Galaxy Watch 8 series: In summary
- Samsung’s 2025 flagship series of smartwatches
- Likely to launch at Unpacked, tipped for 9 July
- Two models are expected, a regular and the return of the Classic
- ‘Squircle’ design will mimic the original Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is one of the best smartwatches and best Wear OS watches you can buy, and it seems that successors are on the way very soon in the form of the Galaxy Watch 8 series.
Samsung didn’t change a whole lot with the Watch 7, though it had some welcome improvements, but things appear to be getting more of a shake-up for 2025.
This is especially true of the design, which is taking on the ‘squircle’ design introduced with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. The reintroduction of a Classic model will be the most Ultra-like of the two models if leaked renders are correct.
There’s lot to unpack (pun unintended) here so this article will get you up to speed on everything Galaxy Watch 8, including the release date, price and specs. We’ve rounded up and distilled the rumours from across the web and added our expert analysis and opinion.
Galaxy Watch 8 latest rumour
The Galaxy Watch 8 series smartwatches look set to get an Ultra-style design with a more square shape, and Samsung may charge a subscription fee for certain features similar to Fitbit Premium.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 be released?
In summary
- 9 July seems the likely launch date
- A reliable leaker says this is when the next Samsung Unpacked event will take place
- Rumoured to take place in New York and should also see the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
There isn’t an official launch date for the Galaxy Watch 8 yet, but we’re expecting Samsung to confirm the next Unpacked event very soon.
It is very likely to take place on 9 July, though. This comes via long-time reliable leaker Evan Blass, who says it will start at 10am EDT, or 3pm BST UK time.
That eastern time zone hints at the rumoured New York location.
In terms of the release date, we expect Samsung will put the smartwatches up for pre-order straight away before putting them on sale around two weeks after Unpacked, making 23 July our bet.
The launch event is also likely to see the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 (or Ultra 2025), as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and more.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 cost?
In summary
- Pricing shouldn’t be too different from the Galaxy Watch 7, around £300/$300
- The Classic model will fetch a higher price
Pricing leaks are less common than release dates, design and specs, so we’re looking at previous strategies to get an idea of how much the Galaxy Watch 8 will cost.
The Galaxy Watch 7 costs exactly the same as the Galaxy Watch 6, with pricing ranging from £289/$299 to £319/$329 for the larger 44mm variant of the Watch 7. Adding LTE connectivity into the mix put an extra £50/$50 onto the price.
In smartwatch terms, the Watch 7 launch pricing was very competitive, making it one of the best-value smartwatches in that high-end smartwatch category. In Wear OS smartwatch terms, it was cheaper than the Pixel Watch 3 and Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5, which has, in fairness, dropped in price since its launch.
Tech Advisor anticipates Samsung won’t deviate too much from that pricing approach, though it may be guided by what it chooses to offer on the Galaxy Watch 8, which we’ll get into next.
If the Galaxy Watch 6 series is anything to go by (the last range with a Classic model), the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will cost around £80/$100 more than the regular.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 have?
In summary
- The Classic model will return for the first time in two years
- Deign heavily influenced by the Galaxy Watch Ultra, especially the Classic
- New health features including Antioxidant Index but Samsung could charge a subscription fee
The Classic is back
When Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 7, Samsung decided not to offer a Classic version and leave out a more bezel-dominating model for those who aren’t fans of the more streamlined, minimalist look of the standard Galaxy Watch.
However, it’s almost certain that this model will return for the Galaxy Watch 8 Series. There are plenty of rumours and mentions of the device in various certifications. And more recently, leaked images.
Sources: Smartprix
Design
After the Galaxy Watch 7 stuck with a really similar design to its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 8 series will introduce quite an overhaul in this department.
Both will sport ‘squircle’ designs inspired by the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, featuring a square body with rounded corners. The image below from Evan Blass gives a pretty good idea of what the regular model will look like.
Evan Blass
It’s got two buttons on the right, like normal, but a very different body. Not just the shape but also how the strap attaches (which still appears to have the cotton accoutrements like the Watch 7). Here it appears to be in a silver aluminium colour but we’re sure others will be available.
