Galaxy Watch 5 Might Say Goodbye To A Popular Feature

Although it doesn't run one of the two major smartwatch platforms on the market, Samsung's smartwatches have been one of the most successful wearable lines, and that's partly thanks to the strength of the company's brand and marketing. That's also despite Tizen OS not having much support from the major apps and services that made smartwatches useful beyond functioning as simple timepieces and fitness trackers. One of the fan-favorite features of the Galaxy Watch, previously known as the Gear S, is a physical rotating bezel that can be used to control the watch. That mechanism briefly disappeared but later returned as a "classic" feature. Unfortunately, it might seem that things will be changing again, and the rotary bezel may actually be gone for good in the next iteration of Samsung's smartwatch.

To be fair, that rotary bezel was really more of a novelty, taking its inspiration from a similar mechanism found on most sports watches. While the Apple Watch adopted the crown as its physical control, Samsung opted for this bezel in order to set its smartwatches apart. Back then, the feature was new, quirky, and almost had a fidget toy feel to it, but it was far from just an embellishment. That rotary bezel also lets wearers scroll through options and content without tiring their fingers by swiping over and over again. You still have to tap the screen to perform actions since the side buttons don't perform that function, so it doesn't really save those who have to wear thick gloves. Still, it was a slightly better ergonomic tool, which is part of why it was well-loved by Galaxy Watch fans.

SamMobile pours some cold water over expectations about Samsung's next smartwatch. When the rotating bezel first disappeared, it returned as part of the "Classic" model of the Galaxy Watch. It's a bit ironic since the non-Classic model looked a bit more classy, but it was perhaps a subtle hint that this feature is considered a bit antiquated. Now the Samsung fan site is reporting that the Classic model might be retired and that the Galaxy Watch 5 later this year will come with only one model in various sizes. 

It's still unclear whether that means the rotary bezel will also be going away or if it will become a standard feature. Samsung has been using a touch-sensitive bezel for the past few years, so it does have an alternative already in place. Other than that, it almost sounds as if the Galaxy Watch 5 will be identical to the Galaxy Watch 4, at least in terms of features. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, however, is expected to get a bigger 572mAh battery, which should address many battery life concerns. That Pro model is also expected to come in only one size, while the "regular" model will reportedly have two size options.