The world of smartwatches is divided between two types of companies: those who believe that screens should be square and those who believe that screens should be round. This dilemma is based on how companies see and understand the smartwatch business.
Interestingly, when Samsung entered the smartwatch market in 2013, it launched the Galaxy Gear with a square 1.6-inch display. But since the debut of the original Galaxy Watch, they have stuck to circular displays, almost all Android models are circular, imitating the original watch design.
Now, rumors suggest that Samsung might be willing to change things up again, considering a square design for its future Wear OS watch.
Return to square design, as Apple has been doing for a decade
SamMobile reports that Samsung is considering returning to a square design for its smartwatches, similar to its old Galaxy Gear. Apparently, the “idea is being enthusiastically considered internally and the change is very likely to happen”.
The report is lacking in other details, and there is no clarity on whether we could see this change in the Galaxy Watch 7 series by the end of this year or wait for future models. If Samsung had planned such a drastic design change for its Galaxy Watch 2024 lineup, it would have already leaked.
Given the lack of rumors, let’s stay calm about the possibility of the Galaxy Watch 7 coming with a square screen, no matter how much we may want it.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch smartwatches are known for their rotating circular bezel, which makes it easy to navigate through the user interface and long lists. However, if the company adopts a square display for its future Wear OS watches, it is unclear how it will implement the rotating bezel.
Samsung will also have to optimize One UI Watch for the style change of the screen, as the skin is currently optimized for circular screens.
Apple has been using a square screen on the Apple Watch for years. Compared to a circular screen, a square one can display more information and makes typing easier. Undoubtedly, depending on how you approach the smartwatch, one design is much more optimal than the other.