Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Ultimate Buyer's Guide
Samsung has now officially announced the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and its counterpart without the rotating bezel. Both watches made their appearance alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked in New York on July 9, 2025. The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is one of Samsung’s latest smartwatches, and it brings back a familiar feature that fans missed with last year’s Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra – the rotating bezel. With the return of this mechanical marvel, users can twist their way through the UI. It’s a feature that we’ve always loved here at Android Headlines due to how easy it was to use, but also because it limited the number of times you had to touch the display. That means fewer fingerprints.
There have been quite a few updates to the watch, both inside and out, including a new and slimmer design that chucks the old round style of the watch case out the window in favor of a squircle shape, much like the style of the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Because this shape was used with one of the watches from last year, it’s not an entirely unfamiliar design on Samsung’s part.
However, it is a departure from the style Samsung has used on its standard and classic smartwatches for so many years, and it’s a stark reminder that nothing stays the same forever. Even well-liked designs of popular devices. If you’re looking to learn everything you can about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go over all of the necessary details you need to know about, from specs to price to where you can buy one.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is powered by the company’s Exynos W1000 chipset and Google’s Wear OS 6 platform. One UI 8 Watch sits on top of Wear OS 6 to give the UI that distinctively Samsung look and feel, while still offering the underpinnings of the Wear OS software that users have come to know and love.
With a Super AMOLED display measuring 1.34 inches with a pixel density of 438 x 438, the Galaxy Watch Classic stays within the realm of past watches when it comes to screen size. Speaking of sizes, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic only comes in one size, and that’s 46mm. This is another design decision that’s a departure from Samsung’s past offerings. The Classic model of every watch in the past has come in two sizes. One larger, one smaller. Giving customers the option to choose what they wanted. This time around, though, Samsung has removed this choice from the equation. If you want the Classic style with the rotating bezel, you have to go with the 46mm size, because that’s all there is.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic also has a 445mAh battery inside, and it comes with 2GB of RAM as well as a whopping 64GB of storage, which is a lot for a watch. You may not be able to choose the size, but you can choose the connectivity options, as Samsung offers both the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model and the LTE model of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Both versions are also IP68-rated, so they’re safe from the rain, your sweat, and the occasional spill. The watch has a 5ATM rating as well, allowing it to be submerged up to 50 meters.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Specs
| Size | 46mm |
| Colors | Black, White |
| Dimensions | 46.4mm x 46mm x 10.6t |
| Weight | 63.5g |
| Display Type | Super AMOLED |
| Display Size | 1.34 Inches |
| Display Material | Sapphire Crystal |
| Memory | 2GB |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Battery | 445mAh |
| Charging | Fast Charging |
| OS | Wear OS 6 |
| UI | One UI 8 Watch |
| Sensors | Samsung BioActive Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4 + 5GHz, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5)/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo |
| Durability | 5ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-810H |
| Compatibility | Android 12 or higher with more than 1.5GB of memory |
How much does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic cost?
Much like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung has increased the price of the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic compared to the last version of the watch, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. It now starts at $499.99, and this is for the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model. If you want the LTE model, you’re looking at a price of $549.99. This represents a $100 price increase compared to the last Classic model that Samsung came out with, when you look at the base price. It’ll be a tough pill to swallow for some. For many, though, the price likely won’t matter much.
Where can you buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic?
As per usual, Samsung’s devices are going to be available from pretty much any major retailer. You’ll be able to buy it directly from Samsung, and this is where you’re likely to get the best deals because of the trade-in offers and special credits. In fact, you’ll get a $50 credit when you pre-order through this link, and you can save up to $250 with a trade-in. That nets you a possible $300 in savings on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which could bring the price down to a maximum of $199.99. That isn’t bad at all.
That being said, this offer is only available from Samsung, and you’ll only get this offer through the link above. The $50 pre-order credits are also on a first-come, first-served basis, and they expire 30 minutes after clicking the link, so you’ll want to act fast. This promotion also comes with extra savings if you buy more devices. For example, if you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, or Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, you can save 10% on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.
