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Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review: The Watch That Does It All and Looks Good Doing It

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review: The Watch That Does It All and Looks Good Doing It

Name: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review: The Watch That Does It All and Looks Good Doing It
Item: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic offers everything you need and nothing you don't. Here's my review.

Written by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 25 August 2025 09:46 IST

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review: The Watch That Does It All and Looks Good Doing It

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic comes in a 46mm size

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Highlights

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic price in India starts at Rs. 50,999
The Ultra-style, rounded square of the Classic looks solid
Vascular Load, Running Coach and Antioxidant Index are new features

This year, Samsung has given the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic upgrades that almost make it as compelling as the Ultra model. The rotating bezel gives it a classic look and appeal, which has been one reason why the Classic model has been so popular in all these years, while the addition of features like a Quick Button enhances ease of use.

Of course, Gemini is now onboard, making the Galaxy Watch 8 series the first smartwatches to come out of the box with native support for Google's AI assistant. Samsung has also added a Now Bar, a popular feature on Galaxy phones, which displays tasks running in the background. The new Classic model also features the signature cushion design introduced last year, along with the Dynamic Lug System. And, as you would expect, Samsung offers sleep, workout, heart activity, and more health-tracking features. However, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is also more expensive than the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic at launch, from Rs. 36,999 to Rs. 46,999.

But are the upgrades worth the price bump, and does the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic prove to be a great everyday smartwatch with added health features? I spent close to two weeks with the Classic, and here's what I think.

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The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is available in Bluetooth-only and LTE variants
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Design and Display: Proof you don't need to pay more for premium

Dimensions and weight - 46.4x46.0x10.6mm and 64 grams
Make - Stainless steel frame and Rotating bezel
MIL-STD-810H and IP68 dust and water resistant
Durability - 5 ATM
Display - 1.34-inch Super AMOLED with 3000nits peak brightness and 327PPI pixel density

When I first got my hands on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic last month in a closed-door hands-on session alongside new foldables, I almost mistook it for the Ultra model. Samsung has smartly introduced the cushion design to the Watch 8 Classic, which enhances the overall appeal and makes it look like a close sibling of the Ultra.

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The rounded square design looks premium and definitely puts the Classic in the Ultra league. For those unfamiliar with Classic models, the rotating bezel has been a signature element of Samsung's classic smartwatches. Think of it as an equivalent of the digital crown on the Apple Watch models. Additionally, there are other enhancements, such as the new Dynamic Lug system for attaching the straps to the watch, which also makes switching Watch bands easier and provides a more snug and comfortable fit. Long story short, this improves the accuracy of health-tracking data. Samsung has also added the Quick Button, which sits between the two physical buttons.

It is available in Black and White colours
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Unlike the Watch 6 Classic model, the Galaxy Watch8 Classic comes in a single 46mm size. For colours, you can choose between Black and White. I got the latter for the review. Design-wise, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a solid offering. The stainless steel casing gives it a rugged look and provides confidence for everyday use. Although you will initially feel the heft of the product, you will slowly get used to it.

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No doubt, the rotating bezel remains the biggest reason why anyone would pick the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic after all these years.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic works with the Galaxy Wearable companion app
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

The rounded square design may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with thinner wrists. The chunky design is a head-turner, and I noticed that many people around me instantly recognised the watch as being from Samsung - the rotating bezel has fans. Talking about protection, the display on the Classic gets sapphire crystal glass, which, during our testing, fared well. The underbody of the Watch 8 Classic, however, felt like it had undergone major changes, as it resembles glass but doesn't feel like one. The good thing is that, unlike Apple, Samsung provides additional protection for its wearables, such as an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810H military standards. The strap that shipped with the Classic model was comfortable for daily use. Samsung has made four band choices available for the Classic model: Hybrid Band, Sport Band, Fabric Band, and Athleisure Band styles, each available in five different colours. For every user, Samsung has provided a wide range of choices.

The smartwatch is available with a range of strap options, including Hybrid Band, Sport Band, Fabric Band, and Athleisure Band
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Jumping to the screen, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic features a smaller screen than the one on the Watch 6 Classic. It sports a 1.34-inch Super AMOLED display compared to 1.5 inches on the Watch 6 Classic. Even when compared to the competition, such as the Apple Watch Series 10, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic's screen appears smaller. It gets 3000nits peak brightness, which is the maximum I have seen on any smartwatch till date. The 438x438 pixel screen resolution seems decent in everyday usage. Thanks to the rotating bezel, you won't need to use the screen frequently in everyday usage. That's the beauty of the Classic model.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic runs on One UI 8, which offers new multi-info tiles and streamlined notifications
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

