We're starting to get a clearer picture of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 ahead of an expected launch in the next few months, and a new report predicts that we won't see a Classic version of the watch – and the rotating bezel might get ditched as well.
This comes from the usually reliable SamMobile, which says that we'll get a Galaxy Watch 5 and a Galaxy Watch Pro. Last year the smartwatches that launched were the Galaxy Watch 4 and the bigger, more expensive Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
At the moment it's not clear if the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will be a direct successor to the Galaxy Watch 5 Classic: it may be that Samsung is changing the name and nothing else, but we're going to have to wait and see on that one.
Bezel control
One of the best features of previous Galaxy Watches, including the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, has been the rotating bezel around the side of the display. It means that devices can be controlled up to a point without touching the screen – it fulfils a similar sort of function to the digital crown on the Apple Watch.
However, according to SamMobile's sources, it's “still unclear” whether the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will include the rotating bezel (we're assuming the standard Galaxy Watch 5 won't have it, as the standard Galaxy Watch 4 didn't either).
The new report also goes on to say that the Galaxy Watch 5 devices are going to launch alongside a new version of One UI Watch running on top of Wear OS 3, so there might be software improvements to look forward to as well. If Samsung follows last year's schedule, we could see the wearables in August.
Analysis: the year of Wear OS
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic are currently two of the best Wear OS smartwatches you can buy. If you don't want an Apple Watch, you're rather limited in terms of top-tier wearables you can strap to your wrist.
We're hoping that Samsung continues that momentum with the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (if that is indeed what they're called). We've already heard that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is going to come packing a significant battery upgrade.
We do hope that the rotating bezel makes it into at least one model in the 2022 range, however: it's a popular feature that certainly adds to the appeal of the Samsung Galaxy Watch, and gives it something different that its main rivals don't have.
We're also hopeful that the arrival of the Google Pixel Watch sometime this year will give Wear OS smartwatches another shot in the arm. Add in new models from the likes of Fossil as well, and the Apple Watch might get some serious competition at last.
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