Jenith
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Samsung made the right call when it switched its smartwatches from Tizen to Wear OS. Wear OS simply offers a much larger ecosystem than Tizen ever could, with better app support being one of the best advantages of that. And in almost every way, today’s Galaxy Watches are more capable and connected than their Tizen-powered predecessors.
But there’s still one thing I genuinely miss from those older watches: the button layout. On those watches, the back button was on top and the power button was below. It might sound like a minor detail, but it actually made the watch feel more natural to use.
When you’re using a smartwatch, your thumb does most of the tapping and swiping. Your index finger, meanwhile, naturally rests near the top edge. That made it easy to hit the back button without adjusting your grip, and your hand position just matched the way the watch worked.
https://www.imeisource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Galaxy-Watch-vs-Gear-S3-1.jpg
This made even more sense on Samsung’s models with the rotating bezel ring, where both your thumb and index finger are already active. The index finger often stabilizes or turns the bezel, so having the back button right near it felt perfectly logical.
Since Samsung moved to Wear OS, the layout has flipped. The power button is now on top, and the back button is below. It still functions fine, but ergonomically it’s a step backward. The button you use less often (power) is now easier to reach, while the one you press all the time (back) sits lower, slightly out of that natural range.
I suspect this wasn’t entirely Samsung’s choice. Google likely encourages a consistent button layout across Wear OS watches, even if it’s not an outright rule in the documentation. It’s about standardization more than usability.
Still, I can’t help but miss the old design. The Tizen layout simply worked better with how people actually hold and use their watches, especially when rotating that bezel. It’s a small detail, but one that made the experience feel just a bit more seamless.
The post What I really miss about Samsung’s Tizen-powered smartwatches appeared first on imeisource.
But there’s still one thing I genuinely miss from those older watches: the button layout. On those watches, the back button was on top and the power button was below. It might sound like a minor detail, but it actually made the watch feel more natural to use.
When you’re using a smartwatch, your thumb does most of the tapping and swiping. Your index finger, meanwhile, naturally rests near the top edge. That made it easy to hit the back button without adjusting your grip, and your hand position just matched the way the watch worked.
https://www.imeisource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Galaxy-Watch-vs-Gear-S3-1.jpg
This made even more sense on Samsung’s models with the rotating bezel ring, where both your thumb and index finger are already active. The index finger often stabilizes or turns the bezel, so having the back button right near it felt perfectly logical.
Since Samsung moved to Wear OS, the layout has flipped. The power button is now on top, and the back button is below. It still functions fine, but ergonomically it’s a step backward. The button you use less often (power) is now easier to reach, while the one you press all the time (back) sits lower, slightly out of that natural range.
I suspect this wasn’t entirely Samsung’s choice. Google likely encourages a consistent button layout across Wear OS watches, even if it’s not an outright rule in the documentation. It’s about standardization more than usability.
Still, I can’t help but miss the old design. The Tizen layout simply worked better with how people actually hold and use their watches, especially when rotating that bezel. It’s a small detail, but one that made the experience feel just a bit more seamless.
The post What I really miss about Samsung’s Tizen-powered smartwatches appeared first on imeisource.