A few years back, Samsung made a controversial move by ditching the rotating bezel on its Galaxy Watch series in favour of a more durable design. It seems that a course correction is in order, as multiple leaks point to a return of the bezel for the Galaxy Watch 6 series.
The regular and Pro variants of the Watch 6 will both reportedly get a slimmer bezel, although whether that’ll be the same size as the current model’s is unclear. Frequent leaker Ice universe has also claimed that the screen on the Watch 6 will be larger and have improved resolution compared to its predecessors.
In terms of software, the Watch 6 is set to feature a new Exynos W980 chip, which should provide a 10% power increase over the W920 chips in the previous two generations of the Galaxy Watch. This should help to improve battery life, especially for GPS-tracking activities that tend to eat up a lot of power.
At a more general level, the Watch 6 series is expected to have a wider selection of apps available than ever before. Google is already committing to rolling out updated versions of its YouTube, Google Maps and Messages apps, which should have fresher designs for Wear OS 3. Third-party app developers are getting on board, too, with new Tiles for Calm, Komoot, MyFitnessPal, Period Tracker, Sleep Cycle and Strava — all of which can now be launched directly from the watch’s display.
A couple of other notable tweaks to the Galaxy Watch’s software include new workout heart rate zones for more advanced real-time training feedback and support for watch face complications for Spotify (which means on-watch music playback is now more convenient than ever). The watch will also be able to detect falls, and it should be able to communicate with emergency services if its users have an irregular heart rhythm that could signal atrial fibrillation.
Finally, the Watch will now be able to act as a remote control for your phone when it’s connected via Bluetooth. You can use the Watch’s touchscreen to scroll through playlists, play music and even control your smartphone’s camera. It’s a useful little trick that will make it much easier to stay in touch with your phone when you don’t want to be glued to your arm.
While none of this will come to older Galaxy Watch models, it’s a good sign that Samsung is continuing to invest in its smartwatch ecosystem. That’s particularly important as its rivals have all been doubling down on fitness-focused software and hardware updates. The Galaxy Watch 6 is slated to go on sale later this month, but you can preorder one now. If you do, you’ll get $50 off when it launches later this month. That’s a pretty decent deal for an excellent smartwatch. More details on the Galaxy Watch 6 can be found here.