Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs Galaxy Watch 7: Main differences to expect
New shape, old tricks. Is that what Samsung's smartwatch division has been up to in the past months?
Intro
It's not a colossal secret, but Samsung tends to release a new wave of smartwatches every summer, usually alongside its newest foldable phones, and this year is no different. Accompanying the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will be not two, but three smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
All are shaping up to be slightly different versions of their predecessors, but as usual, we expect that the Galaxy Watch 8 will be the best-value new Samsung wearable that will quite possibly turn out to be a bestseller.
Aside from the slightly newer design language, the Galaxy Watch 8 isn't shaping up to be drastically different from last year's Galaxy Watch 7. But is a new styling all there is to it, or is Samsung cooking another cool new feature?
Galaxy Watch 8 vs Galaxy Watch 7: differences
- New squircle design vs circular design
- 32GB storage on both
- 435mAh vs 425mAh battery (44mm models)
- 10W wireless charging speeds on both
Table of Contents:
Design & Sizes
A pretty major appearance shift
This year, Samsung is seemingly treating all of its wearables to a new squircle-like design language, similar to what we got with last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra. This means a mostly squircle aluminum case paired with a standard circular screen. No rotating bezel here, just the standard dual buttons on the right-hand side.
This change could potentially help Samsung put an ever-so-slightly bigger battery inside, unconstrained by the circular shape of the previous watch cases, and that seems to be precisely what we get here: a slightly larger battery is rumored to be making the rounds. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be any other particular reason for the redesign itself, but then again, none was needed in the first place.
Galaxy Watch 8's new squircle design language
That's in a fairly stark contrast with the Galaxy Watch 7, which is a standard circular smartwatch, just like most Samsung has released in the years before it. It's the most recognizable shape for a watch that translated well for the smartwatch offshoot, too, and the South Korea-based giant knew that well.
Galaxy Watch 8 as per the latest rumors"
The Galaxy Watch 8 will definitely come in two size versions: 40 and 44 mm ones, just like its predecessors.
Size-wise, we don't expect major changes to the formula, which possibly means that the Galaxy Watch 8 will be just as thin and compact as the Galaxy Watch 7. For a refresher, the latter measured 9.7 mm thin, and either 40.4 or 44.4 mm in diameter, depending on the model. In terms of weight, we doubt the Galaxy Watch 8 will be much heavier than the Galaxy Watch 7, which weighed in at either 29 or 34 gr.
Bands
No changes are expected
With the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung introduced a new quick-release band attachment mechanism to its smartwatches. It uses a button to quickly detach the strap mechanism from the case of the watch. The system worked perfectly on both the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 7 generations, and it will likely work beautifully on the Galaxy Watch 8, as we don't expect changes in the band attachment mechanism.
That said, back in December 2024, Samsung filed for a patent for a new attachment mechanism which uses a combination of mechanisms to allow for even faster band interchangeability instantly's notice. However, this one being a patent, there's no way of saying if and when it could become reality.
We nevertheless expect some new types of watch bands to be announced alongside the Galaxy Watch 8 series.
Software & Features
Minor improvements
The Galaxy Watch 8 will come with Wear OS as the backbone and Samsung's One UI Watch 8 running on top. Historically, this amalgamation between Google and Samsung's software is a surprisingly decent take on a smartwatch interfaces has been top-notch from a usability and feature perspective, and there's no reason to believe the Galaxy Watch 8 UX will be any different.
The aesthetics will be changed, though, as Google's Wear OS is about to score a pretty big redesign with the upcoming Material 3 Expressive design language that's also bound to change Android 16's appearance as well.
Samsung is also rumored to be reining it its Galaxy AI to do more on the company's smartwatches, like provide you with an AI-powered personalized recommendations, and more.
In terms of new features, we could possibly get non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, which uses the BioActive sensor on board to measure the minuscule differences in blood glucose. While we are slightly pessimistic about this feature making it to this year's Galaxy Watch 8 series, there's always a chance.
Battery and Charging
Slight increases are likely coming
Last year's Galaxy Watch 7 came with a 300 mAh battery in the 40 mm version, while the larger 44 mm one came with a 425 mAh battery.
Well, the rumor mill claims we should expect a slightly larger battery on the Galaxy Watch 8. A minimal increase to 435 mAh on the 44 mm model and possibly 310 mAh on the smaller option is what we're getting here.
As we expect the same 3nm Exynos W1000 chip to be making the rounds on the Galaxy Watch 8, it's unlikely we're about to get a major increase in battery life. So about a day, a day and a half is possibly the maximum battery life we are getting.
Charging-wise, we are possibly getting the same 10W wireless charging on the Galaxy Watch 8.
Models and Prices
There will be two versions of the Galaxy Watch 8: 40 and 44 mm ones.
You will be able to get either one with LTE connectivity (great independency) or with GPS/Wi-Fi only that won't be very usable without a phone nearby.
Specs
Here is how the Galaxy Watch 8 vs Galaxy Watch 7 specs will likely turn out:
| Galaxy Watch 8 | Galaxy Watch 7 |
|---|---|
| Models 40 mm 44 mm both in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular versions | Models 40 mm 44 mm both in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular versions |
| Processor Exynos W1000 chip | Processor Exynos W1000 chip |
| Software Wear OS, One UI Watch 8 | Software Wear OS, One UI Watch 7 |
| Battery ~310/~435 mAh 10W wireless charging | Battery 300/425 mAh Magnetic charger |
| Sensors HR, blood oxygen, altimeter, ECG, blood glucose monitoring | Sensors HR, blood oxygen, altimeter, ECG |
| Key features Bloog glucose monitoring | Key features First Samsung smartwatch with 3nm chip |
Summary
The Galaxy Watch 8 is shaping up to be mostly a design refresh, a gradual and logical evolution in comparison with the Galaxy Watch 7.
The most intriguing new feature could be the glucose monitoring feature, which could potentially be super useful to many people with diabetes. The fact that it will be non-invasive is an extra cherry on top.
Should you upgrade from your Galaxy Watch 7? Given that the base specs and features of the two smartwatches are mostly the same, it doesn't seem like Galaxy Watch 7 users should feel compelled to upgrade, given the current ramblings of the rumor mill.
Samsung's regular smartwatches have always been good value, so there is
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