I broke a Pixel Watch 2, but the Galaxy Watch 8 might have survived me
Turns out Samsung might have pulled off a genius move with the switch to squircles.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Samsung's new smartwatch might eventually grow on me, but it will take some time (Image by PhoneArena)
I must admit I wasn't a particularly big fan of the Galaxy Watch 8 redesign. At first, I was quick to declare it nothing but proverbial sand in the eyes of Samsung's devoted smartwatch fans, who expected a different set of upgrades (like better battery life).
Instead, we got this redesigned squircle-shaped smartwatch that seemed a little too odd and unsmartwatch-like, but definitely reminded us of its close kinship with last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra. On top of it all, the older Galaxy Watch 7 left the impression of being more compact than the newly redesigned Galaxy Watch 8 despite real-life specs telling us otherwise.
I can't say the new uniform design language has grown on me; it hasn't. It will probably take a couple of generations before I would be able to feel at home with this latest redesign.
But one aspect of the new Galaxy Watch 8 exterior might turn out to be an unexpectedly great boon for clumsy people like yours truly. When it comes to resilience and sturdiness, Samsung is killing it with the new Galaxy Watch 8, which comes with both IP68 and MIL-STD 810H certifications, but it's the design itself that hints at superior endurance.
But first, let me tell you a story of a domestic disaster that was totally preventable.
Curved screens betray me yet again
Okay, normally you can't waterboard such information out of me, but I have to finally admit it was I who cracked the screen of our resident Pixel Watch 2.
I should probably be pleading the Fifth, but in my defense, I was dealing with an emergency at the house and had to reach into a particularly tight alcove to turn off the water mains before Poseidon himself emerged from underneath the floorboards. The Pixel Watch sadly had to take one for the team when it met a rough concrete wall face first.
Honestly, I'd offload the blame onto Google here: who in their right mind designs a wearable with a curved screen that welcomes danger glass-first?
That's a nonfunctional design choice that Google deliberately made, and yet it's just one of the minor issues with the Pixel Watch 2. The worst part here is that Google's Pixel Watches aren't very repairable, so once you crack the screen or damage the wearable in any other serious way, the only way to fix things is to, well, get a replacement.
But I digress.
Galaxy Watch 8 is a tough nut to crack
Now, I imagine that if I had the Galaxy Watch 8 on my hand, the potential damage wouldn't have cracked the screen, because the exaggerated case of the smartwatch would have protected the display up top.
Sure, that's my anecdotal thinking here, totally in the spirit of the "would've, could've, should've" mantra, but the more practical design of the Galaxy Watch 8 might actually spare klutzes like me from such totally avoidable accidents.
The Galaxy Watch 8 definitely looks more dependable in terms of durability (Image by PhoneArena)
I'm not a person who chooses wearables for their looks, which might be contrary to what most other people do. Appearances don't really matter to my inner grandpa; give me a functional smartwatch with a sturdy design and great battery life, and I'll be more loyal than a labrador with separation anxiety.
That's why I've been extremely vocal as to why the OnePlus Watch 3 is probably the best smartwatch you can consider getting in 2025.
An even better choice for those like me would be a newer version of Samsung's one-off Galaxy Watch 5 Pro from a couple of years back, which was one of the first decent rugged Wear OS smartwatches. I really do hope that Samsung hasn't forgotten this smartwatch offshoot after following Apple down the "Ultra" rabbit hole.
Should you buy the Galaxy Watch 8?
Well, honestly, I probably wouldn't. It's a nice smartwatch with many features that pairs excellently with Galaxy phones, but I still can't imagine buying a smartwatch that only lasts a full day and requires constant charging.
I simply can't force myself to be a slave to such watches, which is why I can't recommend the regular Apple Watches either.
Either give me a week-long battery life (which is something the OnePlus Watch 3 does beautifully), or I'll continue checking the time on my microwave.
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