The display on this chunky body seems smaller and will initially bother you when trying to access something on the watch screen. Instead of wasting some of the real estate on the rounded square, Samsung should have packed in a slightly bigger display.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Software and Performance: Solid and ultra-grade health tracking for less

Chipset - Exynos W1000 (3nm based)
Memory and storage - 2GB RAM and 64GB
OS - One UI 8 Watch based on Android Wear OS 6
Sensors - Accelerometer, Barometer, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Infrared Temperature Sensor, Light Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic ships with One UI 8.0, based on the latest Wear OS 6.0, out of the box. It comes with the latest set of smart features from Google, including Gemini integration. Yes, that makes the Classic (and the regular Watch 8) the first smartwatch globally to feature Gemini integration. However, Google just announced its Pixel 4 smartwatch, which also gets Gemini, so we can expect this to be available on more wearables soon. The Gemini feature on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic works flawlessly, allowing it to pull data from multiple apps or set reminders with a single voice command. Yes, in its early days, there are a few rough edges, such as Gemini not waiting for a long time and disappearing if you take additional seconds to frame your query. But, at the end of the day, it's a great feature to have on your smartwatch. I had a good time setting reminders and keeping my to-do list for the weekends ready.

The smartwatch gets an upgraded Dynamic Lug system for a better fit
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

What One UI 8 brings to the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a multi-info tile and streamlined notifications. Unlike previous versions, you will need to swipe right on the watch screen to access notifications, while swiping left will take you to multi-info tiles. Samsung has finally introduced the Now bar to its smartwatch, providing more glanceable details on the screen. The Now bar can pull contextual, relevant data and show everything on the screen.

The tile widgets can pack in more details, allowing you to glance at them, which is way more convenient than earlier versions. Of course, the rotating bezel makes it too easy to glance through such tiles. If there's one big highlight of the One UI 8, then it has to be customisation. There are plenty of personalisation options on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic - a neat addition by Samsung.

You can change the watch face using the companion app, Galaxy Wearable
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

The software experience is where you really need a Samsung Galaxy device to truly enjoy all the features of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Non-Samsung users can download the Galaxy Wearable and Samsung Health apps from Google Play, where you get access to most basic features. Features like Antioxidant Index, Running Coach, and Vascular load will need a Samsung device to measure metrics.

While Samsung hasn't mentioned anything about software updates, historically, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is expected to receive security updates for the next four years.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic can mirror all notifications from the connected Android device
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Coming to new health measuring metrics like the antioxidant index, which can motivate or disappoint you depending on whether you're eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables. The index measures range from 0 to 100, indicating adequate, low, and very low levels based on the intake of fruits and vegetables. Long story short, the new health metric that Samsung introduced this year measures carotenoids in the skin.

What is a carotenoid? Well, it is the pigment that gives colour to red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, and oranges. All carotenoids are antioxidants, and we can obtain them only through food or dietary supplements. And, hence the name. The company says that the skin is one place where carotenoids consumed through food are stored, so you put your thumb on the optical sensor at the back of the watch, and it shows the range based on the measurement. During my time with the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, I had a tough time keeping it in an adequate range, which was 75-100. Mostly, I stood at low levels (50-75) and very low levels (0-49). As I mentioned earlier, it can motivate or disappoint you based on your eating habits.

The smartwatch gets Antioxidant Index and Vascular Load health features
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Similarly, Vascular load is another new addition to the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (Watch 8) that helps determine good heart health. The latest health metric utilises sleep to measure the amount of stress on your vascular system. This works automatically when you wear the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic during sleep, offering insights into the stress on your vascular system. To create a more holistic picture, the metric provides a sneak peek into your lifestyle choices, ranging from your sleep patterns, exercise, and stress.

Samsung has also added the Bedtime Guidance feature, which provides insights on when you should aim to sleep. This year, Samsung also introduced Running Coach, a new avatar of Advanced Running Metrics that was previously seen on the Galaxy Watch 7. It offers personalised, AI-powered running plans tailored to your specific goals, such as an upcoming 5K marathon. Additionally, it also provides guidance during runs, such as when to speed up or slow down.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic can automatically monitor some vital health features like heart rate, spO2 and more
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

There are additional health metrics that provide insights into your daily lifestyle, including Energy Score, Sleep Score, Blood Pressure, ECG, Blood Oxygen, breathing rate, skin temperature, and more. Overall, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic offers significantly more health-related features than standard smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch Series 10 or a Pixel Watch.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic features dual-frequency GPS, providing more precise positioning compared to the Watch 7. The BioActive sensor is now closer to the skin, thanks to the new Dynamic Lug System, which provides a more accurate step counter.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic gets Quick Button, and it is very handy to launch exercises, or you can customise it as per your preference
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

I have been an Apple Watch user for years, but I'm impressed with the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic capabilities. The step counter is almost comparable to that of the Apple Watch, and similarly, other health-related measuring features are on par with those of any competition smartwatch. Of course, I'm not taking into account the Ultras (both from Samsung and Apple) here.

