The Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra introduced by Samsung this week have a lot of things going for them. But charging flexibility isn't one of them.
Unlike previous models of Samsung's smartwatch, neither of the new models has the ability to wirelessly charge with a paired Galaxy phone like the newly announced Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Z Flip 6.
The ability to wirelessly charge through Samsung's Wireless PowerShare feature has been a feature of most every previous Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Gear devices. So, it's surprising the Samsung is dropping the feature.
X user Jordy Verboven was the one to spot the omission, according to a Sammobile report. Verboven found a Samsung support page that confirms that the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra do not support the "Wireless PowerShare" from a smartphone.
According to the support page, Samsung dropped the feature because of upgrades to health sensors in the watches. Apparently, this changed the shape of the glass on the bottom of the watch to the point where Samsung had to remove wireless charging to make it work. According to the support page:
"The Galaxy Watch7 series has a new rear sensor design to improve sensor accuracy over previous models. As a result, it is possible to assess health-related data points that were not previously supported as well as take more reliable measurements during prolonged or specialized exercises.
"However, the new sensor design required changing the shape of the back glass. The alteration increased the distance between the internal wireless charging coil of your Watch and the wireless charger, so the Wireless power sharing feature available on the previous model is no longer supported."
That also means that using older chargers will result in much slower charge speeds and generate more heat in the watch as it charges. Samsung is recommending users only recharge the batteries with the charger that comes with the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
You can preorder the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra right now from Samsung, which is offering up to $250 in credit with a trade-in for the Galaxy Watch 7. (The Galaxy Watch Ultra qualifies for up to $350 in credit with trade-in as part of Samsung's preorder offer.) The watches go on sale July 24.
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