Samsung’s strange Watch Ultra design could be a positive compromise

Samsung’s next product launch is just around the corner, and we expect a new top-end smartwatch to join the fray. Renders of the Galaxy Watch “Ultra” recently broke through the cover, offering a glimpse of a smartwatch that looks nothing like what Samsung previously offered. It features a different design with a more imposing ‘Ultra’ aesthetic. While I’m a big fan of the leaked design, not everyone is sold on it.

Certainly, it’s a surprising development given the growing hype for the return of a square Samsung watch that can compete directly with the Apple Watch Ultra. However, I argue that the combination of square circles, while questionable to some, offers more potential than square or round designs alone.

While Samsung has experience with square watches, it’s in the company’s best interest to keep the core experience of its flagship wearables similar. This means the round lens with the prized rotating bezel and a consistent Wear OS interface will be retained across the Galaxy Watch family. This allows new users and older Galaxy Watch graduates to feel right at home.

However, there are limits to homogeneity between device generations. Even as smartwatch design matures and packaging improves, finding space within the limited confines of a smartwatch’s body becomes more challenging. This applies to Samsung’s current circular disc design, as the Galaxy Watch 6 series offers no significant advantages over the Galaxy Watch 4 released two years earlier. This refined design now offers diminishing returns.

The Ultra’s solution is the biggest point of contention: a stepped, square frame that adds significant bulk beneath the round dial. Yes, it looks chunky and brutal, but it theoretically gives Samsung more space inside and around the smartwatch without completely abandoning the familiar formula.

That space, more importantly, can be used for improvements or new features, giving Samsung more flexibility with its packaging options.

Based on current rumors, it’s unclear whether Samsung will actually maximize this design. What’s immediately noticeable, however, is the third “Quick Button” among the traditional two-button setup, which could offer programmable functionality similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s action button. On the other side are deep dual speaker slots, suggesting improved audio for alerts and calls on the device. A watch strap that sits flush with the square body adds to the imposing aesthetic. Internally there is more room for additional or upgraded hardware or smarter cooling for higher-performance chipsets.

If the Ultra suffix is ​​here to stay, you’d expect it to offer buyers even more down the road. This body shape offers a new platform on which you can develop.

Every design has compromises and the Ultra’s design is a trade-off between functionality and comfort. Admittedly, there is a lot we don’t know yet.

The watch can be surprisingly comfortable depending on the depth of the body and the revised watch strap mechanism. With a 47mm watch face and a sturdier design, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could weigh more than the already hefty Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. However, the use of titanium in the construction could negate this somewhat.

I agree that larger watches are also more likely to be bumped into objects in the environment, rock and move around a user’s wrist during activity or general use, marginalizing watches with smaller, smaller wrists. However, this can be a problem for a watch of any shape. It is not an inherent feature of this particular design.

So why offer a smartwatch with such a contrived design, especially considering the drawbacks? Looking beyond the questionable aesthetic, this design combines the best of square and round watches. I am in favor of innovation, provided that the innovation delivers added value. Samsung’s past three smartwatch generations have offered iterative updates, with few new additions, design deviations, and negligible gains. The new case design offers more opportunities for new features and innovation without sacrificing the core identity of the Galaxy Watch line.

Call me crazy, but I find this concept anything but ugly. I’d say it’s quite exciting. Whether Samsung makes full use of this with the first edition Galaxy Watch Ultra is another story.