It’s been about 2 months since the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic were made available, and having used the Classic edition nonstop for that amount of time, I can tell you: it’s rare for me to like a smartwatch this much. When the Pixel Watch 4 comes out, it will need to make some serious noise to top it.
If you followed the launch of the Galaxy Watch 8 series, you’ll be familiar with the generally negative reception it received when leaks began to surface. Early renders showed off a basic-looking watch series with a rounded square case and circular display. The Classic model kept the rotating bezel and incorporated it into the new, “squircle” design.
People did not like it.
Even when presented with the idea of cushion case watches, a loud majority of users seemed to dislike the design. Consensus seemed to be that Samsung needs to go back to circular hardware, rather than adopting something new.
After the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic were officially released and started arriving at people’s doors, the tune seemed to change. Users who initially disliked the design seemed to become a little more fond of it once they tried it on in stores or saw it in person. Some of them, at least.
To me, the new Galaxy Watch design never looked ugly. The CAD renders seemed to make the watch look unfinished, but renders often tend to omit small design elements visible on the final product. There’s a reason we always call them “CAD-based renders” – they’re not based on the final product. What they also failed to convey is the concept of depth, which is unique to the Galaxy Watch 8 lineup.
The Watch 8 doesn’t have a physical rotating bezel, but the screen is slightly lifted off the watch case. The Watch 8 Classic pulls the same design element, giving off a more visually interesting 3D look. Without that, both watch models would look much less appealing, and the cushion case design choice would not have paid off.
When I got my hands on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, I immediately made up my mind. I think the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is the best-looking watch Samsung has produced – period.
The cushion case is very flat on each side, with no curved edges aside from some slightly chamfered edges. The way the circular display sits on top of that case looks so good from every angle, and it looks like a smartwatch that luxury-seekers would want to wear.
It stands out from the heavyweight attempts at luxury watches, from Fossil to even OnePlus. It doesn’t take on that smartwatch-forward design that seems to make it feel cheaper than it is.
Because of that, it’s incredibly enjoyable to use. I often have trouble wearing smartwatches for extended periods becuase they often fall short of exceptional design while providing good performance. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic with One UI 8 gets so close to that.
The main software difference between this and previous models has been Samsung’s updated tiles system. Widgets are a little easier to manage, and they don’t swallow space like the full-page widgets did in One UI 7. Combine that with easier navigation thanks to the rotating bezel, and you have a watch that does its job well.
For Pixel users like myself, there were a couple of bumps in the road. Those have been solved, and they seemed to stem from Google’s Android 16 builds, stonewalling the watch from a successful pairing. With those fixed, the watch just doesn’t disappoint, even when it’s not paired with a Galaxy phone.
Waiting on Google…
The Galaxy Watch 8 won’t be uncontested for long. Google plans to launch the Pixel Watch 4 in two sizes very soon. Those who pre-ordered are waiting on shipping notifications, which should come in October.
The Pixel Watch 4 mirrors the Pixel Watch 3 in many ways. It’s available in the same sizes, and it looks almost identical on the surface.
One of the biggest changes is the new 3D display that looks domed. How can that be? Because it physically is. The design looks wild in person, and it’ll be exciting to see how it’ll hold up in daily use. The display essentially extends to the edge of the watch case, giving off the impression of a bezel-less smartwatch.
I had a chance to get some hands-on time with the Pixel Watch 4 a couple of months ago, and I really enjoyed playing with it. Still, the design feels extremely similar to that of last year’s, so there isn’t going to be anything inherently exciting beyond the new display.
If you’re comparing apples to apples, the Pixel Watch 4 41mm variant runs pretty similarly to the Galaxy Watch 8 40mm model. They carry similar displays, with the Galaxy Watch using a display with a higher pixel density. The brightness is the same across the board.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic’s display is smaller than the base 44mm model in comparison, but it works so well with this design that it’s unnoticeable. The small design language elements build out the watch and let the display sit as the centerpiece, rather than the entire focus. The Pixel Watch 4, on the other hand, is all display.
We didn’t get a chance to compare the Galaxy Watch 8 with the Pixel 4 in person, due to the timing of Samsung’s release. Still, images of the Galaxy Watch Ultra next to the Pixel Watch 4 paint an interesting picture.
Both watches also have 32GB of storage with 2GB of RAM. The Classic edition does bring 64GB of storage.
What the Galaxy Watch 8 does not have is satellite SOS in its LTE models, something that the Pixel Watch 4 is bringing to the table that’s wholly new for Android watches, and only available in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 outside of that.
In reality, I’m putting a lot of pressure on the Pixel Watch 4 to succeed against the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. I’m aware that they are technically different levels of device, with the Classic taking the place of what is essentially a “Pro” model. The Pixel Watch 4 has no such variant.
Wear OS 6 – Google’s version – needs to perform flawlessly, or close to it. Battery life needs to be at least a day, or more, to match the Galaxy Watch. I can get two days or more out of my Watch 8 Classic, which works well for me and my schedule. For others, the Watch Ultra might be the best bet right now.
The finite nuances that make up the entire experience are up in the air until the Pixel Watch 4 is in the hands of users. I say this as someone who’s using the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic with a Pixel 10 Pro XL, fully knowing that I’m losing out on some proprietary features.
All I know is that, for now, I’m going to be a little sad about stepping away from the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic for any period.
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