Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Review: Is the New Smartwatch Worth the Upgrade?
Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy Watch8 series on July 9, 2025, during the Galaxy Unpacked event in Brooklyn. The new lineup consists of three models: the Galaxy Watch8, the Galaxy Watch8 Classic, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Hardware Specifications and Design
The entire Galaxy Watch8 series is powered by the 3nm Exynos W1000 chip, the same system-on-chip used in the preceding Galaxy Watch 7. All three models are equipped with 2GB of RAM. Storage capacity varies by model, with the entry-level Galaxy Watch8 featuring 32GB of onboard storage, although the Galaxy Watch8 Classic and Galaxy Watch Ultra provide 64GB.
The hardware suite includes Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and ECG sensors across the lineup. In terms of aesthetics, the series introduces a soft-edged cushion design, described as a “squircle” shape, and is marketed as having the thinnest design to date for the series.
AI Integration and Software
The Galaxy Watch8 series is the first smartwatch to integrate Google’s Gemini AI assistant. This multimodal AI allows users to operate key functions via voice control, providing support during daily routines and workouts. The devices run on One UI 8 Watch, which facilitates these smarter features and intuitive usability.
Health and Wellness Monitoring
Samsung has positioned the Galaxy Watch8 series as a personal health coach with several new tracking tools. A primary addition is Bedtime Guidance, which analyzes sleep patterns from the previous three days to recommend an ideal wind-down time for the user.
The series too introduces Vascular Load tracking, a feature that monitors stress on the vascular system during sleep. This tool integrates data from physical activity, stress levels, and sleep duration to provide a holistic view of cardiovascular health. Additional wellness tools include running coaching and antioxidant tracking.
Market Positioning
Early hands-on evaluations indicate that while the devices are comfortable and offer expanded AI capabilities, they carry a higher price tag than previous-generation models. The lineup includes a variety of options, including the Galaxy Watch Ultra available in Titanium Blue.
The devices have been released into a market where Samsung is simultaneously updating its wider ecosystem, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Flip FE.