It doesn't take a particularly eagle-eyed individual to notice that these two latest Samsung devices carry a strong resemblance to what could be best described as their main rivals––the Apple Watch Ultra 1/2 and the ubiquitous AirPods.
Yes, this happened, and the most perplexing detail is that this took place even though Samsung had its own well-established design languages for both wearable lines. Previous Galaxy Watches, for example, had unique design features that definitely set them apart from other smartwatches, like the exemplar hardware rotating bezel.
Instead of building on its existing design language and setting itself apart, Samsung decided to put a swarm of flies in the proverbial ointment, giving its latest hardware event a particularly sour aftertaste that will take too long to wash out.
I, for one, won't be able to take at the Galaxy Watch Ultra seriously, even though it will likely be a good device. Just looking at it fills me with negative feelings about its lack of originality; if I wanted an Apple Watch Ultra, I'd get an Apple Watch Ultra, not this Androidified imitation.
Okay, from a visual standpoint, there are some clear differences between the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra 1&2. The former has a round display and a more squarish case, while the Apple Watch boasts a larger display with a more rectangular case. Still, if we look at the way the Galaxy Watch Ultra has evolved in comparison with the preceding Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, it's clear where Samsung got the inspiration from.
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The squircle case with the raised bezel on the right (although it employs a circular display, the general shape of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is extremely similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and 2);
The customizable Quick Button (in International Orange color, nonetheless) is similar to the Action Button of the Apple Watch Ultra;
The Marine Band is nearly a carbon copy of the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean Band, including the name;
The Trail Band is nearly a carbon copy of the Apple Watch Ultra's Trail Loop, including the name;
The automatic Night mode on the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a carbon copy of the automatic Night Mode on the Apple Watch Ultra 1/2;
There's an 86dB siren on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, there's also an 86dB siren on the Apple Watch Ultra 1/2;
It's not only Apple that has been the target of Samsung's homage, though. The new AI-powered Energy Score features takes a homage from Garmin's Body Battery metric, for example.
Why did Samsung abandon all of its design advances and went on a homage spree, taking not only a single page but nearly a whole book of Apple's design language?
Is Samsung admitting design defeat?
At this point in the article, you'd probably expect me, the author, to draw something out of my proverbial pocket and reveal the real reason why the Galaxy Watch Ultra looks so identical to the Apple Watch Ultra. Sadly, I'll disappoint––my guess is 100% as good as yours, and I can only guess.
Even though I'd love to know the real reason why Samsung has (once again) gone down the path of imitation, it's certain that it had some good reasons to do so. We are talking about a truly massive company, a major conglomerate, which took a profound look into its own past products and still decided to imitate its main competitor in a very blatant and obvious way.
Could it be low sales numbers?
The other day, it was revealed that in the January-May 2024 period, Samsung's smartwatch sales have slipped some 15% year-over-year. Although it's true that demand for wearable smart devices is waning a bit, this doesn't feel like good enough reasoning for Samsung to pay such an obvious homage to Apple's wares.
After all, such a 15% drop in sales sounds like a logical thing to expect given that Samsung's previous wearables, the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, were released in August 2023 and therefore a not-so-hot commodity in early 2024. What's more, Samsung must have started work on the Galaxy Watch Ultra before it knew that sales numbers for its wearables would dip.
Could it be hope that the new device would cause some customer confusion and could sway away potential adopters of the Apple Watch Ultra to go with the Samsung smartwatch instead?
Quite the childish assumption, as it doesn't consider the glaring ecosystem compatibility issue. You can't use an Apple Watch with a Galaxy phone, or a pair an iPhone with a Galaxy Watch, it's peculiar to expect that regular Joe's and plain Jane's would consider getting a Galaxy Watch Ultra to go with their iPhone. This is why Galaxy users will always have to go with a Samsung-made smartwatch, while iPhone users can't make use of a Galaxy smartwatch.
Could it be that Samsung has found merit in Apple's design language?
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm (Image by PhoneArena)
This one surely sounds the most plausible to me. Despite the timeless appeal of circular smartwatches, these are a nostalgic remnant of the classic mechanical timepieces, which don't make a very efficient use of the internal space.
The Apple Watch Ultra, for example, with its mostly rectangular and squircle shape, can fit a larger battery inside in comparison with a circular smartwatch of the same size. As you can see below, the Watch Ultra 49mm houses a 564mAh cell, while the larger Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm can only fit a 425mAh. With smartwatches, every little bit helps, so a crucial difference.
Some of you may point out that the circular Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, for example, had a larger 590mAh battery in comparison with, say, the first-gen Apple Watch Ultra (which had a 542mAh battery). That's true, but it was also a thicker and heavier smartwatch, so still not the most efficient when it comes to space usage.
This is neither Samsung nor Apple's first rodeo
Don't think I'm trying to exonerate Apple here: Cupertino is also no stranger to borrowing features and design cues.
Just take the most recent iOS updates as the prime example of Apple inspiring itself from features and functionalities that have been available on Android for ages. Widgets, lock screen and icon customization, heck, even free-form app icon placement were on Android first.
To say that either company is innocent would be incorrect. After all, there have been dozens of lawsuits in multiple countries, where either Apple or Samsung has accused the other company of patent infringement. After seven long years, the main court battle ended in 2018 after the two giants agreed to an out-of-court settlement. However, it seems as if Samsung's willing to risk another litigation with Apple over its latest Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
Personally, I'd love it if Samsung relied on its in-house designs more instead of going out of its way to copy Apple. Seems to me such practices are better left in the days of old, in the early 2010s, when every company was trying to find its shtick and come up with a unique design language. Although not a particularly big fan of Samsung, I fondly remember well-designed phones like the iconic Galaxy S8, which was among Samsung's best-designed ones.
Here's to hoping in-house creativity will prevail.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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