Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm Cellular
VerifiedMPN: SM-R805FZSAXSA24 reviews
Software needed updating, good connectivity, short battery life – This is a review for the Samsung Galaxy Watch, model number SM-R805F (46mm and with 4G/LTE/Cellular) - just making it clear because of the plethora of names and confusing designations for the Samsung watches. As an example, apparently the successor to this watch was the Galaxy Watch 3, but there was no Galaxy Watch 2 .... who knows why. I… Read more
obtained this watch in late 2019. I understand that it was released in August 2018, but perhaps not in Australia at that time. I asked for it for a very specific reason - I swim daily at a public pool and wanted something to track laps and I also needed access to calls, emails and texts but I didn't want to take any of my phones to the pool because of the risk of theft. Given that this watch has an e-SIM I'd have access to phone calls, texts and emails, and it could stay on me when I was swimming. I'm also in the Samsung phone ecosystem so connecting it to my phone hasn't been a problem. Paying for things with it has worked most of the time.
I really only use it for counting laps when swimming and I don't access or use any of the other data that people use for training, like heart rate or SWOLF. I just want to get my target distance in the target time. It also automatically tracks my bike trips - I do a lot of long-distance rides - but again, whilst I'm not drilling down into it for performance stats, it is useful to see distance and time spent.
So, given that usage I was initially very, very disappointed with it as it simply didn't track laps accurately, which should've been a simple task. I did some research on-line and discovered that there had been a lot of very similar complaints when it was first released. Apparently Samsung had then done a software update and the problems went away for most users. Despite that update, my watch had the same problems. As an attempt to resolve my issues I uploaded the software patch - and my watch started working perfectly. A night and day difference really. It then became obvious that my watch had never been updated with the new software - was it from an earlier batch? Did they not update the production line with the new software? Who knows, but either way my watch had never had the new software loaded even though it had been available for some time. With the new software it not only tracked laps accurately it also didn't get confused by a change in swimming stroke, which is apparently an issue for some swim trackers.
I much prefer this to the Apple watches since it actually looks like a watch and the rotating bezel is a good way to operate it. It's also pretty durable. Taking calls on it actually works well but you do look like an idiot with your wrist pressed to your ear and then moving it to your mouth - very Dick Tracy, for anyone who's old enough to remember him. I'll look into getting some ear buds to pair with it.
The real problem with this watch is the very short battery life - it barely lasts a day and has to live on the charger. I recently took it on holiday and by the time I pulled it out of my luggage to use it was flat. As it turns out, it also only charges on the charger and you can't just use the USB cord that plugs into the charger - I should've realised that, but it's something to keep in mind if you're travelling with it.
So, where to from here? Having a phone connection on my wrist has actually been very useful on a couple of occasions when people needed to contact me urgently. Some of the Garmin watches have solar charging and can run for up to 70 days - if there was a 4G/LTE watch that combined that kind of battery life - or even just a couple of weeks- with the 4G/LTE connectivity - and also counted swimming laps - then I'd be keen to buy it.
do not waste your money – watch is supposed to be waterproof. first time in the shower it was full of water. took it back to JB and was told warranty does not cover water damage because there is a hairline crack in the case. i know i have always looked after the watch . never dropped or had it impacted, otherwise. poor quality and even worth after service. Show details
Samsung pay on galaxy watch only works intermittently – Bought watch from Telstra may 2020. I was really looking forward to walking out the house with just my watch, no handbag and be able to buy a cup of coffee. No can do with pay feature only working on my watch at best 50 percent. Very disappointed as was one of the main features for me. Haven't bothered taking it back but has turned me off samsung.
Poor performance with Samsung pay and Strava – Bought this watch in late November hoping to use it with Strava for rides, and Samsung pay for credit card transactions. Unreliable with Strava and autopause feature was inconsistent(stayed autopaused despite moving kms). Samsung pay worked 20% of the time with "Bad Card Read", and "Multiple cards Detected". Took it back early January for… Read more
assessment and detected a hardware problem, so changed the circuit board , back and battery. Only the screen remained as original. I would have thought replacement would have been the best as the device was just over 30 days old - no option, not even a call! It was a lemon After repair Strava still has problems, and on a ride last weekend, auto paused and then stopped recording altogether. Samsung pay is better but "Bad Card Read" common. I have to resort to paying with my S20 for payment on the same device, and it works instantly, without a problem. I have always been a big fan of Samsung, and happy with my now fourth phone, but this watch is not of the same standard. Don't buy this watch if you want to go out and expect to use Samsung pay, without a backup as you will stand there embarrassed, while people around you seamlessly use Apple pay. Don't buy this watch if you use it for Strava, unless you have a backup, like your phone or Garmin, as it may fail. Wish Samsung would tell you if it is a model specific problem, as I would happily pay for an upgrade to a more reliable model, rather than tolerating this one, and having to compromise. Disappointed!
