Galaxy Watch 8 at a Glance — Why Samsung’s Next Watch Matters
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 family is more than an annual spec bump. Think squircle chassis across the board, Galaxy AI coaching baked into Wear OS 5, and a welcome return of the rotating bezel on the Classic model. Three sizes, bigger batteries, and 64 GB of storage round out what looks like Samsung’s most serious Apple Watch challenger yet.
Release Date & Pricing
| Model | Expected Launch | US Price (leaked) | EU Price (rumoured) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch 8 (40 mm / 44 mm) | July 2025 Unpacked | $299 / $329 | €329 / €359 |
| Watch 8 Classic (46 mm) | July 2025 | $399 | €449 |
| Watch Ultra 2025 | July 2025 | $599 | €649 |
Pre-orders should open the day of Unpacked with a bonus fabric strap and free Samsung Care+ for early birds.
Specs Snapshot
| Component | Galaxy Watch 8 | Watch 8 Classic | Watch Ultra 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Exynos W1000 (3 nm, quad-core 1.6 GHz) | Same | Same |
| Storage / RAM | 64 GB / 2 GB | 64 GB / 2 GB | 64 GB / 2 GB |
| Display | 1.3″ or 1.47″ Super AMOLED · 2 000 nits | 1.47″ Super AMOLED · rotating bezel | 1.6″ Super AMOLED · flat sapphire |
| Battery | 380 mAh / 425 mAh | 510 mAh | 600 mAh |
| Sensors | BioActive 5 (HR, SpO₂, ECG, skin-temp) | Same | Same + depth gauge |
| Build | Armor Aluminum · IP68 · MIL-STD | Stainless steel | Titanium · 10 ATM |
| OS | Wear OS 5 + One UI Watch 7 | Wear OS 5 + One UI Watch 7 | Wear OS 5 + One UI Watch 7 |
Design — The Squircle Era
Samsung is giving every model the squircle silhouette introduced on last year’s Ultra, shrinking bezels and making room for larger batteries. The vanilla Watch 8 opts for Armor Aluminum in Graphite, Mint, and Lavender, while the Classic adds a polished stainless option in Silver or Navy with that much-loved rotating bezel. The Ultra sticks with a rugged titanium case and a bold new Sunset Orange sport band.
Galaxy AI & Health Upgrades
- Galaxy AI Coach learns your sleep, stress, and workout history, then serves weekly fitness “missions.”
- Real-time Lift Form uses the new accelerometer to call out sloppy curls or squats mid-rep.
- Heart-Guard 2.0 flags potential AFib faster thanks to tighter GPS + heart-rate sync.
- Stress-Check rolls out guided breathing that adapts to your HRV trends throughout the day.
Battery Life, Charging & Performance Gains
With 3 nm silicon and bigger cells all-round, Samsung touts:
- Watch 8 (44 mm): up to 38 hours mixed use
- Watch 8 Classic: 48 hours typical use
- Watch Ultra 2025: 60 hours, or 12 hours GPS workout
New FastCharge 2.0 hits 45 % in 20 minutes and tops off in just under an hour.
Wear OS 5 + One UI Watch 7 Highlights
- Vertical app grid with jump-to-letter search
- Dynamic Complications — long-press any watch face element to swap stats on the fly
- Double-pinch hand gesture answers calls, launches timers, or snaps the phone camera
- SmartThings Live Tiles turn the watch into a mini home remote, complete with live camera thumbnails
Early Verdict
The Galaxy Watch 8 series feels like Samsung finally merging style, stamina and smarts into one family. Squircle design brings consistency, Galaxy AI promises smarter coaching, and the Classic’s rotating bezel scratches that tactile itch Apple still ignores. If you’re eyeing a 2025 wrist upgrade, hold fire until Unpacked — this could be the year Samsung closes the gap for good.
Your turn: Are you team Rotating Bezel or all-screen minimalism? Drop your pick (and size) below!