Samsung’s next product launch is just around the corner, and we’re expecting a new flagship smartwatch to join the fray. Renders of the Galaxy Watch “Ultra” recently broke cover, offering a look at a smartwatch unlike anything Samsung has offered before. It boasts a different design with a more imposing “Ultra” aesthetic. While I’m a big fan of the leaked design, not everyone is selling it.
Of course, this is a surprising development given the growing hype for the return of a square Samsung watch to directly compete with the Apple Watch Ultra. However, I would argue that the combination of square circles, while questionable to some, offers more potential than square or round designs alone.
Ultra volume, ultra everywhere else?
While Samsung has experience with square watches, keeping the core experience of its flagship wearables similar is in the company’s best interest. That means keeping the round lens with the prized rotating bezel and consistent Wear OS interface in the Galaxy Watch family. It allows new users and older Galaxy Watch graduates to feel right at home.
However, there are limits to the homogeneity between generations of devices. Even as smartwatch design matures and packaging improves, finding space within the limited confines of a smartwatch body becomes more challenging. This is true of Samsung’s current circular disc design, as the Galaxy Watch 6 series offers no significant advantages over the Galaxy Watch 4 launched two years ago. This sophisticated design now offers diminishing returns.
The Ultra’s solution is its biggest point of contention: a stepped, square bezel that adds considerable bulk below the round dial. Yes, it looks clunky and rough, but it theoretically allows Samsung more space in and around the smartwatch without completely abandoning its reliable formula.
While it’s massive and brutal, this design theoretically allows Samsung more room for innovation without giving up its trusted formula.
That room, which is important, can be used for upgrades or new features, allowing Samsung more flexibility with packaging options.
Based on current rumors, it’s unclear if Samsung will actually maximize this design. However, immediately noticeable is the third “Quick Button” between the traditional two-key arrangement, which can offer programmable functionality similar to the action button on the Apple Watch Ultra. On the opposite edge, there are deep dual speaker notches, hinting at improved sound for alerts and calls on the device. A watch strap that aligns with the square body adds to the imposing aesthetic. Internally, there’s more room for additional or upgraded hardware or smarter cooling for more powerful chipsets.
If the Ultra suffix is here to stay, you’d expect it to offer buyers even more. This body shape provides a new platform for development.
Do you like the design of the leaked Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra?
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Are the compromises worth it?
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Every design has trade-offs, and the Ultra’s design is a trade-off between function and comfort. Of course, there are many things we still don’t know.
The watch can be surprisingly comfortable depending on the depth of the body and the revised mechanism of the watch strap. With a 47mm dial and a chunkier design, the Galaxy Watch Ultra may weigh more than the already hefty Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. However, the use of titanium in its construction can negate this somewhat.
I admit that larger watches are also more likely to break into environmental objects, wobble and move around on the wearer’s wrist during activity or general use, marginalizing those with smaller, more petite wrists. However, this can be a problem for a watch of any shape. This is not an inherent mark against this particular design.
Call me crazy, but I think this concept is anything but ugly. I’d say it’s pretty exciting.
So why offer a smartwatch with such a fancy design, especially considering the drawbacks? If you look past the questionable aesthetics, this design combines the best of square and round watches. I am all for innovation, provided that innovation introduces added value. The last three generations of Samsung smartwatches have offered iterative updates with few new additions, design departures and minor gains. The new body design offers more potential for new features and innovation without sacrificing the core identity of the Galaxy Watch line.
Call me crazy, but I think this concept is anything but ugly. I’d say it’s pretty exciting. Whether Samsung makes full use of it with the first edition of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is another story.
