Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (Classic) Hands-On: Ultra Features, Ultra Price?

Prices and availability of the Watch 8 series

You will have to pay at least 379 euros for the Watch 8 - namely for the small 40 mm model in the Bluetooth version. The larger 44 mm version is 50 euros more expensive, LTE costs 30 euros extra, and the upgrade to the bulkier Galaxy Watch Classic with the rotating bezel costs 150 euros more than the basic model. And this is what the table looks like:

You have the choice of colors:

• Graphite and silver for the Watch 8
• Black and white for the Watch 8 Classic.

Important to know before you buy: There is a new quick-release fastener for the straps, which is not backward compatible. However, it will probably take hours rather than months before you can get your hands on a number of third-party wristbands from your trusted online retailer.

Design & display: The round comes into the square

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is based on last year's Ultra model: the round screen sits on a rounded square. This has several advantages: on the one hand, it looks really fresh and elegant, and on the other hand, Samsung has enlarged the case without making it look bigger. A look at the data sheet shows that the calculation is correct: The new Galaxy Watches are 11 percent thinner and have more battery capacity than before.

The design question: Galaxy Watch 8 or Watch 8 Classic?

The big differences between the Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic lie in the design. The Watch 8 comes in the standard smartwatch design with thin display edges, and in two different sizes, namely 40 and 44 mm. The screens are then 34 and 37.3 mm respectively, and the display edges are pleasantly small.

In the Classic model, on the other hand, the screen is framed by a rotating bezel. Accordingly, only the 1.3-inch or 34 mm small display of the Watch 8 fits into the bulky 46 mm case. But as I said, it's also about design, and the rotating bezel as a control element for scrolling through menus and lists is fun. The virtual bezel, which you operate by swiping in a circle around the Watch 8 screen, is nowhere near as fun.

Even apart from the bezel, the stainless steel case of the Watch 8 Classic is much bulkier than its smaller plastic siblings. The Watch 8 Classic weighs an impressive 63.5 g and therefore already feels like a "real" watch. By comparison, the Watch 8 is barely noticeable on the wrist at 30 and 34 g, respectively.

But don't be fooled by the soft exterior of the "normal" Watch 8: With IP68 certification for protection against water & dust and 5 ATM water resistance, all three models are on the same robust level. But one thing is clear: the stainless steel bezel will catch fewer scratches in practice, and protects the glass from the rock face when climbing, for example.

Hardware and sensors

What does it look like under the hood? Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic with the same Exynos W1000 processor as its predecessor and the Watch Ultra. They also have the same set of sensors for temperature, acceleration, pressure, light, and the Earth's magnetic field. And of course, the latest PPG sensor called BioActive is also installed, which uses LEDs to illuminate your skin.

The fact that it can measure your heart rate, including resting heart rate and heart rate variability? Nothing new. What is new, however, is that Samsung wants to be able to measure the vascular load during sleep and the antioxidant level, but we'll come back to that later.

Healthy sleep with the Galaxy Watch 8

So, what is the vascular load all about? During sleep, the body shuts down the heart and the vascular system - ideally. This is because influences such as a poor diet or alcohol consumption can prevent this and thus trigger cardiovascular diseases in the long term. It is precisely these influences that the so-called vascular load is intended to quantify. This gives the user a concrete value for how their current lifestyle is affecting their health.

This all sounds spectacular, but should be taken with a pinch of salt. As far as we know, there is no independent scientific study that verifies Samsung's algorithms. And the accuracy of the PPG-based pulse wave analysis on which these results are based is still controversial among researchers. Of course, we will be testing the functions ourselves in detail, but one thing should be clear: the Watch 8 is no substitute for a medical diagnosis by a doctor.

However, even if the accuracy is only sufficient to describe trends, a lot has already been gained. After all, the Watch 8 might persuade one or two people to finally make that one important appointment with the doctor.

And wearables are fundamentally about one thing: they should create an awareness of the decisions we make in our everyday lives that have a positive or negative impact on our health. Just as the 10,000 steps measured are never 10,000 steps measured with Olympic precision: More movement is better, and that's what it's all about!

Sleep deficit & sleep pressure

The same applies to sleep duration, which wearables measure sometimes more, sometimes less accurately, and which sleep labs have still not done away with. In addition to the well-known sleep phase measurement and sleep apnea detection, Samsung watches recommend customized sleep and wake times.

It starts with a three-day analysis of your individual circadian rhythm - the principle of larch and owl on steroids, so to speak. Based on your sleep times, activities, and so on, the Watch 8 determines the daily sleep pressure, i.e., the current sleep deficit you are carrying around with you, and then tells you the quickest and best way to compensate for it. On the one hand, this happens with the aforementioned sleep and wake time recommendations, but also with tips on the right temperature and lighting for your bedroom (the temperature and light sensors in the watch, remember?).

The watch knows what you eat

And then the watch can also track your diet, more precisely: whether you have eaten enough fruit and vegetables. For the test, you have to place your thumb on the sensors on the back of the watch, and then the carotenoid content in your body is scanned. High levels of carotenoids mean good protection against infections, cancer, ageing, and so on.

Here, too, of course, we do the practical test and try out whether the measured values accurately reflect our lifestyle. At least in our first short test, my results were always very similar across several devices, and show that my diet has been anything but ideal in recent days - the two days in the USA before the test must have torn a hole.

Running training with AI Coach

Last but not least, there's a new running workout including an assessment, which means: You torture yourself with the Galaxy Watch 8 through a twelve-minute test run. The software then puts you into one of ten fitness categories from 1 (beginner) to 10 (marathon level). Depending on your personal goals (e.g., running a marathon), you will then receive a customized training plan from Samsung's "AI Coach".

This AI coach not only writes the plan once and then forgets about you, but also follows you on your workouts and spurs you on if you're slacking - or throttles back a little.

Gemini on the smartwatch

In addition to the fitness features, Samsung also brings Google's voice assistant, Gemini, to the watch. With a long press on the top button, you can activate the artificial intelligence and speak your prompt. If a simple answer is sufficient, you will receive it directly on the watch, either as text or audio. You can also start navigation on your smartphone via the watch, for example. This is really practical, because unlike your cell phone, you practically always have your watch to hand.

Battery life and charging

While the last sections on hardware and sensors apply to all new Watch 8 models, there are a few differences when it comes to the battery. Depending on the case size, different amounts of energy fit into the case:

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40 mm): 325 mAh
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (44 mm): 435 mAh
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: 445 mAh

On paper at least, the battery life for both Watch 8 models is identical: 40 hours without AoD, 30 hours with AoD. The display diagonal and battery capacity are probably equalized here. Interestingly, Samsung also states this runtime for the Classic version, which should actually achieve better results with the largest memory and the smallest display.