If you remember from our last article, Samsung is finally going to release a round smartwatch, not because of the success of the Moto 360 or LG G Watch R – Samsung has been working on one for a while now according to patent drawings – but they see the value in giving the public choices. Samsung does this with their smartphones, which is part of the reason their sales have been on the decline lately – too many models tend to confuse and frustrate shoppers, driving them away to a brand they can understand. Thankfully, when it comes to a smartwatch, you can pick a rectangle version – one Tizen and one with Android Wear or the new round design.
We still do not know much about this new Samsung round watch, codenamed, Orbis. We do know that it is expected that Samsung will unveil the device at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the first week in March, where we will finally learn more about how the rotating bezel ring and digital crown will function. Another exclusive that our source has to offer up is that the new Samsung round watch will have wireless charging, which if you have ever read a review of a Samsung smartwatch, you know it is a big deal. Samsung uses an awkward clip-on mechanism for charging their devices that always gets a poor mark from reviewers. It will be interesting to see how they implement the wireless charging – hopefully, it will be as easy as the Moto 360 where you can simply lay it on a charging pad that comes supplied with the smartwatch.
Samsung already makes some top-notch and expensive smartwatches, and even the Gear S that can make and receive phone calls without a smartphone present. We have no idea if the new Orbis will have those capabilities nor are we sure if it will use the Android Wear software or their own Tizen OS, although my money will be on Tizen. What would really help sales of Samsung smartwatches, more than the internal software, is their ability to work with ALL Android smartphones, not simply a Samsung device. Samsung cannot afford the luxury of demanding an all exclusive Samsung ecosystem as Apple can. If Samsung is interested in increasing sales and their bottom line than they need to have their smartwatches play nice with all Android devices.
Please hook up with us on our Google+ Page and let us know what you think about a Samsung round smartwatch – are you in or out…as always we would love to hear from you.