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As similar as the capabilities and functionalities of the best Galaxy Watches and Apple Watches out there have become in recent years, there's currently no danger of mistaking a Samsung timepiece for a wearable device from the tech giant's arch-rival or the other way around.
That's because each product family has its own distinctive design language fundamentally based on a different geometric shape. But now Samsung is looking to radically change the appearance of at least one of its upcoming smartwatches, which will bring this Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra closer to the Apple Watch lineup... in a way while still undoubtedly allowing it to easily stand out from any and all competitors.
That's primarily because the Watch 7 Ultra will apparently combine the signature round screen of its forerunners with an all-new square-shaped frame inspired (more or less) by devices like the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The end result of this... unconventional combination almost looks weirder in today's leaked renders than it sounds, but of course, "weird" is not always a bad thing in a massively crowded and incredibly competitive industry.
What's perhaps a little more worrying than the initial visceral reaction some of you might have to this Frankensteinian design is the alleged resulting thickness of 16.4mm. That's a big increase from the 10.9 and 10.5mm profiles of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Watch 5 Pro respectively, and if Samsung doesn't put that extra bulk to good use, we can definitely see a lot of prospective buyers changing their decision to a slimmer (and potentially lighter) device.
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For the time being, there are no words on battery capacity, but we do expect the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra to retain both the 1.5-inch display size and handy rotating bezel functionality of last year's Watch 6 Classic. That's certainly good news for folks who may have feared this presumably robust next-gen timepiece would take some of its cues from 2022's titanium-made Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which did not support rotating bezel features.
Other small tweaks and quite a few unanswered questions
If you can overcome the initial shock of seeing such an... unusual piece of wearable gear, you're likely to notice a third physical button sandwiched between the two that already reside on the side of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Even those two look different on the Watch 7 Ultra, while the all-new middle button is expected to replicate and perhaps even try to eclipse some of the Apple Watch Ultra's "Action" capabilities.
Moving on to the back of the upcoming timepiece, we see the health sensors arranged differently than on all previous Galaxy Watches, which may or may not have an effect on their functionality, accuracy, and reliability. Nothing new or vastly improved is tipped today in this department, although there's still a possibility that the Galaxy Watch 7 family will be able to track your blood sugar levels in addition to monitoring your temperature, blood oxygen, blood pressure, falls, and ECG.
The watch band also seems to be revised to more naturally "flow" into the body of the Watch 7 Ultra, which by the way we don't yet know if it's made from titanium, stainless steel, or another such super-premium material. It's not even entirely clear at the moment if Samsung plans to explicitly market this bad boy as a rugged alternative to the Apple Watch Ultra line, but for what it's worth, we do "know" that the speaker grills are larger on the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra than its predecessor.
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Any little change would be welcomed, of course, especially over an already well-reviewed and popular Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, but it remains to be seen if these small revisions and upgrades will offset what many Samsung fans are likely to consider... an uninspired design (to say the least).
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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