Lemon - waste of money – Purchased from JB HiFi. Came well recommended. Have had it in for repair under warranty twice: first time for glitching (screen would turn multiple colours & be completely unreadable, then watch face would double in size so that you could only partially read it). Heart rate monitor regularly fails - even after following cleaning of sensor as… Read more
requested. Latest issue: watch would be fully charged and turned on, but could not get screen to activate by motion, or by pushing buttons. Took it back again (gone for 2 weeks assessment....again) to be told there is nothing wrong with it. Customer service centre (outsourced overseas) is very hard to deal with and description of issues are often lost in translation. Very disappointing to be told that I would be contacted by Samsung 'VOC' - Voice of customer -Team to look into refund / replacement (as promised by customer service agent)....nothing but crickets !! Calls to the Customer Service line are supposed to be recorded - but they have no records of assurances that were made. This is an expensive watch that fails to deliver and has fallen short on many levels....it simply appears to be a Lemon. Spend your money on something that is reliable.
Not really what I was looking for in a watch – I only purchased this watch because my old digital watch ran out of battery, and I thought it would be worth giving it a try. I've found that I don't use a majority of the features like the fitness tracking and the notifications because I find them annoying. About the only notifications I used is the email/text/call notifications. Having to… Read more
recharge the watch is annoying too, you never need to do this with a regular watch. This smart watch now resides in my bedside table where it will stay, and I will be getting the battery in my old watch replaced.
We're sorry to hear of the troubles you're experiencing… Read more (+1 reply)
best looking smartwatch but not very smart – i definitely like the design. It is light, stylish and not bulky like other brands. HOWEVER, lt lacks of exercise. I am an ocean swimmer and can not use it in open water. Battery is definitely below standard. Not happy Show details
We're sorry to hear you're not a fan of your Samsung… Read more
Heart rate monitor doesn't work as claimed, sent it back to Samsung twice with no change. It's a dud – I wanted a watch that monitors heart rate during a workout. Samsung claimed this watch "will measure heart rate continuously during a workout". It only records random irregular readings, sometimes nothing, and I have proven it to Samsung!! I have sent it back to Samsung twice & nothing has changed, now Samsung won't reply to my emails. I feel… Read more
cheated, their is an absolute lack of support and are ignoring the malfunction issue. Don't buy if you require a reliable constant heart rate sensor.
Samsung have contacted me by email asking many questions and some suggestions. I have answered… Read more (+4 replies)
One of my life’s true regrets was buying this watch – Have had this watch for about 2 weeks and it has been nothing but a nightmare. Firstly I have to say I am using it with an iPhone 11 and not a Samsung phone. So the Cellular features don’t work, but that’s not my main concern at the moment. It doesn’t always detect the wrist movement to turn the face on, so I’m having to use two hands to tell… Read more
the time which is terrible!
It locks up every second or third call that I get and answer through my phone. The watch just keeps saying there is an incoming call and it will not stop. I have to turn it off and back on.
The pairing process is absolutely horrendous and it needs to be paired as two separate devices to activate some features such as notifications on the watch. But every time it restarts, one of those pairings doesn’t reconnect and I need to remove it and add it which doesn’t always work first time. Considering how often I have to turn it off and back on due to the previous issue I mentioned, this is doing my head in!!
Battery life lasts two days of standard use (no GPS activities) which i think is reasonable.
But at this stage I think I have wasted my money on a $700 lemon.
Shame on you Samsung!!
I’m really sorry to hear of the experience you've had so… Read more
Watch not working and warranty denied – My watch was 14 months old and overheated when charging. There was no physical damage to the case indicating I had dropped it. After examination by Samsung, they found a hairline crack in the heart rate sensor which had let water in and therefore they claimed it was my fault for damaging the watch somehow, despite there being no damage on the case… Read more
to indicate this. They advertise this watch as being designed to military specs and being tough, waterproof and rugged. My experience would indicate otherwise. Samsung refused to replace the watch under warranty and despite my local Qld Office of Fair Trading agreeing with me that the watch was either defective or not up to its advertised specifications, Samsung Australia has simply refused to honour the warranty. This is despite us being on our 8th Galaxy phone, a Samsung TV and tablet. I'm about to buy a new TV and two new phones and on principle, they will not be a samsung as they simply refused to warrant what appears to be a design fault. A quick google search shows this a common problem.
