Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic – I Bought It Anyway
Impulse purchase alert: I picked up a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic on Amazon. I’ve had my eye on this watch since I first got into Android wearables, but I never pulled the trigger. The price just didn’t feel right for older tech—until now. In 2025, I measure everything against the cost of groceries, and this was cheaper than my last grocery run. So here we are.
The Google Fi Situation
Before hitting the “Buy Now” button, I looked into how Google Fi handles smartwatches:
Here’s what I found:
Supported Galaxy watches start with the Watch 5 and newer.
LTE models are supported, but not for the Classic models. That includes the Watch 6 Classic I just bought, which means no standalone data plan.
Only one watch per plan is allowed.
Watch data only works in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—so there goes international use. (Though to be fair, my Apple Watch is the same way.)
So yeah, not ideal for the general use case I imagined, but I ordered it anyway. I went with the black 6 Classic LTE—not because I’ll use the LTE feature, but because it was the best model available refurbished. It cost me $120, around the same price as the newer Watch 7, just a year older and more my style.
Why Bother?
Honestly, I’m not expecting much. I just like the look of the Watch 6 Classic. I’ve always been drawn to its aesthetic, and this was the first time I found it at a price I could justify. I suspect the next model will drop later this year, and if I like it enough, I might trade this one in. Based on Samsung’s past trade-in promos, I could actually make back more than what I paid.
Back in 2022, I said the Apple Watch Ultra was my best tech purchase of the year—and I still stand by that. I love my Apple Watch. But I hate how much I’ve spent on bands, and the extra $10/month for cellular service is probably overdue for cancellation. The Apple Watch is a better full-time companion, no question.
However, the Android lifestyle unlock is flexibility and options
For better or worse, Apple’s products are tightly integrated and meant to be used only as they intend. There is only 1 Apple Watch (rather, 2 versions of the same thing). They are great, so no complaints about that.
However, the more open aspect of Android is interesting to explore. From the Pixel watches and Samsung 3 different models to OnePlus’s latest watch, there are several more options and styles to get there.
My current Android devices have physical SIMS and flexible data/cell plans, so I can own multiple devices and swap them out when I want. Watches follow this path as well.
The droid ecosystem excels in flexibility in many ways. I still have a Pixel 6 that I rarely use, but If I wanted to grab it for a second phone on a trip, I could just swap out the SIM.
Conversely, switching around my Apple stuff would require very large hoops to go through with one of the big 3 American carriers.
So on the eve of getting my second Android watch, which is secondary (tertiary?) to my main watch and will make my tech stack even less manageable and increase my decision fatigue motor even more, I’m still excited. Give me more things to stuff my drawers with, please.
