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Summary
- The Galaxy Watch 8 offers the same squircle design as the Watch Ultra while maintaining a slim and lightweight profile.
- The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic offers the same versatility, but with a physical rotating bezel and a traditional look.
- Both the smartwatches run on One UI 8 Watch, which provides features like Bedtime Guidance and Running Coach.
If you’re in the market for a new smartwatch to pair with your Android smartphone, Samsung has just dropped the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which are among the hot options right now. Given that both are Samsung’s latest wearables, which one should you choose? Let me help you figure it out.
Price & Availability
The Galaxy Watch 8’s 40mm Wi-Fi and LTE variants cost $349.99 and $399.99, respectively. If you decide to go with the 44mm variant, you’d have to spend $379.99 for the Wi-Fi and $429.99 for the LTE variant.
The Watch 8 Classic is available at $499.99 for the Wi-Fi and $549.99 for the LTE variants.
|
Galaxy Watch 8 |
Galaxy Watch 8 Classic |
||
|
40mm Wi-Fi |
$349.99 |
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40mm LTE |
$399.99 |
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44mm Wi-Fi |
$379.99 |
46mm Wi-Fi |
$499.99 |
|
44mm LTE |
$429.99 |
46mm LTE |
$549.99 |
Touch-Based vs. Physical Bezel
The Galaxy Watch 8, unlike the Watch 7, adapts the squircle design we’ve seen on the original Galaxy Watch Ultra (and to be honest, it confuses me a little). It offers a perfectly circular display tucked into a square-shaped casing with rounded edges. To the right of the screen, you get two buttons. And yes, the smartwatch offers touch-based rotating bezel functionality.
Now, the Watch 8 Classic also features the squircle design, but it is much more chunky than the regular version. The Classic variant is around 23% thicker (8.6mm vs. 10.6mm) and weighs almost twice as much as the Watch 8. It gets three buttons on the side, including the two on the Watch 8, and a customizable Quick Button (borrowed from the Watch Ultra).
The Classic also gets a physical rotating bezel, a fan-favorite feature that has returned to the lineup after two years.
The regular smartwatch comes in two sizes: 40mm and 44mm. On the other hand, the Classic version ships in a 46mm variant only (and despite that, it has a smaller screen). While the Watch 8 has an aluminum frame, the Watch 8 Classic uses stainless steel for the rotating bezel and case.
Talking about durability, both the smartwatches come with an official IP68 dust and water resistance rating, are immersible up to 50 meters (5ATM), and comply with the MIL-STD-810H standard for usage in harsh environmental conditions.
However, Samsung doesn’t market either of the smartwatches as “rugged,” and hence, you should think twice before carrying them for activities that include exposure to high-velocity or high-pressure water. Shallow swimming, showering, and general household or gym activities shouldn’t be an issue, though.
The regular Galaxy Watch is available in two colors: Graphite and Silver. The Classic variant also sells in two colors: Black and White.
I’d say that the Watch 8 looks like a sophisticated, modern smartwatch, while the Classic (as the name suggests) looks more like a traditional timepiece.
Galaxy Watch 8’s 44MM Variant Offers Bigger Screen
As I mentioned, the Galaxy Watch 8 comes in two sizes. The smaller 40mm variant sports a 1.34-inch screen, while the bigger 44mm variant features a 1.47-inch screen; both of them use a Super AMOLED panel with 3,000 nits peak brightness.
Even though it has bigger dimensions, the Classic variant packs in a smaller 1.34-inch Super AMOLED screen (with similar peak brightness). Further, the sapphire crystal glass protection is common on both smartwatches.
To summarize, the screen on the Watch 8 Classic is similar in size to that on the 40mm Watch 8, and smaller than the one on the 44mm Watch 8.
One UI 8 Watch Offers Several New Features
All the models in the Galaxy Watch 8 lineup run on Samsung’s One UI 8 Watch user interface (based on Wear OS 6). It comes with several new features. For instance, you get multi-info tiles, Now Bar, and Gemini AI assistant (it’s worth mentioning that this feature isn’t available on a Google Pixel watch yet).
Both the regular and the Classic versions get new fitness-tracking abilities as well. They include Bedtime Guidance (creates a personalized sleeping schedule), Running Coach (helps you improve your running proficiency), and Vascular Load (determines your baseline vascular stress and monitors trends).
The Watch 8 series can also monitor the antioxidant level in your body. Keep in mind that these features are in addition to what the Galaxy Watch 7 can already do, including but not limited to measuring blood-oxygen levels, ECG, body composition estimation via the BioActive sensor, and sleep apnea detection (FDA-approved).
Watch 8 Lineup Is Powered by the Exynos W1000 Chip
Released with the Watch 7 in 2024, Exynos W1000 (3nm) is a powerful processor by wearable standards. In general, it can handle everything you do on the smartwatch, including the background processes that analyze and interpret data from multiple sensors and present it in a graphical format before you, with ease.
Given that the processor is based on Samsung’s 3nm fabrication technology, it consumes much less power than its predecessor, which, in turn, increases the effective battery life on the Watch 8 series.
Regarding memory, both the regular and the classic versions get 2GB of RAM. But when it comes to storage, Watch 8 settles with 32GB of storage (which should be enough for most users), while Watch 8 Classic gets 64GB of onboard storage.
Personally, I’ve never run out of storage on a 32GB smartwatch, but if you have, the Watch 8 Classic could be a better option.
Both Galaxy Watches Offer Similar Battery Life
The 40mm Galaxy Watch 8 features a 325 mAh battery, while the 44mm version has a 435 mAh battery. Similarly, the Watch 8 Classic also features a 445 mAh battery.
Despite having different battery capacities, all the models offer up to 30 hours of usage time with an always-on display enabled, and up to 40 hours without the feature.
Though Samsung has rated both the watches equally, I believe that the Watch 8 Classic should last longer between charges, as it has a bigger battery and a smaller screen.
What About Connectivity Options?
Both smartwatches offer dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS (L1 + L5), and NFC connectivity.
On the regular Watch 8, you get an option to select Wi-Fi or LTE connectivity, while the Watch 8 Classic also offers Wi-Fi or LTE connectivity.
Which Smartwatch Is Right for You?
If you’re looking for a sleeker, minimal smartwatch with a larger screen, and you don’t mind missing out on the physical rotating bezel, you can’t go wrong with the regular Galaxy Watch 8.
However, if you’re into chunky yet classic wrist watch designs, and you can’t miss out on the tactile bezel experience, the Watch 8 Classic could be the better option for you. Thanks to the stainless steel build, the watch also has a premium heft to it.
Given that the two smartwatches share the software, hardware (including the screen and processor), the only real difference lies in the design and storage, if that matters to you. Obviously, both watches work best with Samsung smartphones.
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- Brand
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Samsung
- Operating System
-
Wear OS
- CPU
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Exynos W1000 (5 Core , 3nm)
- RAM
-
2GB
- Storage
-
32GB
- Dimensions
-
43.7 x 46.0 x 8.6t
Now thinner and more comfortable, the Galaxy Watch 8 adds new health-tracking features like sleep apnea detection and antioxidant readings.
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- Brand
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Samsung
- Operating System
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Wear OS
- Display Size
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1.34 inches
- CPU
-
Exynos W1000 (5 Core , 3nm)
- RAM
-
2GB
- Storage
-
64GB
The rotating bezel is back, offering satisfying control in a redesigned body. It’s a blend of old and new, though not everyone will love the Ultra-inspired look.
If you’ve come this far, you might be interested in reading my comparisons between the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025), Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. OnePlus Open, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Moto Razr Ultra (2025).
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