Samsung's latest wearable offering represents a bold design shift that prioritizes form factor over endurance. The Galaxy Watch 8 introduces a controversial squircle design language while delivering significant improvements in comfort and usability, though not without notable trade-offs that potential buyers should carefully consider.
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| The sleek design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 emphasizes its innovative squircle shape |
Revolutionary Design Philosophy Changes Everything
The Galaxy Watch 8 abandons traditional circular smartwatch aesthetics in favor of what Samsung calls a cushion design. This squircle shape, borrowed from last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra, now defines the entire 2025 lineup. The design serves dual purposes: establishing a unique visual identity separate from Apple Watch competitors and enabling better internal component distribution. This engineering approach allows Samsung to achieve an impressive 8.6mm thickness across both size variants, down from 9.7mm on the previous Galaxy Watch 7. The 40mm model weighs just 30 grams, while the 44mm version adds only four grams, making these among the lightest Wear OS smartwatches available.
Performance and Health Tracking Capabilities
Running One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6, the Galaxy Watch 8 delivers comprehensive health monitoring through Samsung's BioActive sensor suite. The central Energy Score feature grades daily energy levels out of 100, incorporating sleep tracking, activity data, and other biometric inputs to provide personalized recommendations. While the system tends to overestimate energy levels while conservatively suggesting rest periods, it consistently prioritizes user wellbeing over aggressive fitness goals. The dual-band GPS and heart rate monitoring perform adequately for most users, though they don't quite match the precision of dedicated fitness devices like Garmin watches.
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| A close-up view of the back sensors of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, essential for its health monitoring capabilities |
Critical Settings for Optimal Experience
New Galaxy Watch 8 owners should immediately address three key configuration areas to maximize their device's potential. Battery optimization through Modes and Routines allows users to automatically enable Power Saving mode during specific time periods, such as office hours, extending the watch's operational time significantly. Notification management requires manual intervention, as Samsung only enables alerts for select apps by default - users must navigate to the Wearable app's notification settings and either individually enable desired apps or select Allow all for comprehensive coverage. The new Multi-Info Tiles feature in One UI 8 Watch provides customizable information displays that can be tailored through long-press editing or by adding new tile widgets from supported applications.
Battery Life Remains the Achilles' Heel
Despite Wear OS 6's promised efficiency improvements, battery performance represents the Galaxy Watch 8's most significant weakness. Real-world usage often requires two 30-minute charging sessions daily - one before bedtime and another in the morning - to maintain adequate power for sleep tracking and full-day operation. While Samsung claims 30 hours of battery life with always-on display enabled, heavy users who exceed 150 minutes of recorded activities will see substantially reduced longevity. The watch does charge relatively quickly, reaching full capacity in approximately 80 minutes, but the frequent charging requirement increases the likelihood of forgetting to wear the device.
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| The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 displaying essential metrics, emphasizing the challenges with its battery life |
Pricing and Market Position
The Galaxy Watch 8 starts at USD 349.99 for the 40mm model, representing a USD 50 increase over its predecessor. The 44mm variant costs USD 379, with optional LTE connectivity adding another USD 50. This positioning places it competitively against the Google Pixel Watch 3, though Samsung's offering provides superior thinness at 8.6mm compared to the rumored 14mm thickness of the upcoming Pixel Watch 4. Trade-in deals and promotional credits can significantly reduce the actual purchase price, with some users reporting final costs as low as USD 130.
Software Integration and User Experience
One UI 8 Watch presents health and fitness data in an engaging, colorful interface that encourages regular interaction. However, the dual-layer approach of Wear OS 6 and Samsung's customizations occasionally creates confusion, with multiple methods available for identical tasks such as voice dictation. Navigation relies heavily on the digital bezel system, which some users find gimmicky, while the two side buttons feel underutilized compared to the three-button configuration found on Classic and Ultra models. The absence of a customizable Quick Button on the base model limits personalization options for power users.