New Samsung Orbis smartwatch features leak


Ahead of an expected MWC 2015 unveiling, new Samsung Orbis features have leaked, offering an early insight into the heavily rumoured round smartwatch.


Expected to line up as a direct rival to the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R, the Samsung Orbis has been previously tipped to be heading to market with a rotating ring dial and digital crown which will act as physical controls for the wrist-based gadget.


Now, thanks to SamMobile’s ever chatty tipsters, specific features and functions have been attributed to these controls.


According to the latest leaks, the Orbis’s rotating dial will allow users to do everything from skip music tracks, accept and reject calls and scroll through pages of apps and widgets with relative ease.


While the round wearable will sport the customary touchscreen display, it is expected these physical controls will offer improved navigation of deeper app lists.


As such, the tipsters have suggested the timepiece will allow users to skip through pages of apps launched in the main menu simply by swiping down on the screen.


Once within the menus, a slow rotation to the right will scroll individual apps while a quick rotation will skip through applications three at a time. A press on the digital crown will close the menu.


A potentially clunky and confusing navigation system, it has been suggested having rotated right to the desired app or widget, a click to the left will launch the programme – a simple swipe and touch method seems far simpler, however.


Further functionality bestowed on the rotating dial include alarm controls – rotate right to dismiss, left to snooze – a find my device trigger and scroll through current, hourly and weekly weather forecasts.


Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 release date


Although Samsung has yet to officially acknowledge existence of such a device, with Korean manufacturer is widely expected to be readying an entrant to the round smartwatch space.


Tipped to launch alongside the eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone, the Android Wear shunning sibling to the Samsung Gear S is expected to make its first official appearance during MWC 2015.


The Barcelona-based conference is set to run between March 2 and 5, with press launches to be held in the days preceding the show.