Moving onto the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and it’s got a rotating bezel as nature intended. In fact, it looks remarkably like the Galaxy Watch Ultra with a few tweaks.
Evan Blass
Namely, it has metal lugs where the strap attaches and a more formal look in this particular black and silver colourway, but still with set of orange hands for a splash of colour. So, less sporty and more stylish overall.
Soures: Evan Blass
Impressive blood pressure monitoring
Samsung was one of the first to introduce blood pressure monitoring capabilities to its smartwatches, letting you take blood pressure readings directly from the watch (once calibrated by a traditional monitor). A patent filed by Samsung suggests Samsung is looking to enhance those blood pressure monitoring powers.
The filing outlines using a more advanced blood pressure setup that will be able to continuously monitor blood pressure and detect when you’ve been drinking alcohol, exercising or holding your breath. This could help to determine the impact of those activities and others on changes in your blood pressure.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
Samsung has already shown it can innovate on this front, but with others like Huawei already offering similar continuous blood pressure functionality, this could push what’s possible from the wrist from a Samsung smartwatch even further.
Sources: Wareable
More health features, but you might pay
Even more new health features are coming to the Galaxy Watch 8 series, including measurement of carotenoid levels in 5 seconds (to indicate antioxidant status as well as dietary habits and overall health). Samsung will call it Antioxidant Index.
The watches are also tipped to have improved motivation and coaching for runners (which sounds like Samsung playing catch up with the Pixel Watch 3).
Samsung
Running Coach will also be joined by Bedtime Guidance and Vascular Load as part of One UI 8 Watch, based on Wear OS 6, Samsung has confirmed.
Samsung said it “will be available on the newest Galaxy Watch series.” The potential problem is that rumours have surfaced suggesting Samsung might introduce a subscription fee for certain Samsung Health features.
Dr. Hon Pak, senior vice president and the head of Digital Health Team at Samsung said the firm is exploring a premium subscription model.
It was thought Samsung might introduce something similar with the Galaxy Ring but it didn’t. However, it wouldn’t be uncommon with the likes of Fitbit Premium having been around a long time.
Sources: CNET
Things we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
So, we’ve told you what the rumour mill is throwing up right now, but if it was up to us, what would be on our wish list for the Samsung Galaxy 8?
Here’s what we’re hoping for.
Better battery life
This could be true of the last few Galaxy Watches, but we’ve not really seen the improvement in battery life on the Galaxy Watch that we’d like to have seen. Whether using it with raise to wake or the screen set to always-on, the battery life on the Galaxy Watch 7 just needed to be better.
We’ve now seen from OnePlus and Mobvoi’s TicWatches particularly that WearOS smartwatch battery life shouldn’t have to be this underwhelming. Improved battery performance would feature high on our list of things we want to see from the Galaxy Watch 8.
A GPS boost
One of the biggest differences between the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra beyond the obvious size difference and more rugged build was the precision GPS system included on the Ultra.
This is more commonly known as dual-band GPS on other smartwatches and sports watches and offers improved outdoor tracking when tracking activities that can typically hamper satellite positioning signal strength.
We’re hoping that Samsung has found a way to bring this desirable feature for outdoor lovers to its smaller Watch to boost its sports tracking credentials.
Bring back Wireless PowerShare
It was disappointing to discover that due to the changes Samsung made to the sensor array on the Galaxy Watch 7, it had to ditch its wireless PowerShare feature, which was arguably one of the nicest reasons to own a Galaxy Watch over other smartwatches.
Here’s hoping some work has been done to reinstate the feature and give Samsung smartphone and Watch owners an alternative and very convenient way to power up their smartwatch.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Make health features available for all
This is probably wishful thinking, but we imagine there have been a fair few non-Samsung smartphone owners that have weighed up getting the Galaxy Watch to make use of the onboard ECG and blood pressure features only to discover you have to use a Samsung smartphone to use them.
It feels unlikely that Samsung will alter its stance on that support, though if it did, it would widen the appeal of grabbing a Galaxy Watch if you know you can use it to its fullest capability.
That’s all we currently know about the Galaxy Watch 8 series so far but we’ll update this article as we head towards Unpacked in July. See our guide to the best smartwatches you can buy to learn more about what they’ll be up against.
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