Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Family First Look: Classic Makes a Comeback
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Watch8 family, featuring the familiar “square-circle design” (squircle), inherited from the Galaxy Watch Ultra line.
Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic
The Galaxy Watch8 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, in Graphite and Silver.
It’s also 11% thinner than before.
The Watch8 Classic is only available in a 46mm size, in black and white.
The return of the rotating bezel, interestingly, it gains a third button on the side, like the Galaxy Watch Ultra. This button is absent on the standard Watch8.
Both the Watch8 and Watch8 Classic use the new Dynamic Lug system for straps, meaning existing bands won’t fit the new watch. They share the same chipset as the Watch Ultra, boast a 50% brighter screen, and an 8% larger battery. For accurate location tracking, both models now feature dual GPS.
Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Galaxy Watch Ultra itself sees no design changes. Instead, Samsung has doubled its storage from 32GB to 64GB, perfect for offline music. A stunning new Titanium Blue color has also been added.
Software & New Features
The Galaxy Watch8 series runs One UI 8 Watch on WearOS 6, with Gemini AI built-in. The interface adopts a new pill-shaped design seen across tiles and features. The Now Bar is also integrated into the watch face for quick access.
New health features include:
- Bedtime Guidance: Detects irregular sleep times and suggests optimal sleep schedules.
- Vascular Load: Measures heart behavior during sleep to assess stress on the vascular system.
- Running Coach: Analyzes running performance, creates personalized plans, and provides real-time feedback.
- Antioxidant Index: A new feature that measures carotenoid levels via your skin to score your lifestyle. The Galaxy Watch8 series is the first smartwatch to offer this.
That’s our initial look at the Galaxy Watch8 series. Don’t forget to check out other devices announced at Unpacked, including the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 series.
