Introduction to Samsung’s Latest Innovation

In a surprising move, Samsung has introduced a new feature that allows users to control their 2025 line of televisions using the company’s smartwatches. This innovative technology enables users to watch their favorite shows, such as Daredevil: Born Again or The Residence, even when their remote control is missing. To utilize this feature, users need a Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra, along with a brand new Samsung TV. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out this technology with the Samsung Neo QLED 4K (QN90F), one of the company’s newest flagship televisions.

How it Works

The process of controlling the TV using the smartwatch involves a series of gesture controls and strategic arm movements. A cursor appears on the TV screen when the devices are connected, allowing users to navigate through menus and select options by moving their arm around. To select an item, such as a streaming service, users simply hover over the desired icon and pinch their fingers together. The technology is more responsive than expected, making it easy to use. However, it may take some time to get used to the new gestures, such as making a fist to exit a show or doing it twice to access the home screen.

Connecting the Devices

Connecting the Galaxy Watch Ultra to the QN90F is a bit counterintuitive, as users need to disable the Universal Gestures on the watch. Then, they need to shake their wrist until a message appears on the TV, indicating that the devices are connected. A Pointer Mode prompt will also appear on the watch, and users are ready to start using the feature. Additionally, users can adjust the volume via the watch, which can be convenient in certain situations.

Limitations and Areas for Improvement

While the watch controls work as advertised, there are some limitations and areas for improvement. For instance, the cursor and scroll bar can be distracting when watching videos, and it can be challenging to keep the arm still to get rid of these elements. Furthermore, the precision and hit boxes need some tweaking, as using the arm to navigate can be fine for larger movements but becomes a hassle for smaller movements. It would also be helpful to have a way to adjust the scroll speed on the bezel control to avoid zooming past desired options.

Conclusion

Overall, using a smartwatch to control a TV is a cool gimmick, but it may not be enough to make it a must-have tech feature. To become more viable, the technology would need to allow users to input channels or switch to their favorite channels easily. However, considering the relatively small screen size of the smartwatch, this may be a challenging task. Nevertheless, the innovation is an interesting development, and it will be exciting to see how Samsung continues to improve and expand this feature in the future.