Billboard Tests $379.99 Galaxy Watch9 at Brooklyn Concert, Cutting Phone Checks
Updated
Updated · Billboard · Sep 16
Billboard Tests $379.99 Galaxy Watch9 at Brooklyn Concert, Cutting Phone Checks
1 articles · Updated · Billboard · Sep 16
Summary
A Billboard writer wore Samsung’s $379.99 Galaxy Watch9 40mm Bluetooth model to a Charli xcx concert in Brooklyn to see whether it could reduce mid-show phone use.
The clearest benefit was quick wrist access to texts, notifications and time checks in a packed crowd, letting the phone stay in a pocket more often.
The 40mm watch pairs a 1.3-inch sapphire-crystal display with up to 3,000 nits of brightness and a 390mAh battery aimed at less frequent charging.
Concert movement also became a fitness test: the writer used the dance workout mode, while Samsung says the watch’s Fitness Index draws on VO2 max, BIA, heart rate, steps and activity data.
The takeaway was practical rather than transformative—the Galaxy Watch9 did not replace a phone, but it made a high-energy night out easier to manage.