We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.
Need-To-Knows
- 3,000 nits peak brightness on the display
- Google Gemini integration
- New Running Coach and Antioxidant Measurement features
- Battery life sticks around 30 hours with the display on
Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic the latest additions to Samsung’s wearables lineup, and I’ve had my hands on both to gather some early thoughts. Samsung usually rotates the ‘Classic’ variant of their watches with releases every other year, instead of annually.
It’s a fan favourite due to the rotating bezel which returns and, I have to admit, is very nice to use. There have been some other meaningful, if not game-changing, updates to both variants of the Galaxy Watch 8, which I’ll highlight the best of below as well as some early conclusions.
At A Glance
| Feature | Galaxy Watch 8 | Galaxy Watch 8 Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Date | July 9, 2025; shipping starts July 25 2025 | July 9, 2025; shipping from July 25 2025 |
| Sizes & Materials | 40 mm & 44 mm; aluminium case with sapphire crystal; colours: Graphite, Silver | 46 mm stainless steel with rotating bezel; sapphire crystal; Black, White |
| Display | 40 mm: 1.34″ Super AMOLED (438×438); 44 mm: 1.47″ (480×480); brightness up to 3 000 nits | 46 mm: 1.34″ Super AMOLED (same res); up to 3 000 nits |
| Processor / RAM | Exynos W1000 (5-core, 3 nm); 2 GB RAM | Same Exynos W1000; 2 GB RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB internal | 64 GB internal |
| Battery | 40 mm: 325 mAh; 44 mm: 435 mAh; ~1 day usage; wireless fast charging | 46 mm: 445 mAh; wireless 10 W charging (50% in 30 min) |
| OS & UI | Wear OS 6 with One UI 8 Watch; Gemini AI assistant | Same Wear OS 6 + One UI 8; includes rotating bezel control |
| Sensors | Samsung BioActive (HR, SpO₂, ECG, BIA), temperature, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light, 3D Hall | Identical sensor suite |
| Health & Fitness Features | Antioxidant Index, Vascular Load, sleep/circadian analysis, running coach, stress monitoring, fall detection, menstrual/skin temp tracking | Antioxidant Index, Vascular Load, sleep/circadian analysis, running coach, stress monitoring, fall detection, menstrual/skin temp tracking |
| Connectivity | LTE optional, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi‑Fi (2.4+5 GHz), NFC, dual‑band GPS (L1+L5) | Same full connectivity |
| Price (EUR) | 40 mm or 44 mm starts at £319 in UK, 40 mm: $349.99, 44 mm: $379.99 in USA | Starting at £449/$499 |
The Classic Is Back (and Still The One To Beat?)
I’m going to start with the Watch 8 Classic, purely because it’s the more immediately interesting of the two.
Yes, the rotating bezel is still here. So Galaxy Watch Classic fans can relax, and I’m happy to see it return too. There’s something inherently satisfying about twisting your way through tiles and menus with a reassuring click rather than swiping at a tiny screen (which you can still do of course). It’s not just nostalgic but moreishly useful.
Some features on devices can be fun for a day or two, but turn out ot be less efficient in the long run. But the rotating bezel is something you will actually use, especially when things like rain or sweat come into play. A wet screen or finger can render a watch display useless, but a physical button is impervious. It’s why the Apple Watch Ultra’s ‘Digital Crown’ is so good.
Related: Apple Watch Ultra 2 review
In fact, after using it again, I’m left wondering why more smartwatches don’t include things like this as standard.
An entirely new feature is the ‘Quick Button’, which sits on the side of the watch body and can be programmed to launch workouts or apps, or act as a shortcut for Gemini, Samsung’s freshly integrated AI helper. More on that in a bit.
The button is by no means novel, many other watches already have them, but it’s a welcome addition to the Watch 8 Classic that adds an element of Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The Classic only comes in one size this year, 46mm, and it is pretty chunky if that’s your thing. It feels very much like the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s little brother, especially with the similar ‘Cushion’ design language that’s been extended across the range. It’s not a bad look by any means, but I am more partial to a fully circular watch face.
Read my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review!
