For the next few months, Samsung is about to hold a unique monopoly on the Android smartwatch market. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the first watch to run the new Wear OS 3, and as such, it's the first Galaxy Watch with access to Google services and Android apps through Google Play. This will boost the app selection while still keeping Samsung's design flair (called One UI Watch) and finally give us a Wear OS watch that's sturdy and comfy, even on smaller wrists. I've personally been waiting years for a watch like this, and now only one question remains: Which Galaxy Watch 4 color do I buy?
This Watch 4 style perfectly matches the Phantom Green Galaxy Z Fold 3, but even if you're not grabbing one of those, this shade looks great with a wide variety of silicone, metal, and leather straps. Mix with brown leather for a natural look or almost any color silicone band for a more flashy presentation.
While the Phantom Green version of the Galaxy Watch 4 ends up looking black in many cases, there's also straight, basic black if you're not into the earthy look. Black allows the watch to look and feel more seamless between the screen and the casing, and because black goes with everything, you can use literally any band to spice things up.
If dark colors aren't for you, silver is the only 44mm color that sits on the lighter side of the spectrum. However, unlike the 40mm version, this one comes with a light gray band rather than pure white — pure white bands just beg the universe for stains — and the silver shell allows the red accent around the top button pop a little more.
If rose gold tints your world, this is the Galaxy Watch 4 (40mm) color to grab. It's also the only non-monochromatic 40mm color. Unfortunately, the included blush-colored band isn't doing it many favors, but you'd probably pick up a strap pack with more colors, anyway.
The beauty of black is its versatility. With the included matte black band and the brushed finish of the watch's casing, the Galaxy Watch 4 won't draw attention, but once you swap that band with a neon strap or pure white, it'll absolutely stand out. It's like a secret agent, except it won't attract villains.
If gold and rose gold have never been your jam, but you want something a little brighter and more fun than black, there's always good-old silver to the rescue. Since the Phantom Green is limited to the 44mm Galaxy Watch 4, this is actually the Watch 4 color I'm buying for myself. And I'm immediately buying colored bands for; seriously, Samsung, white??
I'm traditionally not a fan of black-colored technology since black is the absence of color and every product ever made comes in it. However, there's a reason black remains so popular: It goes with everything, and with the brushed look of the frame, it oozes sophistication.
The larger Silver Galaxy Watch 4 Classic features a brushed finish to its silver colorway that helps it subtly glow under the lights rather than shining like a beacon. It's a more understated look that should mesh well with a wide variety of bands and wardrobes while still standing out more than boring black.
This is not a duplication, I swear! Despite Samsung just calling it silver on both sizes of the Watch 4 Classic, you have a shiny but more scuff/smudge-prone silver on the 42mm model. So if you prefer the stainless look instead of the 46mm's brushed look, this is the colorway for you. But again, you'll want to snag a non-white band.
If you really want your Galaxy Watch 4 to stand out, consider this special edition version from popular Parisian fashion and music brand Maison Kitsuné. It comes with two special bands, a special-edition charger, and fun watch faces.
So many shades of silver
While it's no surprise that the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is only arriving in silver and black, it's actually not quite that simple. First, silver isn't just silver when it comes to the Classic: the 46mm Classic has the same softer, brushed look as the Galaxy Watch 4 silver, but the 42mm Classic has a brighter finish, which will reflect and shine brighter — for better or worse. Second, I despise when companies give different products the same name, especially a company like Samsung that just loves to get grandiloquent with product colors.
For actual colors, you'll have to go with the Galaxy Watch 4, which is fine because the Watch 4 is more streamlined (and affordable). I was really hoping the Phantom Green would be available for both sizes, but it's only available for the larger 44mm model. As someone who had the Green Galaxy Watch Active, I was hoping to keep the streak alive, but 40mm is the size that's more comfortable for my wrist. To that end, of the 40mm colors, Pink Gold is okay if you already lean toward that color in your phones — any Lavendar or Pink Samsung Galaxy S21 owners will have the watch match their camera module perfectly. That said, I've always preferred silver over gold, and so that's what I'm preordering for myself.
If you're buying the silver watch — in any size or style — I recommend grabbing a replacement strap or a strap pack with multiple colors. White and light gray look neat on a product listing, but they'll quickly show wear, sweat, and grime. I have a pack with 12 colors, allowing me to match my watch to my daily wardrobe or the season: purple around Halloween, red around Christmas, and blue around Independence Day. Third-party bands might not be sculpted around the watch edges as the first-party straps, but they come in so many more styles.
