If you have received the Value Pack update on your Gear S3, you might have noticed a drastic change in how you operate the watch. Well, operating the watch remains pretty much the same as before, but Samsung has made one change that may put you off, at least in the initial few days: You can no longer swipe down from the top of the display to go back inside apps and menus.
On Tizen 3.0, swiping down from any screen opens the toggles screen, which means you now have to use the back key any time you need to go back. It’s how the Gear Sport works out of the box, but if you have been using the Gear S3 for a few months (or are upgrading to the Gear Sport from a Gear S2 or Gear S3), you will probably find it to be an inconvenience.
Some of us here at SamMobile certainly feel so. After getting used to swiping down on the screen to go back in apps and menus, it’s going to take a while to get used to reaching for the back key. Of course, it’s not like it was a fully natural experience to use Samsung’s circular smartwatches to begin with. Regular operation requires quite a bit of movement between the bezel ring, touch screen, and the power button. For example, you press the power button to access the app drawer, rotate the bezel to reach the app you wish to open, then tap on that app’s icon to fire it up.
Now, with the back function dedicated solely to the back key, it’s yet another action for which you need to adjust your hand/finger during regular usage. Yes, this will probably come off as nitpicking to some of our readers, but we have to say it’s certainly a change that is frustrating us. Sadly, Samsung isn’t offering an option to select between using the existing gesture and the back key, either, so it looks like a permanent change that we will have to live with.
What do you think? Are you okay with the gesture’s removal in the new update, or is it something you are finding difficult to adjust to? Let us know your thoughts by getting a discussion going in the comments!