We're very sorry to hear of the negative experience… Read more (+2 replies)
Not happy not worth – Battery drains very quickly Step counting is not proper at all. I bought this watch for swimming activities. It does not have open water functions and it doesn’t measure swim pool properly.
Hey there, I’m really sorry to hear of the experience… Read more
Absolute POS – I have had this watch for about 18 months now. I was really excited to get it when I first bought it. It is by far an absolute piece of SH!T. I set it on goodnight mode when I am sleeping, yet when it is on the charger it wakes me up multiple times each night by lighting up the screen and vibrating to tell me it is charged or just because it feels… Read more
like it?! Weird to say the least. As for calls, even when it is on silent and connected to my Samsung Galaxy note 9 by bluetooth which is on silent also, (not do not disturb by the way just to be clear), I miss important calls constantly as it does not alert me or vibrate at all. Last time it updated, I lost all my text message history on my watch, I took it to samsung and they lost my back up and made matters worse. I needed to repair again as a new watch and reinstall everything manually all over again. Every time I enter a new suburb it vibrates and displays the weather for that location, even though I have weather alerts turned off! I went away from Apple as they make you buy everything from them and use iTunes for all everything. If you want a watch that annoys the F out of you every moment with trivial Sh!T and not alert you for calls this is the watch for you! Do yourself a favour and avoid Apple and Samsung phones and watches at all costs, absolute rubbish the pair of them!
Sorry to hear of the issues you are experiencing with… Read more
Adds and privacy concerns – It should be noted. And this is a very valid point, which prompted me to return the Samsung Smartwatch.. Basically, Samsung health has adds! This is how Samsung developed, you purchase a AU$450 watch and the primary app has in add offers! I complained in the Playstore, and Samsung half assed passed the blame stating, ' maybe call us if your… Read more
health app has add' IT DISPLAYS the add disclaimer in the Play store! Nothing to do with my clean vanilla android.
2nd the wear app, the Samsung connector require all these conditions to be met if you do not allow all 7 the wear will not connect. They are: FULL ACCESS TO: call logs, call history, contacts, SMS, storage, photos, calendar.
Cannot turn off and simply use GPS and toggle music while on a run.. as the above condition of not allowing something as mundane as call logs, the phone stops syncing and access to the wear APK if prohibited.. So I've decided to use my oneplus7pro with open source GPSX software, and couldn't be happier!
Last up is the alarm app, you must choose from the built in horrible alarm tones, it's not possible to select an mp3, unlike the call app...
Rubbish watch!
I do apologise for the experience you've had so far with… Read more
Find out how Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm Cellular compares to other Smart Watches / Fitness Trackers
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Worst smart watch I have owned – Ive been holding off reviewing this watch hoping Id grow to love it because lets face it, its bloody expensive. I normally research the crap out of my tech purchases but was in love with the 46mm Galaxy and didnt look into it enough. I purchased the cellular version as I wanted to jog and leave my phone at home. I was caught out by the fact the… Read more
cellular version doesnt take a sim but has a virtual sim. My phone is a company supplied one so the plan doesnt allow the watch be synced to it. My backup plan was to use a sim in my tablet with a 10gb plan that doesnt leave the home but being a virtual sim I cant use that and since its a data plan not a phone plan it wont sync either so all the great features I purchased this phone for like Apple Pay, taking a call when the phones in another room, and using jogging apps are not available to me. My fault for not asking more questions I guess! What has disappointed me the most with my new brick is it has completely died 3 times. Replaced the first time as it was within the first 30day (fought really hard with Telstra for that consumer right though)and its been repaired twice (new motherboard and new battery) Speaking of batteries, the other thing I read was great with this model - I get 2.5 days tops out of it. My most recent watch is a Garmin Forerunner 235 (middle of the road Garmin and half the price) which outlasts the Galaxy and is far more accurate for steps and heart rate. In fact the heart rate monitor on this watch is abysmal - it needs to be an inch up your arm to work and the issue there is, call me a freak but my arm tapers off toward my wrist and thats where the watch tends to sit strangely enough. Also, the sleep tracking is the stuff of fiction. It will record a full 9 hr sleep when you have had a shocking sleep. Basically I would not recommend this watch to anyone. Very sexy but useless. It gets worn only when I go out on weekends as the stats are far more accurate on the Garmin and its more robust. The only plus is the shop staff are great and turn around was next day and two days for my repairs but lets face it - its a top of the Wazza model and shouldnt die 3 times in 3 months. It appears theres quite a few hoops to jump through to get your money back so it looks like Ive just blown my money on a dud but dont make the same mistake.
