Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Watch 8 Classic: Are You Willing to Pay $150 for a Rotating Bezel?

Price

The Galaxy Watch 8 comes in 40mm or 44mm versions and starts at $349.99 for the smaller, Bluetooth-only version. The larger size costs an extra $30, and both sizes offer LTE connectivity for a $50 premium. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic only comes in one 46mm size and costs $499.99 for the Bluetooth-only variant or $549.99 for a version equipped with LTE.

The Galaxy Watch 8 comes in two different sizes (Credit: Eric Zeman)

Both the Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic have two color options: graphite or silver for the Watch 8 and black or white for the Classic.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 8

Design

Aside from the price, the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic share a lot of similarities in specs and features. The main differentiator between the two is design.

The Watch 8 Classic encircles its screen with a notched bezel that you can rotate to cycle through the interface, a beloved feature among Galaxy Watch fans that we last saw on the Watch 6 Classic. The Classic also features an inset bezel with number markings corresponding to the minutes in an hour, a design detail missing from the Watch 8, and it has an extra physical button. Overall, the Classic has a more eye-catching look than the base Watch 8.

Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (Credit: Eric Zeman)

On the other hand, the Watch 8 has a much more streamlined design than the Classic, with a fixed bezel and a thinner case. The design is simple but pleasing, and the Watch 8’s thin body allows it to easily vanish under a sleeve.

Both the Watch 8 and the Classic feature a slightly squarish frame surrounding the circular watch face (a “cushion shape,” according to Samsung) and a dynamic lug system for watch bands, similar to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Additionally, both are equally durable, with 5ATM of water resistance, an IP68 rating for water and dust protection, and a military grade MIL-STD-810H certification, meaning they can withstand extreme temperature changes, blowing sand, and other environmental stressors such as vibration and shock.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is thinner than the Galaxy Watch 7. (Credit: Eric Zeman)

Even on the design front, where they are the most different, the Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic have a lot in common. That said, the Classic’s chunky, functional bezel stands out and will strike a chord with longtime Galaxy Watch fans and anyone who likes the old-school look.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

Screen

The Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic screens can reach 3,000 nits of brightness, a 50% increase from the 2,000-nit cap of the Galaxy Watch 7. That means both new watches should be even easier to see in bright sunlight than the previous generation.

Otherwise, the Watch 8 Classic screen matches the size and resolution of the smaller 40mm Watch 8 instead of the 44mm version, despite being 46mm itself. The 44mm Watch 8 has a 1.5-inch, 480-by-480-pixel Super AMOLED screen. Both the Watch 8 Classic and the 40mm Watch 8 have a 1.3-inch, 438-by-438-pixel screen.

The Watch 8 Classic likely needs the extra room for its rotating bezel, so if you want the biggest screen of the bunch, the surprising choice is the 44mm Watch 8.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 8

Battery Life

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic edges out its more affordable sibling in terms of battery life. The 40mm Watch 8 has a 325mAh battery, while the 44mm version has a 435mAh capacity. The Watch 8 Classic tops the trio with a 445mAh cell.

All models have more capacity than their respective predecessors, though Samsung is downplaying the extra juice, saying it’ll mostly be used to maintain a consistent battery life result by powering the extra features offered in this generation. Samsung expects Watch 8 series models to stay powered for roughly 30 hours on a charge with the always-on display enabled, or 40 hours with it turned off.

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Nevertheless, given that the Watch 8 Classic has the biggest battery of the bunch while matching the smaller Watch 8 in screen size, it should last the longest between charges.

Winner: Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

Power

Spoiler alert: Everything else from here forward matches, but it’s worth running through the stats anyway.

All members of the Galaxy Watch 8 family have a five-core Exynos W1000 processor with 2GB of memory and 32GB of storage. They come with Samsung’s One UI 8 interface on top of Google’s Wear OS 6 software installed at launch, and both platforms are one version ahead of what’s currently available on the Galaxy Watch 7.

Winner: Tie

Fitness and Health

The Galaxy Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic match exactly in terms of health and fitness features, and this is the category where they offer the biggest upgrades over the Galaxy Watch 7.

The Watch 8 series can measure your antioxidant levels with a short test requiring you to place your finger on a sensor on the back of the watch. This feature is unique among smartwatches. Antioxidant tests normally require going to the doctor and having your blood drawn, so this will certainly be a much simpler and less invasive way to get that information. After measuring your antioxidant levels, the watch will provide tips to improve your score.

Place your finger on the back of the Watch 8 for the antioxidant test. (Credit: Eric Zeman)

The Watch 8 Series will also measure your vascular load while you sleep to gauge your overall stress levels. It also has a built-in sleep coach to monitor your habits and help you find the best time to go to bed.

A running coach will offer feedback as you go, similar to Apple’s Workout Buddy. The Watch 8 series also offers a 12-minute running test to gauge your current aptitude for the activity from 1 (beginner) to 10 (pro). It can use your running test results to build you a specific workout plan, whether you’re just aiming for improved fitness or working toward a specific goal like running a marathon on a specific date.

These new features build on the Galaxy Watch line’s already extensive list of activity, exercise, sleep, and stress tracking features. That includes FDA-approved sleep apnea monitoring, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) index tracking for a detailed picture of your metabolic health, and AI-powered holistic health insights, features that debuted last year on the Galaxy Watch 7.

Samsung smartwatches can also monitor your blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and even your sleep cycles and snoring. They also have the unique ability to measure your body fat and body composition, similar to a smart scale. The Galaxy Watch 8 series carries all of these established features forward while offering even more wellness insights.

Winner: Tie

Lifestyle

Google’s Gemini AI will be available on the Galaxy Watch 8 series to allow for convenient AI voice assistance. Gemini will be able to answer questions, send texts, and interact with Samsung apps like Calendar, Clock, Health, and Reminder, providing a new hands-free way to interact with the watch.

The Galaxy Watch 8 series will, of course, offer access to the Google Play Store for third-party smartwatch app downloads. Samsung’s latest smartwatches also continue to support contactless payments. They can make calls, send texts, and do everything else you’d expect from a fully featured smartwatch.

Winner: Tie

Which Watch Is Right for You?

Galaxy Watch 8 (Credit: Eric Zeman)

With further testing, we’ll be able to definitively say whether the Watch 8 Classic’s bigger battery gives it a practical edge over the base Watch 8 in the real world. Otherwise, both the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic share all of the same features and specs besides their design and price. If you prefer the more streamlined design of the Galaxy Watch 8, the choice is easy, as it’s the more affordable option. If real-world battery life is roughly the same on both models, it’ll come down to personal preference and budget to determine if the Classic’s rotating bezel and stylistic tweaks are worth an extra $150. The watches come out on July 25 and we plan to put them to the test soon, so check back for our full reviews.