Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Review: Solid but Unexciting

Value When Reviewed

From $349.99

Greatest Costs Right this moment: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

$349.99

It might need a brand new (albeit divisive) look, nevertheless it’s largely enterprise as common with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

We’re in a really unusual place with the Samsung Galaxy Watch vary. In a way, Samsung’s smartwatches have by no means been higher, and with 4 stable choices at present accessible, starting from the budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy Watch FE to the high-end Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely, it’s a good time to be a fan of all issues Samsung.

The issue is that when seen up shut, little or no has modified over the previous couple of years.

I completely adored the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 when that system got here to market with its Put on OS overhaul and a shiny future forward of it, however after having the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 on my wrist for about two weeks, I can’t say that each one an excessive amount of has modified within the time since.

It implies that until you’re a religious Samsung person, you would possibly need to see what else is on the market from the likes of Google Pixel, OnePlus, Huawei and others. That is arguably the final time that the corporate can relaxation on its laurels earlier than it turns into a a lot greater subject.

Design & Construct

• New, chunkier chassis echoes the Galaxy Watch Extremely
• Slimmer construct permits for a extra comfy match
• Dynamic Lug system generally is a bit finicky

The one space the place the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 has actually taken a step in a brand new route is with its design. Nicely, I say new in that it’s a distinct method for the mainline watch, nevertheless it’s actually an adaptation of the square-circle (aka ‘squircle’) design language of the Galaxy Watch Extremely.

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Now, as an alternative of getting the chassis kind an ideal circle across the display, there’s a bumper (Samsung calls it a ‘cushion’) protruding from the watch that’s extra distinguished on the corners, making the watch look extra like a rounded-off sq..

Talking to fellow tech journalists, it’s clear that the design is sort of divisive, however a lot to my very own shock, I truly fairly just like the look of it.

I really like a superb two-tone colourway and the silver chassis solely serves to intensify the black of the bezel and the show, particularly you probably have a watch face with a black background. The Watch 8 additionally matches my wrist much more comfortably than any of Samsung’s wearables earlier than it, and that’s thanks to 2 key adjustments.

Whereas it may be exhausting to inform simply from the images alone, the Galaxy Watch 8 is definitely 11% slimmer than the Galaxy Watch 7, and whereas that may not sound like a lot, it helps stop the watch from catching in your clothes, which is greater than I can say for among the heftier watches I’ve tried through the years. There’s additionally a brand new system for attaching watch straps, which Samsung calls the Dynamic Lug.

On the one hand, I truly assume that the Dynamic Lug is tougher to connect and take away than earlier than (it’s not imagined to be, in fact), nevertheless it closes the distinguished hole that used to exist between your wrist and the place the strap would join on earlier Galaxy Watches.

It’s simply a much more comfy design total, which is nice should you plan on carrying the system in a single day.

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Though it’s slimmer, the watch isn’t any much less prepared for the weather with an official IP68 score alongside the power to be submerged in a physique of water as much as 5ATM (50 metres).

Within the time I’ve been utilizing the watch, past a slight little bit of mud accumulating across the raised segments of the bezel, the system hasn’t picked up a single scratch, which is all the time good to see.

The one factor I’ll say that’s a little bit of a disappointment is that with the added actual property of the brand new chassis, I had hoped that it’d deliver concerning the area for a a lot bigger battery however that hasn’t materialised right here, which makes the shift really feel extra performative than substantial.

Display & Audio

• The brightest show of any commonplace Galaxy Watch
• Very straightforward to learn textual content, even on the smaller 40mm mannequin
• Audio playback sounds good, however not as loud because the competitors

Identical to with earlier generations of Galaxy Watch, there are two sizes accessible, 40- and 44mm, with the principle attract of the latter being the marginally bigger 1.47-inch show.

Whereas I do usually go for bigger dimension choices, I’ve been utilizing the 40mm mannequin over the course of this evaluate and I have to say that I by no means felt shortchanged with the smaller 1.34-inch show.

Textual content could be very straightforward to learn, so I by no means needed to squint to see incoming notifications, and I all the time felt happy diving into exercise knowledge on the watch itself as an alternative of utilizing the bigger show of my telephone. A part of what makes the expertise this time round is an enormous bump to the general brightness of the display.

