{"id":34319,"date":"2025-07-30T12:42:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T12:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/34319\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T12:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T12:42:11","slug":"samsung-galaxy-watch-8-review-stuck-in-a-familiar-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/34319\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 review: stuck in a familiar orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"

If last year\u2019s Samsung Galaxy Watch 7<\/a> was tried and true, this year\u2019s Galaxy Watch 8 is a bit more like tried and fine.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t overtly bad. Most smartwatch newbies will be delighted by the $349.99 Galaxy Watch 8 \u2014 provided they can stomach the new squircle design. It\u2019s more that if you\u2019ve been a fan of Samsung smartwatches, it feels like Samsung has more or less been retreading safe, dependable ground with incremental tweaks since the Galaxy Watch 5<\/a>. Aside from Gemini, there\u2019s not much here that moves Android smartwatches forward. Truly, on the hardware side of things, the squircle is the Galaxy Watch 8\u2019s main talking point.<\/p>\n

\"Wide<\/a>\"Wide<\/a><\/p>\n

$350<\/p>\n

The GoodThe squircle grew on me It\u2019s a good, dependable smartwatchI see the vision for Gemini on the wristThe BadSome people will never love squirclesPrice hike, in this economy?! No thanksGemini on the wrist is sometimes stupid<\/p>\n

Let me just get this out of the way. Yes, I\u2019ve read all your screeds in the comments about how the squircle is an aesthetic sin. When I first saw photo renders of the Galaxy Watch 8, I, too, internally screamed and called it \u201ca watchface only a mother could love.\u201d While I always aspire to Kendrick Lamar levels of haterade, I must regretfully tell you that the Galaxy Watch 8\u2019s squircle is barely noticeable on the wrist. Maybe it\u2019s the silver-and-white combo of my review unit creating an optical illusion or maybe Samsung hired a warlock to cast a high-level Stockholm syndrome spell on my eyeballs. I don\u2019t hate the squircle on this watch, and I suspect you won\u2019t either.<\/p>\n

As for why Samsung did this, I\u2019m sorry, but its reasons have functional credit. The watch is thinner, sits flatter against your skin, and is more comfortable.<\/p>\n

Material: aluminum, sapphire crystalProcessor: Exynos W1000, 32GB storage, 2GB RAMDisplay: 40mm: 1.34\u201d, 44mm: 1.47\u201d; OLED, 3,000 nitsOS: Wear OS 6, One UI 8 WatchConnectivity: LTE, Wi-Fi, BluetoothDimensions: 40mm: 42.7mm x 40.4mm x 8.6mm; 44mm: 46mm x 43.7mm x 8.6mmWeight: 40mm: 30g; 44mm: 34gBattery: 40mm: 325mAh, up to 30 hours with AOD; 44mm: 435mAh, up to 30 hours with AODSensors: 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor (blood oxygen, heart rate, EKG, BIA), accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, compass, gyroscope, temperature sensorGPS: dual-frequency GPSWater resistance: 5ATM, IP68NFC: yesCompatibility: Android only \u2014 some features like EKG and sleep apnea detection require Galaxy phone<\/p>\n

Spec-wise, you\u2019re not getting anything the Galaxy Watch 7 doesn\u2019t already have. The processor is the same, as is the BioActive sensor. The battery is a skosh bigger in the Galaxy Watch 8, but we\u2019re talking 325mAh compared to last year\u2019s 300mAh for the 40mm model. (The larger 44mm watch gets an even smaller battery bump; 435mAh compared to 425mAh.) That means battery life is also relatively unchanged. You still need to charge daily, but anecdotally, the Galaxy Watch 8 is reliable at getting you through the day and then some, even with the always-on display enabled. The screen is also brighter with a maximum 3,000 nits to 2,000 nits, but I didn\u2019t see a major difference, even under direct sunlight.<\/p>\n

I largely agree with my colleague Allison Johnson\u2019s initial impressions of Gemini on the wrist<\/a>. It can be a lifesaver when your hands are full or you don\u2019t want to whip out your phone. I\u2019m less interested in Gemini answering low-stakes queries. The draw for me is that Gemini can handle more complex, sequential tasks and prompts. But as with all AI, the more complex the task, the more trial and error you need to endure.<\/p>\n

While shooting these photos, I asked Gemini to \u201clook up nearby coffee shops and send them to Amelia on Slack.\u201d It gave me two suggestions 40 blocks away and then told me it wasn\u2019t integrated with Slack yet so I couldn\u2019t send that message. Oops. A prompt to create a \u201cK-pop-inspired running playlist for a 30-minute run\u201d was decent, even if it included a few songs that weren\u2019t K-pop. I prompted Gemini to tell me to carry an umbrella anytime it rains in my current location. That was less successful. Gemini could save in its memory that I don\u2019t like rain. It\u2019s adept at telling me the forecast if I ask. But it has yet to set reminders to carry an umbrella when I ask if it\u2019s going to rain. This will obviously require more experimenting on my part to see if this is even possible.<\/p>\n

Gemini is promising if you\u2019re patient enough to experiment. Sometimes, I sit watching Gemini do its thing and think, \u201cIt\u2019d be much faster if I just did this.\u201d My hunch is that people who \u201cget\u201d AI will enjoy experimenting. Everyone else might end up using it just like Assistant or ignoring it after a few failed attempts.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