That said, it’s comfortable; slimmer than last year’s models and closer to the wrist thanks to redesigned band adapters. The Watch 8 Classic is more of a formal/day-wear watch and sits between the standard Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra.
That means, if you’re after a more fitness-focused device, there’s only really one option here.
The Watch 8: Moving Towards A Health Companion
The standard Galaxy Watch 8 is lighter and thinner than the Watch 7. The 40mm version (also available in 44mm) is very light indeed at just 30g, and you notice it on the wrist. It’s a perfect weight for working out and Samsung is marketing it that way.
There’s been explicit intent from Samsung to move beyond providing smartwatches for the sake of it and push towards making comprehensive health companions. This is certainly the form factor for that purpose.
Latest from Garmin: Garmin Venu X1 review
From a hardware point of view, not much else has changed. There’s a new 3nm chip, which is nice to have, offering faster performance (not that you’d notice), and the display is now rated to 3,000nits of peak brightness. That’s a sizeable boost from 2,000 on the Galaxy Watch 7.
These are handy, sensible upgrades from Samsung which make sense and help keep the pace with competitors.
Gemini On A Smartwatch
Both watches run the latest Wear OS 6, and with it comes the full integration of Google Gemini, the first smartwatch to do so. And from my time with it so far, it’s surprisingly great.
I am a consumer-facing AI cynic. You’d know this if you read my other reviews of smartphones. But Gemini on a smartwatch actually makes sense. It’s kept fairly simple on the Watch 8 series. Obviously, there are no silly image generation capabilities or wacky emoji shenanigans, here Gemini is just an assistant.
More from Samsung: Galaxy Z Fold7 review
And that’s perfect. You can ask Gemini questions to quickly get answers without having to pull your phone out, perform cross-app actions and ask it to retrieve information from things like your calendar.
Let’s keep it lowkey!
Health Tracking and Battery Life
As I said above, Samsung has leaned even further into health and fitness tracking this year. There’s an emphasis on sleep: the Watch 8 can now detect early signs of sleep apnea, track your vascular load overnight (useful for spotting early signs of heart disease), and suggest optimal bedtimes.
There’s also the world’s first antioxidant reader on a smartwatch, which measures the level of antioxidants in your blood via a thumb reading.
The dual GPS is as good as usual and there’s a new running coach, which sounds suspiciously like Apple’s new Workout Buddy, that will suggest running programmes to help you reach your goals. All very nice stuff
As for the battery life, there’s still some work to do here. It’s not awful and it’s better than the Apple Watch Series 10, but there are smartwatches out there from the likes of Huawei, OnePlus and Garmin that have weeks of battery life.
The Galaxy Watch 8 will give you around 30 hours maximum with the display set to Always On. This is fine, but it still means that in real-life scenarios, you’re probably going to have to charge your watch every day and a half. These days, I want more than that from a premium-level smartwatch.
Best Android Watch? Read my OnePlus Watch 3 review
Early Verdict
From my early interactions, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series offers up sensible, useful and measured upgrades. The extra nits on the display, 3nm chip and new health tracking features all make the Watch 8 series better, more value-packed smartwatches than before.
Check out my list of the best smartwatches!
I’ll see how that battery life affects my usage during a typical week or two and report back soon with more developed thoughts!
3 Comments
An ugly watch. Bring the circle design back. Don’t need to copy Apple.
Custom boxes are specially designed packaging tailored to fit a product’s size, shape, and branding. They enhance product presentation, offer better protection, and help businesses stand out with personalized designs and logos.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR7IDcPn6V2OQo7comsJM38NR80swXzrAO4YAmT1-bZFobKNd5NvIomBMNvBtAqeMAQRr-RnNzZcI88/pubhtml
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 impresses with its enhanced display brightness, advanced health tracking features, and the return of the rotating bezel in the Classic model. For those who appreciate the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology, exploring luxury timepieces like Audemars Piguet Watches offers a different yet complementary experience. While smartwatches provide functionality and convenience, brands like Audemars Piguet represent timeless elegance and precision in watchmaking. It’s fascinating to see how both realms cater to watch enthusiasts with varying preferences.
Check Now: Audemars Piguet Watches online nyc