Galaxy Watch 8 Leak: Is This Samsung's Boldest Watch Design Ever?
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung's first ultra-rugged smartwatch entry, and it was also the first to introduce the squircle design. Initially, this could have been an exclusive form factor for the Ultra smartwatch range, but it appears that the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 may also adopt a bolder design.
Samsung's next Galaxy Watch series, expected to be in the form of the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic, has already leaked quite extensively. At first, graphical renders purported them to mirror the squircle design of the Galaxy Watch Ultra (review), although with slight differences in other touches and accents. Now, we have an actual look at it following the Classic model being listed online.
Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Inherits the Squircle Design
On eBay (via GSMArena), a user has seemingly listed the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which appears to be a working prototype, complete with a retail box and charging accessory. At the same time, it is shown to be a functional smartwatch, lending credence to it being a genuine Samsung device.
Beyond that, it clearly displays a revamped design that was rumored, with the bottom half of the case taking a squarish form, while the top portion features a round bezel and circular display. Eagle-eyed fans will also notice that the square chassis has marginally more squared-off corners compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Thankfully, we can see the bezel is etched or grooved, similar to earlier Galaxy Watch Classic models, suggesting that it will be a mechanical, rotating bezel. This would be a notable return, given the Galaxy Watch 7 skipped the Classic entry.
In addition, we can see three physical buttons on the right side, which have protective lips to prevent accidental presses. The two side keys sandwich the crown in the center, but it's unclear if this will finally support rotatable gestures. Meanwhile, the left side houses the speaker grille.
More Memory in the Galaxy Watch 8
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic appears to come in a silver case with a black leather strap, but there are likely other finishes and strap type combinations. Furthermore, the smartwatch model is confirmed to carry the SM-L505U model number and a bigger 64 GB of storage, double that of previous models.
Beyond the details shown, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and Galaxy Watch 8 are reportedly equipped with the Exynos W1000 processor, which is unchanged from last year's lineup. However, we might see Samsung give the new smartwatches a slightly faster clock speed. The Classic model is also listed in a regulatory filing as having a 435 mAh battery, which is marginally bigger than the Galaxy Watch 7.
Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy Watch 8 series next month, along with the company's next-generation Galaxy foldable smartphones.
Are you upgrading to the Galaxy Watch 8 once it launches? Tell us what you think of the new squircle design.