You would possibly assume you get a much bigger display with the Galaxy Watch 8 Traditional, nevertheless it’s additionally 1.34-inch and as an alternative makes use of the bigger physique for a rotating bezel.

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In comparison with the Galaxy Watch 7, the Watch 8 is now 50% brighter with a peak brightness of 3000 nits. That’s the identical brightness stage because the pricier Galaxy Watch Extremely, and it simply makes for a much better visible expertise when out and about. Not solely do Samsung’s watch faces look higher than ever, I by no means had any points with getting a fast look on the time when strolling outdoors, particularly with the always-on mode toggled.

On the audio aspect of issues, should you don’t have a pair of earbuds or headphones handy, then you should use the built-in audio system to play music and podcasts immediately on the watch itself. Whereas it doesn’t get fairly as loud because the Garmin Venu X1 I reviewed earlier than this, I used to be fairly impressed with the sound high quality on provide.

I’ve been utilizing the Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3+4 soundtrack to gasoline a lot of my most up-to-date exercises and when taking that for a spin, the Watch 8’s audio system did an incredible job of highlighting the vocals and the percussion of every monitor, no matter style, so kudos to Samsung’s engineering on this entrance.

In fact, that high quality additionally extends to taking calls on the watch, in case your smartphone is out of attain.

Software program & Options

• Put on OS has by no means felt or regarded higher
• Having Gemini in your wrist is a game-changer
• The set-up course of wants refining

One of many huge software program adjustments for this yr is that the Galaxy Watch 8 has formally finished away with the Google Assistant, as Google Gemini takes its place. Admittedly, this shift may even be made accessible on older Galaxy Watches and lots of rivals, however this represents the primary of the bunch that can have Google’s newest on AI proper out of the field.

Having suffered for years by way of the lacklustre presence of Siri on the Apple Watch, which was by no means used for rather more than setting timers or asking for updates on the climate, having Gemini available in your wrist seems like Samsung has simply leapfrogged Apple by a number of generations.

I’ve been ready to make use of Gemini for all kinds, starting from getting trend recommendation primarily based on the climate to getting strategies for recipes after explaining which substances I’ve left in my fridge. I used to be capable of get solutions to all of it at nice pace, too.

In each AI requests and on a regular basis use, I’ve felt the Exynos W1000 chipset going above and past to maintain up. It’s simply glorious efficiency throughout the board, and a key motive why the Galaxy Watch 8, at its core, is a superb smartwatch. That is regardless of being the identical chip because the Galaxy Watch 7.

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All of this simply enhances the sensation that Put on OS has by no means been higher. With Put on OS 6 (and Samsung’s One UI 8 Watch overlay) it now not seems like a compromised expertise once I take off my Apple Watch and transfer over to Samsung’s newest wearable for a evaluate – I can simply get pleasure from what Google has been capable of put collectively right here, and in some instances, there are a number of options that I want Apple would poach.

Whereas it definitely isn’t new, I nonetheless love the Tiles function on Put on OS that provides you fast entry to key apps simply by swiping left from the watch face. Talking to my very own private use instances, it permits me to dive extra shortly into exercise monitoring, altering a music on Spotify and even getting a fast take a look at my calendar occasions for the week.

It’s only a nice function to have, and scrolling by way of the tiles with the digital rotating bezel is a breeze.

I do know that there are many diehard followers on the market preferring the older bodily rotating bezel, and consequently will in all probability hunt down the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Traditional as an alternative, however I had no points with this digital different. It’s responsive with good haptic suggestions, and it feels much more elegant to make use of than simply swiping up and down endlessly to get by way of menus.

The one facet of Samsung’s software program that doesn’t really feel fairly so refined is on the smartphone aspect of issues. Don’t get me flawed, the Samsung Well being app has an exquisite aesthetic and is pleasant to make use of, however the preliminary set-up for the Galaxy Watch 8 requires downloading three apps in whole, which generally is a actual problem once you change telephones as typically as I do or for individuals who aren’t tech-savvy.

It might be nice to see all of it streamlined into only one app – I’ve by no means felt the necessity to dive into the Galaxy Wearable app after the preliminary set-up.

