The Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best smartwatches on the market. It runs the latest version of Wear OS, has a very fast processor, and comes with a great set of health and fitness tracking features. It’s probably our favorite smartwatch, meaning it’s hard to come up with ways that Samsung can improve on its next iteration, the tentatively named Galaxy Watch 6.
That’s not to say it’s a perfect smartwatch. No piece of tech is perfect, and there’s always something that can be improved. The Galaxy Watch 5 has a few downsides, meaning Samsung doesn’t have to go far to improve on its successor. Here are some of the features we want to see in a Galaxy Watch 6.
Physical rotating bezel
One of the biggest changes with the Galaxy Watch 5 series is the removal of the physical rotating bezel. It was a popular feature on older Galaxy smartwatches and one of our favorite features from the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. It feels great to use and is more reliable than a capacitive touch bezel.
It would be nice to have this feature on all Galaxy Watch 6 models and not just the top-end models. It just makes it so easy to navigate menus without touching the display, especially since Galaxy smartphones don’t feature a rotating crown like some other Android smartwatches. We just want it back, Samsung.
Better battery life
The Galaxy Watch 5 improved its battery life from the previous generation, promising up to 50 hours on a single charge. While the battery life is definitely better than the Galaxy Watch 4, it still leaves a lot to be desired when compared to Samsung’s claims. In my experience, I average roughly a day and a half of use before needing to throw it back on a charger, but that’s while the watch has tracking on and rise to wake enabled. Still not bad.
If you want true multi-day battery life, you’ll have to look to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, but you’ll also have to deal with the large, bulky design. Whether through a larger battery, a more efficient chipset, or a combination of the both, Samsung should figure out how to give us even better battery life.
Blood pressure monitoring in the U.S.
Samsung has a very impressive health sensor that can track sleep, heart rate, SpO2, and tons more. Along with ECG monitoring, Samsung also enabled blood pressure monitoring from the watch using pulse wave analysis. However, despite the feature being available on Galaxy Watch devices over a few generations, the feature has still yet to arrive in the U.S.
It’s likely not entirely Samsung’s fault; the feature has to receive FDA approval before Galaxy Watch owners in the United States can use it. That apparently hasn’t happened yet, so hopefully, Samsung can figure out why and make necessary adjustments for its next model. Given that there aren’t any mainstream smartwatches with blood pressure monitoring in the U.S., it would give Samsung a major leg up for users that may rely on it.
Yes, a camera
A camera on a smartwatch isn’t a very common feature. It’s generally relegated to kids smartwatches so parents can easily keep in touch with their children. Samsung has dabbled in smartwatch cameras before, but the implementation was clunky. Still, there’s probably a way to implement a camera without it detracting from the watch.
Meta is rumored to have a smartwatch in the works with a camera for video calls. It’s already possible to text and make voice calls from a smartwatch, so the only thing that’s missing is video calls. If anyone can make this possible, it’s Samsung. And given the company’s relationship with Google, the companies could potentially launch a Wear OS version of Google Meet for use on the watch.
Fingerprint sensor
This is a feature I’ve been hoping to see on a mainstream smartwatch for a long time. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised Samsung still hasn’t slapped one on its smartwatches yet. Given that features like Google Wallet require a security measure like a PIN or pattern, a fingerprint sensor would help speed up the unlocking process.
It would be cool to see an in-display fingerprint sensor on a smartwatch, something Samsung has apparently worked on in the past. That said, a side-mounted sensor could work, too. Given that the Galaxy Watch series doesn’t feature a crown, the space between the two side buttons would be the ideal place to put a fingerprint sensor.
Software changes
When it comes to software, the Galaxy Watch 5 has one of the best UI experiences you can find on a smartwatch. But there are just a few quirks here and there that can be annoying or limiting.
Notifications are a big reason to have a smartwatch so that you stay synced with whatever is happening on your smartphone. But with the Galaxy Watch 5, they can often be delayed or just not come at all. It’s a small annoyance, but one we hope Samsung can fix by the time the Galaxy Watch 6 comes around.
Additionally, Samsung has some health tracking features that are still limited to Galaxy smartphones. You have to use the Samsung Health Monitor app in order to take advantage of ECG or blood pressure monitoring, so you’ll miss out if you’re using any other Android smartphone. While we understand why Samsung would wanna keep some features in the family, we hope the company can open this up to make it available for everyone to use.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a beast of a smartwatch. It has a tough and durable design, GPX for outdoor enthusiasts, and a huge battery that can keep up with you for days at a time. If you are the outdoorsy type, this is the watch for you.
