Neither Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 nor Apple's Apple Watch 6 has launched yet, but that doesn't stop us from speculating on how the next generation of flagship wearables will be positioned.

As the two largest smartwatch makers, Samsung and Apple have consistently pushed the boundaries of productivity, fitness, and connectivity to our digital lives. But every year the Apple Watch leads our roundup of the best smartwatches and is closing in on autonomous computing, except with the caveat of incompatibility with Android phones.

That paves the way for Samsung to swoop in and supply more smartphone owners. And while Samsung's Galaxy Watch Active 2 was good last year, the Tizen-powered Galaxy Watch 3 needs to up the ante if it wants to topple Apple's dominance. The return of the rotating bezel is exciting, but it is not enough.

Based on recent news and rumors about both, here are five things the Galaxy Watch 3 needs to take the top spot from the Apple Watch 6 when it faces off against it in the fall.

One of the earliest leaks of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 confirmed that the physical bezel omitted from the fitness-oriented Galaxy Watch Active line will return. We appreciated how the bezel gives the watch a traditional look, but it added bulk to the device as a whole.

We are excited to hear that the upcoming model will feature a slimmer bezel and thus more screen area. However, while the added space may be slight, tapping the touchscreen may be more appealing than frivolously swiping through the display casing. It will take quite a bit of time to test how functional it will feel in the final product.

For what it's worth, we're optimistic: in an online poll conducted by SamMobile, about two-thirds of participants said they held off on getting the Watch Active 2 because they "absolutely" believe the rotating bezel is a reason to buy the Watch 3.

Our review of the first-generation Galaxy Watch concluded that it should be obtained for its battery life, which clocked out after four days, surpassing the Apple Watch Series 4's mere 18 hours. While one could argue that Apple's A-one OLED display and slim shape are worth the sacrifice in stamina, it remains an inconvenience to charge every night.

Samsung was less ambitious with the Galaxy Watch Active 2. It earned two and a half days from this workout-friendly wearable, but the GPS tracking and always-on screen options shortened those days.

We hope Samsung maintains the battery life of the original Galaxy Watch, but as long as it lasts longer than the Apple Watch, we won't be disappointed.

Sleep tracking is all the rage these days in the fitness tracking world. I don't sell it because I think many wearable manufacturers do it wrong more than they do it right. Many sleep trackers say they have reached the ideal seven hours, even though there are screen usage statistics that prove they did not get enough rest. And while there are a few accurate trackers, not all of them provide the resources to improve dozing quality.

We faced this problem in our review of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and recognized that its sleep tracking could be more useful with tweaking. However, that was before Apple had a chance to get out in front of the stakes.

Apple Watch fans have been clamoring for sleep tracking ever since the trend gained popularity, and according to a watchOS 7 leak, it looks like it's finally happening with the help of blood oxygen monitoring. Even though I am skeptical of sleep tracking, I believe Apple will not send their attempts live unless they are fully refined.

Sleep tracking on the Galaxy Watch 3 needs to be at the very least accurate if it wants to keep up with Apple. We need to bring both smartwatches to bed and see how they stack up.

The FDA-approved ECG sensor in the Apple Watch is mostly old news, but Samsung has delayed approval of its version; the Watch Active 2 has it, but it was inactive until last month. In May, Samsung received approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to measure and analyze users' heart rhythms for arrhythmias indicative of atrial fibrillation.

Samsung cannot enable ECGs in other countries unless it receives similar approval from the required government agency (in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)).

According to recent leaks, Samsung plans to include this sensor in the new Galaxy Watch 3. Whether it will be functional at launch is something we will be watching closely. ECG measurements are an important advantage for the Apple Watch, so if Samsung wants to promote similar life-saving specifications, it should pursue these certifications.

The iPhone may be my daily driver, but that doesn't mean I'm loyal to Apple's other product ecosystems. I will return to the Apple Watch after the review, but if the Galaxy Watch is a good match for my phone, I may be persuaded to wear the Galaxy Watch. [The Tizen operating system on the original Galaxy Watch is compatible with iOS devices, but has limited functionality. This is not entirely true of the Apple Watch, but it is compatible with Android devices.

If Samsung really wanted to beat Apple, they would make a smartwatch that would feed into Apple's user base; it's impossible for the Galaxy Watch 3 to work with the iPhone as seamlessly as the Apple Watch, but they could try better. We believe that the Galaxy Watch 3 will be the first of its kind. We hope the Galaxy Watch 3 will support iMessages and offer the option to sync with Apple's Health app.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 is expected to launch in July along with the Galaxy Buds Live fitness earphones. Check back for the latest news and rumors to see how Samsung's new wearables are shaping up against the competition.