KAZUKIN has used the Galaxy Watch SM-R800 for many years.
It is KAZUKIN's only smartwatch.
It was released in 2018. Before I knew it, we've been together about eight years.
Eight years.
I've used a smartwatch—the kind of digital device you'd expect to replace in a few years—for eight years.
Maybe it's not the watch that's smart, but KAZUKIN, who kept using it without replacing it.
I chose Galaxy Watch over Apple Watch
When I bought it, Apple Watch was of course among the candidates.
But at the time KAZUKIN was using a Galaxy as his main phone rather than an iPhone.
And another big factor was battery life.
I just couldn't get used to a watch you charge every day.
“You charge a watch every day?”
That feeling was strong, and in the end I chose the Galaxy Watch SM-R800.
As a result, I think the choice was quite a good one.
Still perfectly usable after 8 years
About eight years since purchase.
No major failures, and it works normally even now.
Of course the battery has weakened compared with when it was new.
Even so, it still lasts a full day easily.
With KAZUKIN's usage, there's almost no trouble in daily life.
An eight-year-old smartwatch is still ticking normally on my wrist.
Pretty impressive, isn't it?
...But there is one problem here.
Eight years of use, and I haven't mastered it
The truth is, despite eight years of use, KAZUKIN
still doesn't understand any particular way to use the Galaxy Watch.
The main use is as a watch.
Occasionally I change the watch face design.
That's it.
The need for it to be a smartwatch becomes a bit questionable.
To be fair, being able to check notifications like email on my wrist is convenient.
I can see the content just by looking at my wrist, without taking out my phone.
That is indeed smart.
But convenient features sometimes bare their fangs.
An email arrives.
Buzz.
A notification from an app.
Buzz.
An announcement I don't need to know right now.
Buzz.
“No, you don't have to tell me that right now.”
Information floods in from my wristwatch.
Of course I could tidy up which apps notify me.
I only need to adjust the settings.
I know.
I know, but setting it up is a hassle, so it's stayed the same for eight years.
A person using a smartwatch who is not smart at all.
Still, no reason to replace it
As for this Galaxy Watch SM-R800, there is currently no strong reason to replace it.
It works as a watch.
I can change the watch face.
Notifications arrive.
The battery still lasts a day.
And above all, it has kept working for eight years without major trouble.
Looking at the latest models, features and performance have surely advanced greatly.
But in KAZUKIN's case,
I'm not even using up the features I already have.
Would I use the latest features if I added them?
...Probably not.
Thinking about it that way, the SM-R800 is still enough.
Swapping to a blue strap, the Galaxy Watch keeps working on KAZUKIN's wrist today too.
Not the latest.
Not mastered.
Even so, it hasn't broken in eight years and does its duty as a watch every day.
Tools like this are nice, right?
Galaxy Watch SM-R800.
Still going strong.
設定？・・面倒でそのままです
KAZUKIN Rating
- 🔋 Battery life in year eight — ★★★★☆ (lasts a full day)
- 🛠️ Durability with no trouble for eight years — ★★★★★
- ⌚ Ability as a watch — ★★★★☆
- 📳 Quietness of notifications — ★☆☆☆☆ (buzz, buzz, buzz)
- 😅 Smartwatch mastery — ★☆☆☆☆ (main use is telling time)
This article is a personal opinion and record of use. KAZUKIN LAB has no relationship with Samsung or Apple. I'm just a gadget-loving customer. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
The illustration is an image based on KAZUKIN's experience. It may differ from real stores and products. It is not an official manufacturer image.