The Galaxy Wearable companion app is excellent for day-to-day usage. It offers numerous personalisation options, such as setting a new watch face, customising the app screen, or adding new tiles. You also get the Find My Watch feature built into this app.

While the Dynamic Lug system brings the sensor closer to the skin for better health tracking, but I found it slightly fiddly
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Battery: Decent

Battery - 445mAh
Claimed usage time - Up to 40 hours with AOD off and Up to 30 hours with AOD on
Charging - 10W wireless

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, despite packing a chunky, rounded square design similar to the Ultra model, features a modest increase in battery capacity, from the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic's 425mAh battery to a 445mAh battery on the Watch 8 Classic. While the company claims that the smartwatch can last up to 30 hours with always-on display turned on and up to 40 hours with always-on turned off.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic syncs to the phone via the Galaxy Wearable app, while the health data shows up in the Samsung Health app

In my real-world usage, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic lasted approximately 40 hours with a single charge, with the always-on display turned off, and about 32 hours with the always-on display enabled. Of course, the tests I conducted were for regular use, with most settings set to automatic, along with health tracking and other features such as sleep tracking, all of which were in use.

Considering the pricing is on the higher side for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, I expected a better battery output during daily usage. Of course, my tests included the usual suite of apps used and features accessed during the time I was wearing the Watch 8 Classic. Certain health-tracking features, such as blood pressure monitoring and ECG, consume more battery when used multiple times.

The charging time is also slow on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, as the smartwatch takes approximately 90 minutes to charge from 0 to 100 percent.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic's biggest rival is its affordable Watch 8 sibling
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic emerges as a perfect everyday companion, and in some ways, it offers a better value than the Ultra. You get a solid, timeless design with physical bezels and plenty of ultra-like health tracking features. This year, Samsung has really pushed the envelope when it comes to adding new health tracking features to its Galaxy smartwatches. In many parameters, including health and fitness tracking, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic outperforms all regular smartwatches hands down. However, there are some areas where the latest Classic falls short, such as the battery department, which could have been improved, and the same applies to the display. Despite this, the Watch 8 Classic emerges as a solid contender for a premium smartwatch.

Samsung has introduced a new Running Coach feature on the Watch 8 series that helps with personalised training
Photo Credit: Gadgets 360/ Mohit Dawar

So, who should consider the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic as their everyday smartwatch? Well, if you're someone who loves rounded design for a watch with physical bezels, and don't mind wearing a chunky wearable on your wrist 24/7. And, of course, if you've a budget to spend close to Rs. 50,000 on a non-ultra smartwatch model.

At a starting price of Rs. 46,999 (for the Bluetooth-only model), the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is more expensive than its predecessor at launch. For an LTE model, which I received for the review, you will have to shell out Rs. 50,999. The biggest problem at this price is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available at Rs. 59,999, and it offers far better display and battery performance. For competition, the Galaxy Watch 8 is also a viable option, offering nearly identical features and is available at Rs. 36,999 (for the Bluetooth model) and Rs. 39,999 (for the LTE model). There's also the Apple Watch Series 10 (Review), which starts at Rs. 46,900 and ranges up to Rs. 84,900 for the titanium model.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design and comfort
Tracking accuracy
Companion app
Software and ecosystem
Battery life

Good
Rotating bezel gives an impeccable look to the smartwatch
Bright display and solid design
Physical buttons are useful
Plenty of health-tracking features
One UI is neat
Gemini support works well

Bad
Still slightly heavier for a traditional smartwatch
Display looks small on this chunky watch
Some advanced functionalities are limited to Samsung phone users
Expensive

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic review

Strap Colour Black, White

Display Size 34mm

Compatible OS Android and iOS

Display Type Super AMOLED

Ideal For Unisex

More Samsung Smartwatches

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Further reading: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Price in India, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Specifications

Ketan Pratap

Email Ketan

Ketan Pratap is the editor at Gadgets 360 - with over 12 years of experience covering the technology domain. With a breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, he's done extensive work across news, features, reviews, and opinion pieces. But what's truly inspiring about Ketan is how he spends his free time. He's often found gazing at snow-capped mountains from over 20,000 feet while sitting on the hood of his car, taking in the breathtaking beauty of nature. His passion for the great ...More