The rotating bezel was, for thus lengthy, a easy but well-executed function that set Samsung’s smartwatches aside from the smartwatch crowd.
When Samsung ditched its personal Tizen OS for one more stab at Google WearOS, that much-loved bezel began to really feel much less of a fixture when it got here to interacting with Samsung’s smartwatches. Samsung even moved to supply a digital bezel different that merely didn’t supply that very same satisfying feeling of twisting a bodily one.
After selecting to skip the Galaxy Watch 7 Traditional final 12 months, Samsung modified its tune in 2025 and, at its newest Unpacked occasion, introduced the Galaxy Watch 8 collection and introduced the Traditional again.
The right mix?
The Samsung Watch 8 Traditional was formally unveiled alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 (and a refreshed Watch Extremely) and it’s honest to say there’s been some massive modifications because the Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional, all whereas holding that design function crowd-pleaser nonetheless in place.
For starters, there’s now only one dimension. On the Watch 6 Traditional, you had the decide of 43mm or 47mm sizes.
Mike Sawh
Now you’ll should accept a 46mm one which sits someplace within the center. There may be nonetheless the choice of Bluetooth or LTE connectivity fashions and also you now have the selection of black or white colors, which implies this isn’t the Samsung smartwatch you go for if you happen to like one thing with a playful look.
The absolutely spherical design is gone too, changed with one which mirrors the Galaxy Watch Extremely. It’s additionally grabbing the short button from Samsung’s outside smartwatch to make it really feel a bit like a smaller Extremely.
A Tremendous AMOLED show nonetheless shines brightly and it’s even brighter now, hitting a peak brightness of three,000 nits. Round that’s the bezel that’s again to being extra showy in comparison with the extra elegant one connected to the earlier Traditional.
Whenever you twist it, it’ll scroll by means of the app stream or the stream of widgets that, because of the software program change,s can now be achieved from a single display screen. With the UI modifications introduced by the introduction of WearOS 6, the bezel feels prefer it’s again to being extra helpful to have hanging round that display screen.
Mike Sawh
New well being monitoring smarts
The Traditional isn’t caught up to now by way of its capabilities to trace your health, well being and be extra helpful whenever you’re not doing a lung-busting exercise within the gymnasium.
It comes outfitted with Google Gemini AI, to make it the primary Put on OS smartwatch to pack it in addition to Put on OS 6. That is all the way down to Google’s transfer to part out its Assistant for an AI-powered one that ought to deal with extra complicated questions in a faster style.
Mike Sawh
There’s Samsung’s newest BioActive sensor, which now has the distinctive skill of letting you measure carotenoids (picture above), which is all to do with delving into the realms of antioxidants. That is the Antioxidant Index obtainable throughout the brand new vary.
By putting your thumb on that sensor for a five-second measurement, you could possibly make higher way of life choices that might assist stop persistent diseases and usually dwell a more healthy life. That’s so as to add to the ECG and blood stress capabilities that Samsung already provides by means of its newest sensor know-how.
In the event you’re planning to take the Galaxy Watch 8 Traditional to mattress, it’s getting the perfect of Samsung’s sleep monitoring as properly and that now contains the flexibility to watch the energy of your vascular system. A brand new bedtime steering function may even analyse sleep stress and your circadian rhythms to supply suggestions on when to go to mattress that’s extra in tune with what your physique wants.
Mike Sawh
Samsung is now turning on sleep apnea monitoring in additional nations and can let the Traditional faucet into Samsung SmartThings units to higher perceive your sleep atmosphere and grow to be extra of a sleep monitoring powerhouse.
Whereas the Traditional doesn’t scream sports activities or well being watch, it’s not in need of options on that entrance. Outside sports activities monitoring receives an enormous enhance with the addition of dual-band GPS, to enhance sign efficiency when operating or using close to tall buildings or going for a hike in deeply wooded areas.
Mike Sawh
Greater than a bezel
There are much more causes to be joyful for the Traditional’s return past a rotating bezel.
Those that have known as for it, also needs to be joyful that it’s getting the perfect that Samsung has to supply in software program options to present Samsung smartwatch followers an choice if the Galaxy Watch 8 feels too minimalist otherwise you’re simply not the adventurous kind to wish to strap on the Watch Extremely.
Samsung might need made among the finest smartwatches of 2025 right here. We’ll have a full evaluate quickly after some correct testing time.