Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: awesome design at a higher price (hands-on)

I had a few moments with the Watch 8 Classic recently and these are my initial impressions from Samsung’s more premium fitness- and health-tracking wearable.

Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025): up to $250 off

$399 ⁹⁹

$649 ⁹⁹

$250 off (38%)

Right now, you can buy Samsung's latest Galaxy Watch Ultra for up to $250 off at the official store. To take advantage of this deal, you must trade in an eligible device.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Save up to $250 with a trade-in!

$249 ⁹⁹

$499 ⁹⁹

$250 off (50%)

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is also available at the Samsung Store at a pretty steep discount, provided you trade in an eligible device in good condition. You can save up to $250 with a trade-in or $130 without one.

Buy at Samsung

Galaxy Watch 8: Save up to $200 with a trade-in!

$229 ⁹⁹

$429 ⁹⁹

$200 off (47%)

The Galaxy Watch 8 is here, packing more features and a modern-looking design. Samsung lets you save up to $200 on this bad boy with eligible trade-ins. Alternatively, you can save $60 without a trade-in.

Buy at Samsung

Instantly likable design merged with cutting-edge health tracking

Right away, the Watch 8 Classic feels more substantial than its sibling. It’s slightly thicker at 10.6mm and heavier (63.5g), but not overly so. I tested the model with a black leather strap, and it looked and felt great – it definitely gives you more “watch” than “gadget” vibes.

The rotating bezel is back and works just as you'd hope, offering a tactile alternative to touchscreen swipes. There's also a Quick Button in the center of the right-hand side for one-press access to supported apps like the camera, voice recorder, timer, or even a water-clearing mode after a swim.

You get the same new ultra-bright 3000-nit Super AMOLED display, 3nm Exynos W1000 chip, and dual-frequency GPS as on the Galaxy Watch 8, as well as the full suite of sensors – including the new Antioxidant Index and Vascular Load tracking features.

One UI 8 on top of Wear OS 6 seems pretty great

The screen of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is slightly bigger than the one on the Watch 8, but the software experience is identical, complete with One UI 8 for Watch, Wear OS 6, and Gemini Live integration. Notifications look fluid, glanceable widgets seem well organized, and the apps menu has been redesigned for faster access to your favorite apps (and less scrolling around). My first impressions are that the software moves smoothly and feels polished. Our full review coming in a week or so will give you the final verdict.

Don’t let the classy exterior to mislead you – the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a full-featured fitness and health watch. It supports all the same advanced health metrics as on the base Watch 8, including Sleep Coaching, Running Coach, High Stress Alerts, and real-time Energy Score powered by AI.

Overall impressions

If the Watch 8 is sporty and futuristic, the Watch 8 Classic is its elegant sibling. It feels premium, the display is bright and gorgeous, and the rotating bezel provides a welcome alternative to touchscreen interaction. If you want a Wear OS 6 smartwatch that looks like it belongs in a business meeting but still keeps up with your workouts and health tracking, this might be the one to get.

Of course, battery life tends to be a concern with Samsung watches, so let us first test it thoroughly and we’ll give you our real-world impressions in our upcoming review.

Meanwhile, the Watch 8 Classic is already on pre-order, and it’s expected to ship on July 25.

The price? Well, some bad news here – there has been a slight increase:

• Galaxy Watch8 Classic LTE: $549

That said, Samsung is often running great deals on its wearables, so be sure to check if there happens to be a juicy promotion going on before hitting that buy button!

What’s your take on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic? Is that a bezel you’d rotate?