Samsung has certainly made a big splash with its Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event and its brand new series of foldables, but the features of the new Galaxy Watch 8 also deserve some credit. The company’s new Galaxy Watch 8 series includes two options, the base Galaxy Watch 8 and the more expensive Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Samsung also released an updated Galaxy Watch Ultra, but we’ll leave that conversation for another day.
From the look of things, the upgrades to the Galaxy Watch 8 are apparent in both design and functionality. Keeping with the theme of “thinness,” the new Galaxy Watch 8 is reportedly the thinnest watch made by the company despite its appearance, and it also features an improved battery to boot. The Watch 8 health sensors are of particular note, with the device reportedly capable of detecting an ectopic heartbeat as a way of picking out early signs of more concerning ailments. Serving its purpose as a fitness tracker in all the ways that count, the Galaxy Watch 8 specs are formidable, if limited.
Presenting Some Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Features That You Might Have Missed
The newly released Galaxy Watch 8 is interesting for many reasons, not the least of which is its design. The smartwatch features quite an enormous dial, available in two sizes, 44mm or 40mm, and two finishes, Graphite or Silver. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is even bigger at 46mm, and it comes in Black and White. The latter revives the rotating bezel surrounding its display, a feature that many fans have rejoiced over. Both iterations have a similar design, featuring a circular screen over a more squircle-shaped aluminum case.
The design certainly helps it stand out, but the aesthetic appeal is just one part of the deal. The 3000-nit display is 50% brighter than its predecessor, and Samsung promises that the battery has also been improved. Depending on the size, the battery capacity varies, with the 44mm Galaxy Watch 8 featuring a 435mAh battery, and the 40mm version showcasing a 325mAh battery. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has the biggest battery of all at 445mAh.
The battery improvements aren’t groundbreaking, particularly when you consider that a brighter screen might drain them faster, but it is an upgrade nonetheless. The most interesting of the sensors is the Samsung BioActive Sensor, which combines an Optical Bio-signal Sensor, an Electrical Heart Signal, and a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and works to provide an Antioxidant index to measure your carotenoids in order to help you in your pursuit of healthy aging. There are a few other Galaxy Watch 8 features that might be of interest to you.
Fitness Tracking Is Among the Big Upgrades Promised by the Galaxy Watch 8
Marketed as the “thinnest, most comfortable Galaxy Watch ever,” the Galaxy Watch 8 series features the Exynos W1000, with Samsung claiming that the “most powerful 3nm processor delivers faster performance and greater power efficiency.” The chip is essentially the same as the older Galaxy Watch 7, so the promise of “most advanced” wavers a little right off the bat. The Running Coach is an upgraded feature for fitness enthusiasts who want to track their outdoor activity, with the tool ascribing a fitness score between 1 to 10, along with a tailored activity plan to keep them on track to meet their goals.
The additional Together feature will allow you to turn the solo journey into a group one by pairing your fitness journey with your loved ones. The Galaxy Watch 8 features also mention an AI-powered Energy Score, so you can review your physical and mental metrics together to determine where you need to make changes in your life.
If you’re someone who is prone to stressing more than the average Joe, the High Stress Alert could be a great way to remind yourself to take a break and dial down the emotions, and you can do this with the Mindfulness Tracker that’s also built into the watch’s (or app’s) capabilities. The Antioxidant index is another key feature of the upgrades, allowing users to measure carotenoids in just five seconds through its advanced, light-activated BioActive sensor. This is one of the more unique features offered by the Galaxy Watch 8 that you might not find on competitors.
Sleep Better With the New Samsung Watch
Wearing a smartwatch to sleep is not the most comfortable proposition, but there can be various benefits to tracking your sleep metrics as well. The Galaxy Watch 8 features a Bedtime Guidance function to measure your circadian rhythm and determine the optimal bedtime for you, aiding in getting your sleep habits under control more easily. It can also help detect signs of sleep apnea, alerting you to the importance of taking action to address the condition more actively.
The Vascular Load metric is also interesting, offering a way to monitor the stress levels on your vascular system as you sleep. The quality of your sleep can determine your quality of life to a great degree, which is why these metrics are so important to track and improve upon. If you’re an AI enthusiast, you’ll also like knowing that the Galaxy Watch 8 series comes with Gemini integration and voice command capabilities.
Will You Be Buying the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?
The Galaxy Watch 8 specs will come with Wear OS 6 based on One UI 8, which should soon be available on the Galaxy 7 series as well. Of course, all of these upgrades promised by the Galaxy Watch 8 series are tied to the Samsung Health app and not necessarily to the watches themselves, so older users could also stand to benefit from them. However, Samsung clarifies that the Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index will be available only with the “Galaxy Watch Ultra or later released Galaxy Watch series.”
The Running Coach should be available on the Watch 7, but not on the older models. To truly experience the full extent of the features with the Galaxy Watch 8, you do need the Samsung BioSensor, so it makes sense that older models will not be able to use them, however, excluding the Watch 7 from some of the big upgrades of the Galaxy Watch 8 is a bold move.
All things considered, if you already own the Watch 7, the newer features are not tantalizing enough to consider an upgrade, but if you’re currently running on an older version and don’t mind the aesthetics of the Galaxy Watch 8, the features could make it well worth your time and money. If you’ve held off from purchasing a Samsung Galaxy watch entirely, now might be a good time to invest in one and get your health and fitness in order. The two watches are currently available to pre-order, and they will become widely available on July 25, 2025, so they could be yours by the end of the month.
Do you think Samsung has made enough of an upgrade with the Galaxy Watch 8 features and specs? Let us know what you think. Subscribe to Technowize for more reviews of the latest gadgets making a debut in 2025.
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