Samsung is only a few weeks away from its next big Unpacked event, so it’s natural for the leaks to start seeping through. Previous leaks have exposed what the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Flip 6 phones are expected to look like, while Samsung has jubilantly showcased the Galaxy Ring multiple times.
Now, it’s time for the watches, with a new design leak revealing the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra — a new variant that will launch alongside the standard Galaxy Watch 7 and the cheaper Watch 7 FE. And the design sure is something.
The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra’s leaked design comes courtesy of trusted leaker OnLeaks and Smartprix. The Watch 7 Ultra, which replaces the earlier Pro and Classic distinctions, comes with a squarish dial, departing from the otherwise circular design of the previous several generations and variations of the Galaxy Watch.
The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra inarguably differs from the Apple Watch or the Watch Ultra’s square design and perfectly straight edges (save the rounded corners). The Watch 7 Ultra, instead, qualifies as a squircle (a squarish circle), which appears to be an attempt to forge a distinct identity. Interestingly, the design is reminiscent of the Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch launched more than six years ago. The design is odd, but we will reserve our thoughts until we can see the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra in person.
The inspiration from the Apple Watch Ultra (Gen 1 and 2), however, is evident with the raised platform on the side, but there are three instead of two buttons to one-up Apple. Samsung has traditionally been content with two buttons on most of its smartwatches, but a third, round button has been introduced between two oblong ones. The round button lacks ridges and does not immediately come across as a rotating crown, but we aren’t sure of its capabilities just yet.
The display is still circular and surrounded by a raised bezel similar to the older Classic version of the Galaxy Watch. The bezel, with hour markings, is still expected to rotate, which might negate the need for a crown. The circular display measures 1.5 inches in diameter, while the dial is marginally smaller than that of the Apple Watch Ultra at 47mm (1.85 inches), which is larger than on the 46mm Galaxy Watch 6.
Meanwhile, the squarish shell alongside a circular design suggests the larger chamber houses a bigger battery, previously leaked to have a 578 mAh capacity. The more significant change inside is expected to be a new 3-nanometer Exynos W1000 chip, which might finally catapult it to have the same speedy performance as the Apple Watch’s chip (a downgraded version of the iPhone’s A-series chip).
The renders also suggest a strap design that blends more seamlessly into the body, like on the Apple Watch. While Samsung updated the strap lock only last year, we could see some more improvements, at least exclusively on the Watch 7 Ultra. The renders reveal two color options — black and white for the straps and only a black variant with a gunmetal or titanium finish for the dial. We expect to see some more options with the launch.
The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra reportedly also has a new sensor setup, including the standard PPG and blood oxygen sensors, along with a temperature sensor. The Galaxy Watch 7 may also be the first smartwatch capable of noninvasive blood sugar monitoring, even though the feature might arrive only after it receives Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. In terms of software, we expect to see Samsung’s One UI for Watch based on Wear OS 5, which was recently previewed at Google I/O 2024. There aren’t significant visual changes to the software, but we might see Samsung integrate some AI features to improve workout or sleep tracking.
As the launch date approaches, we will gather more information about the Galaxy Watch 7 series, including the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.