Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Samsung's new Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic come with big upgrades over the predecessor.
The new Galaxy Watch8 Classic variant is the top-end among the two models and is available in India with prices starting at Rs 46,999.
Here are my thoughts on the premium WearOS-powered smart watch from the house of Samsung.
Design and build quality:
The Galaxy Watch Ultra, the Watch8 Classic feature curved, squarish casings with a classic circular display dial. But it is a bit on the heavier side. It weighs 63.5g, almost double that of the standard Galaxy Watch8.
That said, the Watch fits perfectly on the wrist and thanks to high quality build material and the Dynamic Lug system. The review unit I got comes with a premium white-hued faux leather strap. I never felt any discomfort wearing it all day. Even at night, too, as I had to wear to measure the sleep score, I did not feel much irritation on the wrist.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It has three physical keys-- Home (top), quick button (middle) and back. They are very handy to operate the compact watch on watch.
The enclosure is made of highly durable stainless steel, and the display is protected by sturdy Sapphire crystal to survive daily wear and tear.
The design ensures the display is protected from angles. Even when you accidentally brush your wrist against a wall or any structure, the display never gets scratched.
Further, the device boasts an IP68 rating, 5ATM + IP68 / MIL-STD-810H military durability certification. It may not be as rugged as the Watch Ultra model, but it is capable of surviving the water pressure up to 50 metres. This comes in handy for recording laps in the swimming pool.
And, given the IP68 rating, it can even easily withstand rain. But, be sure to dry it before putting it to charge.
One special thing about the Galaxy Watch8 Classic is the return of the physical rotating bezel around the circular display. It was sorely missed in the predecessor.
It is not just a fancy rotating ring, but a functional one and amazingly optimised with the software to deliver the best user experience on a watch. It offers a nice tactile rotating feel while navigating through the user interface of the Google WearOS watch. It is way better than the swipe gesture feature on the display.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Speaking of screen, it sports a 1.34-inch super AMOLED panel with full colour always-on display tech. It supports 438 x 438p resolution with pixel density of 327 pixels per inch (ppi) and offers peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
It is very bright to ensure the user can view the message notifications from waist height. Even under bright sunlight, I did not have to squint my eyes to read messages.
User Interface and Performance
As noted earlier, the user interface is very easy to learn, even for a rookie first-time customer or senior citizen.
The user can get the hang of it in a day or two. It supports swipe gestures and works smoothly. But using the rotating bezel is even more fun.
It is really easy to get around to find the widgets to start tracking a physical activity.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Also, it boasts dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 5.3, which ensures stable wireless connectivity with the companion phone. By the way, it takes around 10-15 minutes to complete the pairing process while setting up the Watch.
Further, Watch8 Classic supports LTE e-SIM and thanks to this feature, you can leave the phone behind at home to do workouts at the gym or go for long jogging. You can make or answer calls right from the watch. And, you can even read and reply to messages with ease.
Thanks to super-sensitive sensors, the Watch8 Classic can auto-detect walking and other sporting activities within 10 minutes of starting it.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Like the standard model, the Galaxy Watch8 Classic is also powered by a 3nm class Exynos W1000 penta-core chipset with Mali-G68 GPU, 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. It runs WearOS-based One UI 8 operating system, co-developed by Samsung and Google.
The Galaxy Watch8 series is the world's first smart wearable to support Gemini Live assistant. Users can directly summon the Gemini AI bot for any information without having to use the companion smartphone. You can ask for any information right on the watch, and it will offer contextually correct information quickly, provided there is a good cellular network.
The Galaxy Watch8 Classic boasts of new optical electrocardiogram (ECG), which can track and record ectopic beats.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
For the uninitiated, ectopic beats are premature heartbeats in the form of fluttering, thumping, or skipped sensations. They often go undetected in routine checkups as they frequently occur without noticeable symptoms.
The frequent ectopic beats are considered clinically significant and are known symptoms of a heart condition, and may lead to arrhythmias that can lead to a stroke and heart failure.
As noted in my Galaxy Watch8 review, the Classic version can also measure the owner's circadian rhythm (internal body clock) and sleep pressure (how much your body needs sleep). And, the watch can interpret this data as a differential equation to calculate the optimal bedtime. This way, the user feels refreshed and is full of energy to start the new day.
Physical activity tracked by Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic can also be viewed on Samsung Health app on the mobile.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
The algorithm uses changes in sleep threshold and individual sleep needs throughout the day to deliver personalised guidance.
This algorithm is said to have been developed by KAIST and clinically tested at Samsung Medical Centre. This is a really good value-added feature to improve the health of the owner.
It also features new advanced heart health tracking features, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) with IHRN (Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification).
It also boasts of improved version of the BioActive sensor, which offers an advanced glycation end products (AGEs) index. It provides deep insights into the body’s metabolic health and biological ageing, which are strongly influenced by the overall lifestyle and dietary habits of the user.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic can track health metrics and offer deep insights on body's fitness and health.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Additionally, the BioActive sensor is now capable of measuring skin carotenoids in five seconds using multi-wavelength absorption spectroscopy.
The user has to place the thumb on the back of the watch for a few seconds. After analysing these carotenoids, the Watch8 Classic will share insights on antioxidants in the blood, which reflect fruit and vegetable intake. Antioxidant index will be offered in a score of 0–100, which is categorised into one of three levels. This score shows how diet, UV light, alcohol and stress are impacting your antioxidant levels. With this information, the device owner can make changes to the daily routine to reduce the rate of ageing.
Antioxident Index score.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Given how high the Antioxident Index level is, I should seriously start the fitness routine immediately and not wait one and a half months to make a 2026 New Year's resolution.
The lower the level, the better your body health is. So, if you are on the other end of the spectrum like me, better start a fitness regime as soon as possible.
Another new feature that is debuting with Galaxy Watch8 Classic is the Running Coach. It is capable of calculating the user's fitness level from 1 to 10 and developing a tailored training plan complete with real-time guidance and motivational insights.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic comes with several ground-breaking health tracking capabilities.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
It can also track the stress of the user, called Vascular load. Thanks to advanced sensors, it can detect high levels of stress-based heartbeats during sleep. It offers deep insights into various lifestyle factors, including sleep, stress and activity. This can assist the owner to adopt a more comprehensive approach to managing his/her health.
The Watch8 Classic can even track stress in active hours. If it senses the stress persists for a few hours, it sends out a High Stress Alert, so that the user can take a break to help manage the stress levels in real-time.
If the user manages to reach the targets of the day like the steps or exceeded the previous record, it offer digital badges to motivate to keep the fitness routine going.
Physical activity tracking insights can be found in Samsung Health app.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic also comes with SOS Emergency security feature to get help from police or loved ones (mentioned in contact list) at the earliest.
Also, it supports another potential life saving feature Hard Fall detection; it notifies to loved ones to send help to the owner in quick time.
As far as the battery life is concerned, it houses a 445mAh cell capacity. It can easily last a whole. Even if you are a fitness freak and do more than two hours of workouts at the gym, the device can last the whole day, including the night for sleep tracking.
It supports 10W wireless charging capability. It will fully charge from zero to 100 per cent under 90 minutes.
Final thoughts
Samsung's premium Galaxy Watch8 Classic is loaded with advanced, cutting-edge health tracking features, which many brands cannot boast of. It is a perfect fitness companion to help you lead a long, healthy life.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit
And, the reintroduction of a functional rotating bezel, the Galaxy Watch8 Classic has one more compelling reason to buy one.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic comes in just one size-- 46mm- and is available in Bluetooth and LTE variants-- for Rs 46,999 and Rs 50,999, respectively.
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