Samsung Galaxy Watch8 & Watch8 Classic Hands-On: Sleeker Design, Better Health Tracking, and Rotating Bezel Returns

Samsung has just unveiled the latest additions to its smartwatch lineup — Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch8 Classic. We went hands-on with both wearables to give you an early look at what’s new and improved.

New “Cushion Design” & Premium Build

Both models adopt Samsung’s new "cushion design", first introduced with the Galaxy Watch Ultra. This means a modern squircle-shaped body paired with a round AMOLED display. Thanks to the new Dynamic Lug system, the Watch8 sits closer to your wrist, promising improved accuracy in health and fitness tracking.

However, the trade-off is that the Watch8 series uses proprietary straps, meaning standard 22mm bands from previous models like the Watch7 are no longer compatible. The good news? Samsung offers plenty of stylish strap options.

Sizes, Display & Colors

Galaxy Watch8: Available in 40mm (1.34") and 44mm (1.47"), in Graphite and Silver.

Galaxy Watch8 Classic: Comes in a single 46mm size with Black and White options. Oddly, it uses the smaller 1.34-inch display, same as the 40mm Watch8.

Both models feature AMOLED displays with Sapphire Crystal and an impressive 3,000 nits peak brightness, making them highly visible in bright sunlight.

Build Quality & Software

Watch8: Titanium casing — thin and ultra-light at just 8.6mm thick.

Watch8 Classic: Stainless steel body with the return of the rotating bezel — a favorite feature among long-time Galaxy Watch users.

Under the hood, both run One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6, bringing:

Grouped notifications

Multi-info tiles

Samsung’s Now Bar

New health features: Bedtime Guidance, Vascular Load, Antioxidant Index, and Running Coach

Performance & Battery

Powered by the Exynos W1000 chipset

Watch8: 2GB RAM + 32GB storage

Watch8 Classic: 2GB RAM + 64GB storage

Battery life claims:

40mm Watch8: 325mAh

44mm Watch8: 435mAh

Watch8 Classic: 445mAh

Samsung promises up to 40 hours with Always-on Display off, or 30 hours with AoD on.

Pricing

Galaxy Watch8 (32GB) – €379.00

Galaxy Watch8 Classic (64GB) – €529.00