The last couple of months have been pretty big for smartwatches. Google launched Wear OS 3 with the help of Samsung, whose next-gen Galaxy Watch4 series is the best it’s ever been. Meanwhile, we got our first glimpse of the Apple Watch Series 7 this week, which — while probably not of interest to most of our readership — will undoubtedly become the highest-selling smartwatch of 2022. It’s two radically different design philosophies, and it has us wondering about future designs for Wear OS-powered gadgets.
Although a handful of older Android-compatible smartwatches used square designs, most modern watches have stuck to a style first established by the original Moto 360 way back in 2014. These days, if you want a Wear OS watch, it’s the only look and feel you can find. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4, Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3, and Fossil’s entire lineup of smartwatches all use circular displays, setting themselves apart from the Apple Watch as much as possible. While that might keep you from getting mistaken for an Apple Watch owner, round screens come with their own set of drawbacks.
AP’s own Rita El Khoury did a fantastic job this week explaining why rectangular displays on smartwatches make sense. That extra screen real estate allows for more information to be shown on your wrist, whether it’s text messages, weather forecasts, or navigation. Likewise, we’ve also seen the public adjust to the idea of square wearables, all thanks to the popularity of Apple’s gadget. Rectangular trackers might’ve looked nerdy last decade, but these days, it’s a lot easier to pass off.
So now it’s our readers’ turn to choose. Are you happy with the current lineup of mostly-rounded displays (Oppo Watch notwithstanding), or do you wish for something a little more in line with Apple or Fitbit? Maybe you just want the choice to pick the device that’s right for you — or maybe you won’t buy a smartwatch no matter what. Whatever your reasoning, I’m excited to hear how people feel about the current state of Wear OS hardware.
