The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series is rumored to bring back the much-loved rotating bezel that was an integral feature of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, but was inexplicably dropped with the Galaxy Watch 5 last year. The feature was originally introduced with the Galaxy Gear S2 in 2015, and was part of every subsequent Galaxy Watch generation until 2021. Samsung is expected to launch its Galaxy Watch 6 series later this year as an upgrade over last year's Galaxy Watch 5. The new lineup will compete with the Pixel Watch and the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 that is expected to debut later this year.
The rotating bezel in Samsung's older Galaxy watches allows users to navigate the user interface without touching the screen. However, with the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro, Samsung ditched the physical rotating bezel in favor of a haptic technology that critics say isn't nearly as distinctive as the tactile version. While Samsung fans were disappointed by the company's decision to do away with the rotating bezel in the Galaxy Watch 5, a new YouTube video by South Korean tipster Super Roader claims the much-loved feature is all set to make a comeback in this year's Galaxy Watch series.
Rotating Bezel Making A Comeback In The Galaxy Watch 6?
According to the video, the feature will only be available in the 'Pro' model, meaning the vanilla Galaxy Watch 6 buyers will have to make do with the haptic version like the current models. Still, the reintroduction of the rotating bezel will be a step in the right direction, and would suggest that the company is listening to feedback from its customers. Other brands have also made similar U-turns in the past following customer pushback, like OnePlus bringing back the alert slider in OnePlus 11 after ditching it in the OnePlus 10T.
Like the reintroduction of the alert slider in the OnePlus 11, bringing back the rotating bezel in the Galaxy Watch 6 Pro would also be a welcome step, and one that could justify a hefty price difference with the regular model. One of the main complaints against the Galaxy 5 Pro is that it doesn't have enough features to justify the substantial premium over the regular model, but Samsung is likely looking to address that complaint with the rotating bezel this year. While that alone won't be enough to justify the 'Pro' moniker and a bigger price-tag, Samsung will likely add other goodies that could make the Watch 6 Pro much more lucrative than the vanilla model, especially if it is priced sensibly.
In terms of what else to expect from the Galaxy Watch 6 series, a recent report from Dutch tech blog GalaxyClub claimed that both versions of the vanilla model will get bigger batteries than their predecessors. While the 40mm model is said to get a 300mAh battery instead of 284mAh in the Watch 5, the 44mm variant will reportedly get a 425mAh unit instead of 410mAh. All things considered, the Galaxy Watch 6 is shaping up to be an interesting upgrade over the Watch 5.
Source: Super Roader/YouTube