Skip to main content

The Galaxy Watch 6 may fix one of the Galaxy Watch 5’s biggest mistakes

Samsung ditched its physical rotating bezel with the Galaxy Watch 5 series, and it was a change met with much dismay. But it seems like the feature is all set to return in the next iteration. The Galaxy Watch 6 Pro is said to sport a physical rotating bezel to interact with the device.

This news is according to Korean tipster SuperRoader. It is said that the next Pro smartwatch will bring back a physical rotating bezel to interact with the software. Further, the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro will also retain the focus on offering at least two-day battery life.

Related Videos
Exercise menu on the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

However, the regular Galaxy Watch 6 is likely to miss out on the feature, which would make the Pro model stand out from the non-Pro variant. It could also help Samsung make a design stride in the generational upgrade, rather than making it an iterating product.

In a world where most smartwatches look identical to each other, having an original design element like the physical rotating bezel is a big deal. With the Galaxy Watch 5, Samsung made a watch that looks indistinguishable from the competition. Earlier, I speculated that, like the 3D Touch on iPhones, maybe Galaxy Watch owners didn’t know about the existence of a physical rotating bezel, which led Samsung to drop the feature. If the company is bringing it back, it needs to market it in a better way than before, so Galaxy Watch 6 Pro owners actually know the feature is there.

Digital Trends contributor Nadeem Sarwar also speculated that the merger of Tizen and Wear OS might have made things tough for the rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch 5 series. This could have made it difficult for Samsung to create specific functionalities for each app on the Google Play Store. And instead of opting for per-app optimization, Samsung chose to omit it. But it looks like Samsung has figured out a way to keep the DNA of Galaxy Watches in the Watch 6 Pro.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is one of the most long-lasting Wear OS smartwatches on the market right now. It would be interesting to see if Samsung manages to make the battery life even better with the next upgrade. Apart from the return of the rotating bezel, not much is known about the upcoming Galaxy Watch 6 Pro. But for some Samsung fans, the prospect of the bezel returning is all they’ll need to jump aboard the hype train.

Editors' Recommendations

The Huawei Watch Ultimate looks like the perfect Apple Watch Ultra rival
The Huawei Watch Ultimate in Voyage Blue and Expedition Black themes.

See if you can guess which smartwatch Huawei wants to take on with its latest release. It’s called the Huawei Watch Ultimate, and it’s made to appeal to outdoorsy types, complete with comprehensive diving and expedition modes.

It has a really big screen and a big battery too. That’s right, the Huawei Watch Ultimate is an Apple Watch Ultra competitor — but don’t pass it by just yet, because it’s worth your attention.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: the 6 things that would make it amazing
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro showing a colorful watch face.

Samsung’s 2023 product lineup has turned out pretty impressive so far, but the more promising devices are scheduled for the latter half of the year. Among them is the Galaxy Watch 6 series. Now, the Galaxy Watch 5 line-up isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it also wasn’t really an appealing upgrade over the Galaxy Watch 4 portfolio.

With the Galaxy Watch 6 series, we’re already hearing some promising chatter in the leak land. Here’s a wish list of changes that would make the Galaxy Watch 6 series a truly tantalizing and potent alternative to the venerable Apple Watch.
Bring back the rotating bezel
Galaxy Watch 4 Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Read more
Apple Watch Series 9: the 6 biggest things we want to see
The Apple Watch Ultra with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch SE 2.

The Apple Watch Series 8 was a bit of a boring release for Apple’s wearable, as it wasn’t a huge upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 7; Apple seemed to spend more energy focusing on the Apple Watch Ultra instead. The only real upgrades for the Series 8 were the newer-generation S8 chip and a new body temperature sensor, though the use cases for that are pretty limited. But if you didn’t have a Series 7, then the Apple Watch Series 8 was still a great upgrade for those coming from older models.

We’re still a few months away from Apple revealing the next generation of Apple Watch with a Series 9 model, which is most likely coming sometime in the fall, along with the iPhone 15. But until then, here’s what I’m hoping Apple will put in the Apple Watch Series 9 when it finally comes out.
Nonintrusive blood glucose monitoring

Read more