14 DAY TRIAL // A rotary dial design isn’t something new for Samsung smartwatches, but a new display on the rotary dial surely brings a fresh look to smartwatches. The US Patent & Trademark Office has just published a new patent application which details the design of future Gear smartwatches.
The patent reveals a new rotary dial display on future Gear smartwatches, one that would show relevant and simple information, like the current date, weather forecast, playing songs and so on, without having to launch specific apps or tap on widgets. It will have a different functionality compared to the current rotary dial, which offers users tools for navigating the entire user interface.
Samsung first introduced the rotary dial design with the Gear S2 and it was later featured on the Gear S3, which was released last year. A new Gear smartwatch could be announced this year and might very well include the new rotary dial design. However, as it happens with patents, there’s no guarantee that this will make it to development, as some patented projects never see the light of day.
Display rotation would be limited to 90 degrees
The patent application also reveals that the new display’s rotation will be limited to just 90 degrees, compared to current rotary dials which can be rotated to 360 degrees. Samsung’s patent imagines a new Gear smartwatch as having a screen that includes two separate parts stacked vertically on top of each other.
The filing didn’t mention whether the new screen can be switched to an always-on mode and if it will impact battery life. Current Samsung Gear S3 devices have support for always-on display to reveal the current time, while a number of widgets grant users access to music controls, health data and other information that they might need.
The current Gear S3 comes with a 1.3-inch OLED screen, Corning Gorilla Glass coating, IP68 protection against water damages, and powerful specs inside.