018 August, 2018
Predecessor Samsung Gear S3 Samsung Gear S3
Successor Galaxy Watch 3 Galaxy Watch 3
Versions Bluetooth, LTE Bluetooth only, LTE/GPS
BODY BODY BODY
Dimension 46 x 49 x 13 mm 41.9 x 45.7 x 12.7 mm
Weight 63 grams (excluding straps) 49g (excluding straps)
Shape Circular Circular
Case material Stainless steel 316L Stainless steel 316L
Strap material Silicone Silicone
Bezel material Stainless steel 316L Stainless steel 316L
Strap size 22 mm 20 mm
Interchangeable strap Yes 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 Rose-gold, Silver
DISPLAY DISPLAY DISPLAY
Display size 1.3 inches 1.2 inches
Display type Super AMOLED, Full color Super AMOLED, Full color
Display resolution 360 x 360 pixel 360 x 360 pixel
Pixel density 391.63 PPI 424.26 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 Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE
Bluetooth calling Yes Yes
GPS Galileo, Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU Galileo, Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU
NFC Yes Yes
Wi-Fi Yes Yes
MEMORY MEMORY MEMORY
RAM 0.75GB 0.75GB
ROM 4GB 4GB
Memory card slot No No
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY
Technology None None
SIM type None None
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)
ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING ACTIVITY TRACKING
Blood oxygen No No
Blood Pressure No No
Calories Yes Yes
Distance Yes Yes
ECG tracking No No
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 Yes Yes
VO2 Max Yes Yes
Swim-tracking Yes Yes
Underwater heart rate tracking No No
On-screen workout No No
Sport modes 39 39
BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY
Battery type Non-removable Li-ion battery Non-removable Li-ion battery
Battery capacity 472mAh 270mAh
Battery life Regular: 4 days, Standby:10 days+ Regular: 2 days, Standby:10 days+
Charging type WPC based wireless charging WPC based wireless charging
Charging time 1-2 hours 1-2 hours
Solar charging No No
PLATFORM PLATFORM PLATFORM
Chipset Exynos 9110 Exynos 9110
CPU Dual core 1.15GHz Dual core 1.15GHz
GPU
Operating system Tizen 5.5 Tizen 5.5
MISC MISC MISC
Companion app Samsung Gear app, Samsung Health App Samsung Gear app, Samsung Health App
Compatibility Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+
Payment system Samsung Pay Samsung Pay
Voice command Yes, Bixby Yes, Bixby
Find my phone Yes Yes
Box content Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Straps Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Straps

Which is The Difference?

Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm vs 46mm
The 46mm unit has a bigger display and longer battery life
Both sizes have the same appearance, the same 316L stainless steel frame paired with silicone straps. You also get a physical rotating bezel, touch-sensitive screen, and two physical buttons on both units. And in terms of activity tracking features, both sizes are the same.

Both the 42mm and 46mm also come with a 4GB storage capacity that allows for onboard music storage. You also get an NFC chip on both sizes that enable Samsung Pay. And there is a microphone and speaker on these two units that allows you to make and receive calls directly from the watch. Note that the LTE model of both sizes is a standalone smartwatch that can make and receive calls independent of a smartphone.

Now let’s take a look at the differences between the 42mm and 46mm units of the Galaxy Watch.

  • The 42mm unit is more compact
    The first difference you will spot between the 46mm and 42mm units is the size. The 42mm is more compact and weighs a little less than the 46mm unit. From my experience, the 46mm unit is quite heavy and bulky. Meanwhile, while the 42mm unit has a 20mm strap, the 46mm unit has a 22mm strap size.

  • The 46mm unit has a bigger display
  • As a result of the bigger case size, the 46mm unit has a bigger display than the 42mm unit. It has a 1.3 inches display size compared to the 1.2 inches of the 42mm unit.

  • The available colors are different
  • While the 46mm unit is available in black and silver colors, the 42mm unit is available in silver and rose-gold colors. The latter color is most likely a feminine color, and thus, makes the 42mm unit a better choice for women.

  • The 46mm unit has a longer battery life
  • The 46mm unit comes with a higher battery capacity than the 42mm unit, thanks to its bigger case size. As a result, I get about 3-4 days on average with the 46mm unit, while the 42mm averages about 2 days. In fact, compared to the 46mm unit of the Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic (46mm) has a shorter battery life of about 2 days despite having almost the same case size and a higher-end chip.

  • The 42mm unit is cheaper
  • As a result of the bigger display size and longer battery life, the 46mm unit is priced a little higher.

Which Size is Right For You?

Since we all have different wrist sizes, the right size for Mr. A might be too big for Mr. B. In that regard, you need to take a measurement of the width of your wrist and then compare it to the size of the watch. That way, you get a near-perfect fit on your wrist which is the idea behind the different sizes.

In other words, the 46mm unit will make a perfect fit for men and individuals with a moderate to fat wrist size, while the 42mm unit will be suitable for women.