Gemini holds promise for patient people who like experimenting with what AI can do. Also, you really don\u2019t notice that squircle.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the new health features are a mixed bag. There\u2019s an Antioxidant Index that gauges whether you\u2019re eating enough fruits and veggies by detecting the carotenoid levels in your skin. I wrote a deeper dive into that<\/a>, but the short of it is I fooled it with a Cheez-It, a piece of broccoli, and a blackberry that exploded, irrevocably staining parts of this watch purple. Did I increase my fruit and veggie intake in the pursuit of testing this feature? Yes, absolutely. It could be useful for level-setting when you start a new diet, but I suspect most people will forget to use this once the novelty wears off. Also, do you need a smartwatch to tell you to eat more fruits and veg? Probably not.<\/p>\n

Another new feature is Vascular Load. It\u2019s fine. The idea is to monitor how stressed your vascular system (aka your veins) is when you sleep and compare it to certain factors like sleep duration or exercise. This is a nebulous metric. A stressed vascular system may indicate\u2026 worse health? A higher likelihood of chronic illness? Samsung is vague here because it falls under the wide umbrella of wellness features. A good or bad score isn\u2019t meant to tell you anything other than \u201ccheck what your recent lifestyle choices have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

I liked the Running Coach program the most. You start with a 12-minute test run, and it grades you on a level of one through 10. I was miffed when it deemed me, a runner with a decade of experience, at a dismal level three. In fairness, this is a test that heavily weights pace. It\u2019s hot as balls out here, and I\u2019m keeping things slow and steady after a few recent injuries. After deflating my ego, I\u2019d say this was a fair assessment of where I\u2019m at right now, based on the program it generated for me. I\u2019m currently in the middle of an injury recovery program, but after perusing my plan and the various levels, I found the workouts were well-structured.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Running Coach was my favorite of the new health features, even if it heavily focuses on pace. Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Antioxidant Index helped me eat more fruits and veggies. It also got fooled by a Cheez-It. Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I have no idea what my Vascular Load metric means other than it\u2019s steady? Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a new widget layout that I very much enjoy. Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Despite the hit-or-miss health features, I maintain this is a great smartwatch, even if I don\u2019t like the $50 price hike. It\u2019s more that this mix of upgrades doesn\u2019t feel compelling.<\/p>\n

The telling thing is Samsung\u2019s most significant wearable innovation in recent memory was last year\u2019s Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a> and Galaxy Ring<\/a>. Even then, the former felt like it copied Apple\u2019s homework. The latter was a clear ecosystem play. I found the Galaxy Watch FE<\/a> underwhelming, but at least Samsung was shaking things up. Against that chaos, it was easier to appreciate the Galaxy Watch 7 sticking to its guns. In a year where a squircle design you introduced last year and an AI assistant made by another company are your big updates, sticking to your guns feels more like stagnation.<\/p>\n

When I wrote my Galaxy Watch 6 review<\/a> two years ago, I asked how long Samsung could continue to coast. It\u2019s a bummer to be sitting here, two years later, pondering the same question.<\/p>\n

Agree to Continue: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8<\/p>\n

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it \u2014 contracts that no one actually reads. It\u2019s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit \u201cagree\u201d to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don\u2019t read and definitely can\u2019t negotiate.<\/p>\n

To use the Galaxy Watch 8, you must pair it with an Android phone. That includes whatever terms of service or privacy policies that phone requires. As for Samsung and Wear OS 6, you\u2019ll have five mandatory agreements.<\/p>\n

There are also several optional permissions for features that may use voice, location, or camera. If you download a third-party app, like Strava or Calm, you\u2019ll have to agree to their terms and share your health data with them, as well. You may also have to agree to the Samsung Pay terms of service and privacy policies if you opt to use that service. You may also have to grant additional permissions if you choose to download the Samsung Health Monitor for EKG readings.<\/p>\n

Final tally: six mandatory agreements and numerous optional permissions and agreements.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Victoria SongClose\"VictoriaVictoria Song<\/p>\n

Senior Reviewer, Wearable Tech<\/p>\n

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All by Victoria Song<\/a><\/p>\n

FitnessCloseFitness<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Fitness<\/a><\/p>\n

Fitness Tracker ReviewsCloseFitness Tracker Reviews<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Fitness Tracker Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n

GadgetsCloseGadgets<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Gadgets<\/a><\/p>\n

ReviewsCloseReviews<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n

SmartwatchCloseSmartwatch<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Smartwatch<\/a><\/p>\n

Smartwatch ReviewsCloseSmartwatch Reviews<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Smartwatch Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n

TechCloseTech<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Tech<\/a><\/p>\n

WearableCloseWearable<\/p>\n

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n

PlusFollow<\/p>\n

See All Wearable<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If last year\u2019s Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 was tried and true, this year\u2019s Galaxy Watch 8 is a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34320,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[49,48,407,25966,195,209,226,17774,64,61,227],"class_list":{"0":"post-34319","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-fitness-tracker-reviews","12":"tag-gadgets","13":"tag-reviews","14":"tag-smartwatch","15":"tag-smartwatch-reviews","16":"tag-tech","17":"tag-technology","18":"tag-wearable"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}