And we could also lose one of the best hardware features
Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Watch4 series, which many consider to be the best Android smartwatches ever. It’s safe to say that this year’s successor has a lot going for it, especially with a potential Pixel Watch awaiting. A new rumor points to a major rebranding of these gadgets, but it could be accompanied by the loss of one of the Galaxy Watch’s best features.
According to SamMobile, the “classic” branch of the Galaxy Watch is dead, and the Galaxy Watch 5 is expected to be available in standard and “pro” models. This rumor is in line with an earlier report by the site that found a Pro model with a larger battery in development this year. Ditching the Classic branding could help buyers differentiate between models, especially if the Pro version has a larger battery and other prosumer features.
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We don’t quite know what these two lines will bring to the table, though. According to reports, the base Watch5 will come in two sizes, while the Watch5 Pro will remain in only one size. It also comes with a new version of One UI running on Wear OS 3. In other words, don’t expect another I/O overhaul to Google’s wearables platform in a few weeks — after all, other third-party devices are still waiting to be upgraded.
Unfortunately for fans of the Galaxy Watch4 Classic, there’s some bad news in today’s rumors. The rotating bezel around the screen is one of its best features, perfect for scrolling through the interface without covering the display. Unfortunately, it may disappear with the Watch5 Pro. SamMobile is careful to point out that it’s not certain it will ever leave the series for good, but it’s certainly not a rumor wearable fans want to hear. While the standard Galaxy Watch4 does use a capacitive bezel to replicate the same commands, it’s not the same.
We expect the Galaxy Watch5 series to launch later this summer. Until then, there’s plenty of time for a new leak.
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