Samsung is betting big on smartwatches, adding improvements and features that update a previous version that was already amazing. The launch of the Galaxy Watch8 smartwatch was given taking advantage of Samsung's July 2025 Unpacked event; the Galaxy Watch8 Classic which features a rotating bezel in its construction was also unveiled at the event. In appearance, both watches now have a similar form factor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra model, which means that the differences are starting to become internal.
The Galaxy Watch8 is a marked improvement over its past version. The first thing we'll see will be a screen that goes from the Watch 7's 2,000 nits to a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, which is very useful in bright conditions, such as when we are exposed to daylight. Internally, the same Exynos W1000 chip is maintained, as well as a BioActive sensor, capable of measuring heart rate, ECG, and body composition analysis.
Among the functions that have been included last month by Samsung, we can find a guide to bedtime, which uses tracking data on sleep and makes a suggestion on the optimal time to sleep. The vascular load, on the other hand, performs vascular system strain measurement while you are sleeping, so it will provide you with information on how to improve your lifestyle. Also included is a feature called running coach, which measures the pace that is best suited for this activity. Although there are functions that seem to be added just for the sake of providing something new, but perhaps not necessary, such as the antioxidant index, which measures carotenoids; antioxidants that can be found in fruits and vegetables.
Obtained from Google's blog
What particularly catches my attention is that the operating system used in these smartwatches is the One UI 8 Watch, based on WearOS 6. Samsung has communicated that starting with WearOS 4, the devices will include Gemini, as a replacement for the lifelong Google Assistant. This poses a new range of possibilities, allowing Gemini to use apps such as Samsung Health, Calendar, Reminders and the Watch, natively. It's worth noting that Gemini will also be included on other non-branded devices, such as the Pixel, OPPO, OnePlus, and Xiaomi (this impressed me), always keeping in mind that Gemini will be integrated starting with WearOS version 4.
The operation of Gemini on these watches is similar to how we would use it on our cell phone. We can get your attention by saying "Hello, Google". Alternative ways are to tap the side button on the watch, or access it through the Gemini app. As it is a multimodal AI, you will be able to ask it much more complex questions than the ones you would ask the Google Assistant, understanding you at all. Something that is very useful when we are doing something and we can't use our hands. In this case, asking questions by voice could be an interesting solution.
In addition to asking questions, we can ask Gemini to perform some action with respect to managing something in particular, such as summarizing an email. Something you can also do is to add events to the calendar by voice, or set reminders, alerts, timers, etc.
As for the information that we can acquire thanks to Gemini and the new improvements in the search engine, we find Circle to Search. Basically it is a quick way to get information, just by making a circle on what we think is of interest, offering us an overview by AI, which to tell the truth, they have polished a lot with what we were seeing previously, so we will have much more accurate and relevant information, with visual elements.
An advanced reasoning mode called AI Mode is now included. This mode allows us to extend the information we get, being able to ask much more complex questions and follow-up questions. This mode also affects Google Lens, which is quite a good thing in my opinion.
Obtained from Samsung Newsroom
The Galaxy Watch8 is priced at $350 for the Bluetooth version, while for the LTE model, the price increases to $400. The sizes available in these watches are 40mm and 44mm, and come in graphite and silver colors. Regarding the Galaxy Watch8 Classic, the price is $500 for the Bluetooth model, while the price rises to $550 for the LTE model. Something to clarify is that this watch is only available in a 46mm size.
While it is possible to pre-order the Samsung SmartWatch today, it will not be available to the general public in the United States until July 25.
- Main image edited in Canva. Images used:
Urja Bhatt 🕊️ | Unsplash and Samsung Newsroom. - Information has been consulted in techcrunch.com: I and II
- Translated into English with DeepL.