Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra design leaks: What was Samsung thinking?

We’ve been hearing rumors about an “Ultra” branded Galaxy Watch 7 coming out this year, and now alleged renders of the wearable have leaked courtesy of reliable tipster OnLeaks and Smartprix. The first thing that hits you in the face about the leaked Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra design is the shape of the dial. It seems Samsung could not make up its mind about going with a round or square design. So, it went with both.

I don’t know about you, and I know design preferences can be subjective, but the dial of the so-called Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra looks pretty strange to me. Perhaps I just have to look at it longer and digest the changes. It’s not even a proper squircle; it’s like a circle slapped on a squircle.

This is the first time Samsung is experimenting with such a shape on its premium smartwatch. We previously saw a similar design on the Samsung Gear Sport, which launched in 2017. Check it out below.

The leakers report that the shiny round part that sticks out of the squarish frame on the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra is a rotating bezel. Interestingly, Samsung has replaced the numbers on the rotating bezel with grooves.

The fact that the main display is still round means Samsung doesn’t have to tinker with the UI, and the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra should provide a familiar experience for users upgrading from older Samsung watches.

The next thing that sticks out is a third button on the device. You can spot it on the right of the watch in the middle. It’s unclear what the button will do on the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, but the leakers reckon it could be similar to the Action Button on the Apple Watch Ultra.

The back of the wearable presents an array of health sensors, including a temperature sensor that now resides upwards in the center.

According to the leaked information, the display of the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra measures 1.5 inches in diameter, the same as the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Moreover, the smartwatch is said to measure 47 x 47.4 x 16.4 mm, which is a tad larger than the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic owing to the added squircle base of the dial. The watch band design and fitting mechanism also seem to have been reworked, and the device sports larger speaker grilles.

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra at its Unpacked event, which is rumored to be held on July 10. We’ll have to wait and watch if these renders accurately represent what the company has in store.