Hi Steve. I apologise for the experience you've had with… Read more (+1 reply)
Great Watch – Got this watch in July and it has been great, its easy to use great connectivity and capabilities. I like the sleep tracker because i do have a lot of trouble sleeping so i like to see how I'm actually sleeping. Show details · 1
Not accurate – Steps are not being counted accurately and no open water feature..bought it on jbhifi and returned straight away. Looks good but not reliable and battery life is poor..definitely needs improvement Show details
Hi Alex. I do apologise for the issues you are currently… Read more
Fantastic watch – Great watch, have been looking for a watch for some time and obviously tried some ( wish ) watches that failed. So i bit the bullet and went for the Samsung. Very impressed. Connected via bluetooth to my phone i can view emails, phone calls and text messages. The average time before charge is 3 days ( depending on how long you use it). From… Read more
Samsung health, tracking your every step to sleep tracker the Samsung watch has not disappointed. I have purchased a SS band as i do find i am gettting a little rash from the silicon band but thats the only problem i find :)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm Cellular – So after been a Apple nut for 10 plus years , i made the change to Samsung 2 weeks ago first the phone and now the watch . The Samsung galaxy watch looks like a Watch its round like watches should be , it works fantastic. The Watch face and app store has so much to offer , there are 1000 or more watch faces to use and customice to whatever you… Read more
desire. It works flawless , everything is so easy to use . Thank you Samsung for making such a great timepiece
Limited apps due to Tizen OS – This is a very good smartwatch. The screen is great, as you'd expect from samsung, it's not overly bulky, and the rotating bezel is a pleasure for navigating with. I haven't installed many additional apps, as they are pretty much useless to me, and haven't gotten much use from the cellular aspect, as I do not pay for the service needed through a… Read more
telco. If you're a user who is always in range of your phone, then getting the cellular version is a waste of money. Other than this, the watch is a treat. It vibrates when you become out of range with your phone; which has saved me from misplacing / leaving my phone behind a few times.
Really disappointed – This watch is a waste of time. I feel I have been misled into buying this watch by its "Galaxy" name. My galaxy 9 plus runs on android but this watch instead runs on some unknown tizen platform that has very little support with apps and functionality. No whatsapp, no google maps, no android, plus a whole lot of other apps that i have on my phone are not stored. Paid $650 for something I feel should be worth closer to $100 from ebay. Show details
Hi Murat, thanks for providing your open and honest… Read more
Mixed bag - good watch – This would be a 5 star rating, and is a great smart watch. I however have had issues with floor count and this leaves a bit of sour taste in my mouth. Despite a widely reported issue of fluctuating floor counts (where I do 120 floors one day and 0 the next - despite similar activity levels), samsung has ignored this problem. Show details
I've had a few wearable's now but this by far ticks all the boxes for me – I first had a Note 9 then the S10 plus, with both phones the watch is the perfect companion. It's even come in super handy on a few occasions when I did not have my phone with me and I could take an important call. Super happy with build quality and features. Show details
Alright in most areas - but the overheating!! – Bought in November 2018. Since the first week this watch gets hot on my wrist almost every second day, then gives a warning beep with an error of 'watch overheated, will shut down' or similar. After a month or 2 of that I'd had enough and took it back to Telstra. They sent it to Samsung. Samsung says 'nothing wrong with it'. I have it back… Read more
for 2 weeks now and the same thing is happening. Contacted Samsung direct and they just don't seem that interested. The person at Samsung seemed like she was just going through the motions and didn't care, and wasn't very helpful. A quick check on google found that this was a problem with the previous model and is a known issue with some of the latest models the same as mine too. Spent over $600 on something that is just mediocre - not a nice feeling. It's not like I want much - just the product I bought to work that's all and not feel like it's burning my arm every second day.
Hi Juz, we are very sorry to hear about your experience… Read more (+1 reply)
Not water Resistance – I bought my watch in Dec 2018 and after my first swim I realized it behave strangely so I took it off my wrist and put that in my swimming bag. Once I arrived home it was stuck in "Galaxy Watch rebooting" mode! I contacted Samsung Customer Care, booked a time and hand over my phone for inspection. What surprised me was the feedback from call… Read more
centre saying I can only swim in PURE water !! When I asked what is classified as PURE they said "not salted nor chloroformed water", which in my opinion is the 99% of the places I swim. In short from my perspective this means I cannot swim with this watch which was one of the main reason I bought the watch for.
Hi Madhi, we are very sorry to hear about your experience… Read more
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