Since Samsung returned to making Wear OS watches, it’s hard to look past the Galaxy Watch series, and the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic feel absolutely no different once again.
Trying the tight corners all together
The biggest visual change you’ll spot right away is how boxy the Galaxy Watch 8 lineup looks compared to previous generations. Side-by-side with the Pixel Watch and it’s quite stark. Samsung says that this change should improve the durability, and it’s hard to argue.
In particular, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic now feels like a mini version of the Watch 8 Ultra. Sadly, there isn’t much to discuss on that “update.” It’s merely a refresh with a new blue colorway with a bump to the base storage. To be honest, there’s little to no reason to even look at it, as the chipset is older and you’re not really getting the cutting edge, just a number bump. I’d say wait for the expected refresh – likely next year.
Sharper lines and a more durable build are one thing, but like almost all of Samsung’s 2025 releases, the chunk is getting stripped. The Galaxy Watch 8 is up to 11% slimmer than last year. I figured that wouldn’t make a huge difference, but it doesn’t protrude from your wrist quite as much. So, snagging, something I find annoying with just about any wearable, is not as much of a problem.
There’s a secondary benefit, though. It’s flatter on your wrist, so the connection with the rear sensor stack should be better. I can’t say for certain that this has improved health tracking data, but I’m hoping it helps give even more accurate things like heart rate data and other data points. I’ll put it to the test as soon as I’m able.
The 3000 nit display is gorgeous, but I think the Galaxy Watch 8 suffers a little from “moonface” with so much extra metal around the panel boundary. It’s more visible on the Watch 8 Classic as the rotating bezel sticks out like a sore thumb. The regular model is cleaner, clearer, and looks the best. Sure, you miss out on utility, but the bezel looks tacky to my eye.
Samsung has switched up the Galaxy Watch lug connector in favor of the Ultra’s “Dynamic Lug” system. In theory, it’s a great change. In practice, I haven’t yet mastered it. You need to get your nail in to pop the strap out. I do like the simplicity, just know it’ll take a little while to master.
One UI 8 strikes again
I’m smitten with One UI as of late, but I can’t quite say the same for the latest skin atop Wear OS. On my watch I want much more simplicity and Samsung’s take on menu controls, button combos, and the layout are a little confusing when you’ve used a Pixel Watch for some time.
That said, it’s great to see the Now Bar make the jump. It’s nice to get extra pop-up glanceable information that is extra to the watch face. Okay, hear me out. If you like a clean or minimal watch face, you don’t want tons of complications clogging up the screen. The tiny little floating bar does it better, and you can dismiss it when you want. I’m excited to try this out further, as it felt like a great implementation for things like timers, reminders, and alarms.
The new Tiles also work better than the old left-to-right list. One page with everything scrollable helps with your muscle memory when you’ve come from a Samsung phone. There’s no confusion and feels like an extension of the Quick Settings or notification panel on your phone. I like the change, but I can definitely forsee people hating it.
One of the biggest software additions to One UI 8 Watch on the Galaxy Watch 8 is undoubtedly Gemini. The AI tool will replace the Google Assistant and even testing very, very briefly, it is a massive step up in speed and accuracy. Provided you’re connected to your phone or on a Wi-Fi connection it’s almost instant. There is barely any processing time. Maybe the next W1000 chip is handling the processing, but I was shocked how much better the experience is than the existing on-watch Assistant.
Setting timers, starting workouts, or getting a 5-day food plan is just like on your phone, tablet, or desktop. I even tried to generate an image, but while it didn’t display on the watch screen, it displayed within the Gemini log on a test phone. So while there are limitations due to screen size, it’s practically the full-fat experience with some caveats. Just how you’ll use it is up to you, but getting Gemini in more places is no doubt going to be a great move for Google.
Initial thoughts
When you get less than an hour to test drive a watch, there aren’t many features beyond surface-level usability options you can test thoroughly. The new design is typically Samsung, a refinement of something we’ve seen before. It’s tweaked and tuned in the right ways, though.
The regular Galaxy Watch 8 feels like the biggest upgrade in some time. I’m not fully sold on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic changes. Maybe it worked better with the traditional circular form. The bezel feels out of place on a boxy shape and looks awful in the lighter colors. It cheapens a sleek-looking wearable.
2025 has been a solid year for Samsung so far. Stick to the tried and true playbook, don’t throw things out for the sake of it and reap the rewards of the refinements. The Galaxy Watch 8 lineup feels like that could be the case again. Stay tuned for a full review in the coming weeks to see if that does track.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Galaxy Watch 8 are now open through Samsung.com with up to $1,100 in trade-in values, plus an additional $50 in Samsung credit when you order through 9to5Google’s links below.
- Galaxy Watch 8 at Samsung.com
- Galaxy Watch 8 Classic at Samsung.com
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Samsung.com
- Galaxy Z Flip 7 at Samsung.com
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