In addition to Samsung, you’ll also be able to buy the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic from major carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. You will also be able to get the watch through Amazon.
Samsung
Amazon
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile
What carriers does it work on?
This will work on the major US carriers. Having said that, the watch uses an eSIM and not a physical SIM. So you won’t be able to just pop a SIM card in and use it on any GSM carrier you want. It works with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Xfinity Mobile. Other carriers may not be compatible with the watch, so you’ll want to check with your carrier to confirm. Of course, this also only matters if you’re planning to buy the LTE version. If you’re not getting the LTE version, then it doesn’t matter what carrier you have.
What colors does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic come in?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic comes in two different colors: Black and White. It is worth noting, however, that both colors still have a silver stainless steel watch case. The colors only show up on the front of the rotating bezel, the back of the watch case, and on the side buttons. Other than that, the look is indistinguishable.
What new upgrades does the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic have?
There are several upgrades for Samsung’s latest smartwatch. You could technically consider the rotating bezel one of these upgrades, since last year’s Galaxy Watch 7 series didn’t have one. However, it’s not a new feature, so it’s also sort of not an upgrade. The watch also uses the same Exynos W1000 chipset as last year’s watches. So this isn’t an upgrade either. You’ll find plenty of other upgrades, though.
Slimmer profile
Samsung has thinned out the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic to make it more comfortable, and it also now weighs less. So, that will add to the comfort. This will also make it more comfortable to wear while you sleep, which you will want to at least try, since the sleep tracking is a big part of the watch.
Google Gemini on your wrist
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (along with the Galaxy Watch 8) will be the first watch to come with Google Gemini out of the box. This will allow you to maximize your device’s capabilities, and with it, you can do things like send a message or ask questions about stuff.
Way more storage
Samsung has doubled the storage of the Galaxy Watch 7 by giving the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 64GB of storage space. With all of this room, you can install more apps and download all of your favorite music for offline playback.
A brighter display
Samsung has increased the brightness of the display on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic so you can see it more easily in brighter environments. The display is 50% brighter than last year’s watch, with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. While it’s not likely the display will reach that brightness level often, you also probably won’t have to ever worry about not seeing what’s on the screen.
Wear OS 6
Wear OS 6 is the latest version of Wear OS, and it’s available first on the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and the Galaxy Watch 8. With Wear OS 6, you’re also getting One UI 8 Watch, Samsung’s latest UI layer. This brings in several new features and software improvements, such as the Now Bar, Daily Wellness Snapshots, Vascular Load, and more. You also now get access to multi-info tiles, so you can see more of the information you want on the display at one time.
What bands are available for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic?
In time, there will likely be tons of watch bands available for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. For starters, Samsung has a nice selection. What’s really nice about the bands this year, when it comes to Samsung’s official options, at least, is that there are more colors available from the get-go. There are three band styles to choose from with the purchase of the watch: Sport, Hybrid, and Fabric. There’s also the Athleisure band that you can buy separately. As for the colors, the Sport band comes in Blue, Graphite, Mint, Pink, and White. The Hybrid band comes in Black, Blue, Camel, Taupe, and White. The Fabric band comes in Blue, Graphite, Mint, Red, and White. And lastly, the Athleisure band comes in Blue, Graphite, Green, Sage, and White.
Samsung also offers different sizes, though not every size is available for every band. For example, the Fabric and Sport bands come in Small/Medium and Medium/Large sizes. The Hybrid band only comes in the Medium/Large size. The actual sizes for these bands are as follows: The Small/Medium will fit wrists from 130mm to 190mm. The Medium/Large band will fit wrists from 145mm to 205mm.
- Sport Band
- Hybrid Band
- Fabric Band
- Athleisure Band
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Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic?
While the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is more expensive than previous Galaxy smartwatches, it’s Samsung’s most advanced option with plenty of nifty upgrades and neat, useful features. Things like Gemini will make it possible to use the watch to be more hands-free than ever. Plus, the rotating bezel is too good a feature not to have. Plus, with all of the pre-order savings you can get, it really doesn’t end up that expensive.
The post Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Ultimate Buyer's Guide appeared first on Android Headlines.
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