A strange report comes from Samobile This week claims the Galaxy Watch may be back to its square root. This is still a rumor at the moment and we’re not sure if this will be the case with the Galaxy Watch 7 or if we’ll have to wait over a year to see it, but it has me excited! It’s a very good idea for Samsung to “copy” the design of the Apple Watch, and I put “copy” between quotes because we all know Apple didn’t invent this shape for a smartwatch.
Square and circle span time
Kaitlyn Cimino/Android Authority
Let’s turn the clock back 10 years. The first Samsung Galaxy Gear, Gear 2, and Gear Live were all square—well, rectangular, if we’re being pedantic. Likewise, many of the first Android Wear smartwatches were square. There was a time, around 2013 to 2015, when you could find a nice mix of round and square designs from LG, Asus, and Sony.
However, a transformation began. In my opinion, I can put it down to two important factors: The Moto 360’s iconic round design was universally loved and well-received, while the Apple Watch launched with a square design.
Android Watches use a round shape to differentiate themselves from Apple Watches, but they historically started out as square.
Over the years, the square design started disappearing from Android Wear and Wear OS watches. Until now, fewer and fewer models are equipped with it. There hasn’t been a square Wear OS watch (outside of China) in years. It’s as if Apple got an exclusive deal on the form factor while the Android Watch was flaunting itself. Let’s face it, for years, the circular design was Wear OS’s only real advantage over the Apple Watch.
It’s a matter of choice
Kaitlyn Cimino/Android Authority
What I love about the Android ecosystem is that it’s built on choice. Phones, tablets, TVs, cars, I can find what I want and so can you, even if our tastes and specs are completely different. So why not wear a watch too?
I’m not the only one who thinks so.We ask you, right here Android Authority, if you prefer round or square watches, you can also check them out on Twitter and YouTube. We got over 5,000 votes in total, and of course, 60% or more chose the round watch. However, 18-19% prefer a square design and about 20% don’t really care about the shape as long as the watch meets their needs.
One in five people like square shapes, which is not a small number. From a business perspective, it makes sense to offer these buyers another square design.
One in five people we surveyed preferred a square smartwatch shape. Samsung should give them the option to buy it.
Look, I’ve heard the eternal argument about round watches looking more like wristwatches a million times. I know, I’m not denying that a round shape is more in line with the style of a traditional mechanical watch and is easier to dress up or down. But if the square design is good enough for Cartier, Richard Mille and Hublot, it’s good enough for Samsung. And me.
But let me be clear. I’m not saying Samsung should switch all of its watches to a square design. But should it be an option? Yes, please!
Benefits of Square Design
Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
The advantages and problems of square vs. round designs have been discussed for years, but I want to highlight three clear advantages to me of the square watch shape.
For one, it allows watchmakers to fit more electronics inside. A smartwatch’s battery, chipset, and sensors are all rectangular, so putting them in a round watch is obviously an inefficient use of space.
Second, the text on the four corners of the square watch will not be cut off. This was the biggest frustration I had with the Google Pixel Watch 2 and Galaxy Watch 4 before. I have to center the text in the display to read it. Likewise, I have to center graphs (such as my step count or heart rate) in the display to view them fully. It’s almost like the top and bottom of the circle are only useful for the watch face, as I instinctively aim for the middle of the display (with my eyes and fingers) in any other app or menu. When I tested the Apple Watch, that wasn’t the case; the entire display was available and readable there.
When it comes to smartwatches, square shapes are stylish and very useful no matter how you look at them.
Finally, there is something called geometry, so bear with me as I explain it. By definition, a round watch is the same height as it is wide. For Samsung to make a round watch larger and cover the width of my wrist, it would have to make the watch wider and taller. Larger round watches will also become very wide. We see this with the new OnePlus Watch 2, for example.
Over time, we’ve also noticed that a larger circular display doesn’t always mean more text and information on the screen. When Samsung moved from a 1.4-inch display to a 1.5-inch display between the Galaxy Watch 5 and 6, it didn’t show more information in the extra 0.1 inches, it just showed the same content but slightly larger.
In contrast, a rectangular watch – and I’m using the correct mathematical term here – can get taller without getting wider. This way I have more screen real estate and the watch doesn’t look ridiculous on my wrist. Higher means more lines of text to read and more space for icons, menus, and options.
The closest analogy I can think of is: do you want to go back to a phone with a 16:10 display ratio like the original Galaxy Note, or would you rather see more content on a Galaxy S24 Ultra with a 19.5:9 display ratio ? I know what I will choose every time.
That’s why I’d like to see Samsung launch a square version of the Galaxy Watch 7. Not just Samsung, I’d like to see more smartwatch brands do the same. The square shape isn’t unique to Apple, Android Wear watches were the first to do it. So, let’s leave it as an option for people like me who don’t mind a sporty look.