Health & Well being Monitoring

• New Antioxidant Index
• Dependable coronary heart fee knowledge
• Some options solely work with a Samsung telephone

If there’s one space the place I can’t fault Samsung’s work, it’s in health monitoring. The Galaxy Watches have all the time been nice companions for a visit to the health club or the native park run, and the Galaxy Watch 8 isn’t any exception.

You may monitor every little thing from climbing within the nice outdoor to snowboarding on the vary. It’s nice to see, however in case you are simply beginning out in your health journey, you then’ll very a lot respect the Working Coach that’s on board.

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That is nice should you’re discovering your footing and also you want a little bit of steerage that will help you set reasonable objectives and keep away from injuring your self by overdoing issues.

It’s an exquisite function to have, notably as I believe that novices are inclined to get forgotten about as a rule relating to health trackers, and it pairs effectively with the Galaxy Watch 8’s insistence on acquiring correct relaxation and restoration.

If you happen to’ve had a very busy day otherwise you haven’t managed to get a superb evening’s sleep then the watch (and the app) will let you understand that it’s a superb time to prioritise relaxation, a lot in the identical vein because the Whoop Strap 5.0. You may as well discover out the best timeframe for attending to mattress in a brand new function often known as ‘Bedtime steerage’. Accessible at any time all through the day, this new function offers you ample time to organize your day round hitting that bedtime goal, which I respect greater than an alert within the night that tells me it’s time to wind issues down.

Provided that relaxation is important for any kind of train however particularly muscle development, it’s good to see Samsung take the time right here to offer it simply as a lot credence as the entire typical exercise knowledge you’d anticipate to see.

There’s additionally a brand new ‘Vascular load’ tracker that’s meant to control the system that delivers blood all through your physique – a excessive vascular load implies that you should minimize out unhealthy meals and do extra to alleviate stress. Once more, it’s helpful to have and it simply enhances the concept of the Galaxy Watch 8 being an incredible tracker in your total invoice of well being.

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Talking of that knowledge, coronary heart fee monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 8 is incredible. When taken for a spin alongside the Polar H10 chest-worn coronary heart fee monitor, the 2 gadgets matched up nearly like for like of their outcomes. Oddly, we didn’t discover the monitoring on the Watch 8 Traditional to be so correct.

Throughout two stints on the treadmill, the Galaxy Watch registered a peak that was solely 1BPM above that of the Polar H10, which is truthful inside a margin of error, however the two have been in sync by way of the typical coronary heart fee, so that you’ll get a sensible image of how your coronary heart is responding to every exercise.

Samsung has added an Antioxidant Index, which basically lets you understand should you’re getting sufficient fruit and veg in your food plan. Whereas I do like to train, my food plan is a bit missing on this space and the Watch 8, to its credit score, did name me out on it, though it’s exhausting to say how exact the readings are with the monitoring itself nonetheless being in beta testing on the time of writing, so take it with a pinch of salt (The Verge tricked it with a Cheeze-It).

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What’s a disgrace is that, should you don’t have a Samsung telephone handy, you’ll be getting a restricted expertise on the Galaxy Watch 8. This isn’t something new because it’s been a problem with earlier Samsung watches, nevertheless it’s value noting that you just gained’t be capable to entry ECG monitoring for selecting up coronary heart arrhythmia, nor are you able to dive into the blood stress monitoring both.

All this implies is that, if I have been somebody trying to purchase a smartwatch and I didn’t use a Galaxy telephone, I’d in all probability be tempted to go for one thing just like the Garmin Venu X1 or the OnePlus Watch 3 as an alternative.

Fortunately, GPS monitoring continues to be stable on the Galaxy Watch, making use of a dual-band connection that’s not solely fast to ascertain itself, however may present correct outcomes after the very fact.

Battery Life & Charging

• Nonetheless actually simply one-day battery life
• The slight battery cell improve doesn’t make a lot of a distinction
• Charging is speedy sufficient

As I discussed earlier, I used to be actually hoping that the principle motive for the design change on the Galaxy Watch 8 was that it could permit for a bigger battery to replenish the added area taken up the brand new chassis, and whereas that’s technically true, the improve is much much less pronounced than what I had hoped it could it.

