It's about time that we got new smartwatches from Samsung. The company has been working on a new lineup that we now know includes the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch 7 Ultra models. As it stands, the company is expected to unveil these devices at its Unpacked event on July 10, where it's also going to unveil the new foldable phones.
The Galaxy Watch lineup has been due for a design upgrade. The recent models have largely looked the same. Admittedly, there's only so much you can do, design-wise, on a device that is as small as a smartwatch. Samsung has made efforts over the years, fine-tuning and making adjustments while retaining the circular design that has made its smartwatches so popular.
Smartwatches came in all shorts of shapes back when the Galaxy Watch was trying to establish a footing in the market. Samsung made the conscious decision of choosing a circular shape, one that made it look like a conventional watch. Even though regular watches are also available in a wide variety of unique styles, it's the circular style that remains the most popular.
Evidently, the idea from the get-go has been to provide customers with a familiar look and feel while offering them functionality that one simply doesn't get on a conventional watch. Since the Galaxy Watch series went circular in its design language there haven't been very many significant changes, but that's now set to change.
The first leaked images of the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra show an entirely new design. It's a mix of squarish and circular, certainly unique as far as smartwatches are concerned, but the horologically-inclined would be quick to see the similarities between this design and that of some conventional watches, particularly those from Swiss watchmaker Panerai.
Panerai's smartwatches, particularly the Luminor series, is instantly recongizable because of its squarish and circular design. It's one of those few watch lineups that have retained their iconic design over decades. Others that come to mind include the Rolex Submariner, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus.
The Luminor watches from Panerai are well known for their cushion-like cases with a circular dial and a distinct bridge that protects the crown. If you look at these watches close enough, it's easy to see where some inspiration has been drawn from for the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra. Sure enough, Samsung's smartwatches haven't had a “crown” like the Apple Watch, but the addition of a new button in the center is as close to putting a digital crown on the smartwatch as Samsung has come.
It's not a bad thing that the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra seems to be inspired by an iconic watch lineup. On the contrary, I think that it will make watch lovers like myself gain more interest in smartwatches. For far too long, device makers have approached smartwatch design the same way as they have for smartphones and other products.
Watches are supposed to be far more evocative. They can be heirlooms passed in the family for generations, incredible works of mechanical engineering, pieces of jewelry decked out with the finest gems, and also signs of success.
Smartwatches may be able to do a lot more than a normal watch, but they've remained soulless products, devoid of the capability to foster any emotion or connection in users. They'll just get rid of the one they bought last year to get the latest one that's come out this year. You don't see many people doing that with an Audemars or a Patek.
That's not to say that the changes Samsung has made to the design of its new smartwatch puts it in the same league as those giants, but at least now it doesn't look like yet another cookie-cutter smartwatch. Ever since smartwatches took off it felt like regardless of the manufacturer, they were there to confine regular watches to the dustbin of history. There was a sense of arrogance about them, that since they could help keep the user connected 24/7, regular watches will have no place in the future.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra's inspiration appears to have been drawn from a place of respect. It doesn't seek to destroy an established order, rather, it pays homage to the centuries-old tradition of watchmaking that have given us some truly amazing designs.
I've said it before: the key to getting more regular watch users to buy a smartwatch is to make them look a lot more like conventional watches. Samsung has clearly seen that this approach works, its circular models have remained a customer favorite, so it's now kicking things up a notch and adopting a design language that's highly regarded among the watch lover community.
It's as if the new smartwatch from Samsung is striking a balance between being unapologetically tech-forward with a new chipset, larger display, and improved battery life, while being respectful of the conventional watch industry. I imagine that a lot more regular watch owners will look at the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra and want to buy one, because it provides them with a chance to experience something new on something that doesn't look too foreign.
I know I will. I've been literally craving this smartwatch ever since the leaked renders surfaced online. Will others feel the same way? Only time (pun intended) will tell.