The 40- and 44mm fashions now pack a 325- and 435mAh cell respectively, up from 300- and 425mAh on the Galaxy Watch 7. As you possibly can see, that’s not an enormous improve and sadly, it does imply that the Galaxy Watch 8 stays firmly inside that common one-day of use lure that has plagued earlier Galaxy watches.

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Admittedly, should you flip off the always-on show then you will get a couple of day and a half of use, however the expertise simply isn’t as enjoyable (or as helpful) with out it. After I had the function toggled, I acquired by way of about 22-hours of use, which included notifications, a GPS tracked stroll, and sleep monitoring, earlier than the watch reached 36%.

Provided that it’s now attainable to stand up to 5 days of use from the OnePlus Watch 3, Samsung is clearly lagging behind on this space. I discover the expertise of carrying a smartwatch much more partaking if I don’t even have to incorporate it as a tool that requires a each day cost, particularly as I like having the ability to depend on such a look ahead to funds and messaging, if my telephone ever reaches 0%.

Fortunately, the charging course of isn’t too laborious. When the battery reached 6%, a 30-minute top-up was capable of deliver the Galaxy Watch 8 again to 65% which, underneath very conservative use, might nonetheless be sufficient to get you house earlier than the tip of the day.

If you happen to do absolutely drain the battery to 0% then you’ll be ready round a bit longer as I solely acquired again 40% after half-hour, and it took a complete of 1 hour and 19 minutes to succeed in 100%.

Value & Availability

At its most cost-effective, the 40mm Bluetooth solely mannequin of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is available in at £319/$349.99, which makes it extra reasonably priced than the Pixel Watch 3 though it does characterize a slight worth improve over the £289/$299.99 tag of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.

There are 4 fashions in whole, with Bluetooth and LTE choices for each 40- and 44mm sizes, the costliest of which caps out at £399/$429.99.

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The most important downside going through the Galaxy Watch 8 is that the wonderful OnePlus Watch 3 now has a smaller 43mm choice that’s accessible for much much less at £269/$299.99, and if you wish to keep inside Samsung’s ecosystem then it isn’t too troublesome to seek out the Galaxy Watch 7 for even cheaper than that.

The one main the explanation why you’d need to go for the Galaxy Watch 8 is to get the total 4 years of software program help, to have the brighter show and full breadth of Samsung’s present crop of health monitoring options.

Test our listing of the perfect smartwatches to see our present prime 10 suggestions.

Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8?

If there’s one factor that I can not stress sufficient concerning the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, it’s that it’s certainly an incredible smartwatch. Between Samsung’s effectively constructed tackle Put on OS, the graceful efficiency and brilliance of the continuously refined health monitoring options on provide, I’ve very a lot loved my time with this system.

The issue is that the Galaxy Watch 7 was an incredible smartwatch, as was the Galaxy Watch 6, and the Galaxy Watch 5 (I might preserve going).

The iterative updates of Samsung’s wearable line-up have been already beginning to really feel pretty stale this time final yr, however a design refresh isn’t sufficient to dispel them this time round. Add within the worth rise and issues get somewhat trickier.

Samsung completely has the software program aspect of issues on lock right here, however that’s why, notably within the face of robust competitors from OnePlus, that the corporate wanted to offer the battery bump that we’ve all been ready for.

If you happen to use probably the greatest Samsung Galaxy telephones and also you’re flush with money, then it makes excellent sense to choose up the Galaxy Watch 8, because it’s exhausting to think about that you just’ll be disillusioned by the expertise it supplies. You could even be a bundle deal that will get you the watch discounted or free.

For the oldsters who’re tied to a price range nonetheless (or use probably the greatest telephones that aren’t Samsung-made), you’re higher off choosing up the Galaxy Watch 7 at a lowered fee till the Watch 8 will get a pleasant worth minimize, and even choosing the OnePlus Watch 3 to learn from the for much longer five-day battery life.

Samsung is aware of the right way to make a reliable wearable; I simply want that it paid a bit extra consideration to what was vital right here.

Specs

• 40/44mm dimension choices
• 1.34/1.47-inch AMOLED show
• 3000 nits peaks brightness
• 32GB storage
• ECG monitor
• Blood stress monitor
• Twin-band GPS
• 325/435mAh battery
• IP68
• 5ATM water resistance