Samsung makes some of the best smartwatch models available in 2025, including both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the newer Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
I’ve already covered the differences between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs. the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 in terms of features, design, and battery life, but what about fitness-tracking accuracy?
To find out which Samsung smartwatch is the more precise workout companion, I sported one on either wrist and embarked on a 5,500-step walk — manually counted, of course — around my neighborhood in Seattle, Washington.
Scroll down the page to see how my post-workout stats compare, including steps, distance, climb, pace, heart rate, and calories burned.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Galaxy Watch 7: Quick comparison
But first, a quick comparison: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 feature the same onboard health sensor array, but the newer model has a couple of exclusive wellness features, including insights into a user’s cardiovascular load and antioxidant levels.
The Galaxy Watch 8 also has a brighter screen and slightly better battery life. Design-wise, the older model sports a simple, circular case, while the Galaxy Watch 8 has a ‘cushion case’ similar to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Another major distinction: Only the Galaxy Watch 8 is available in Samsung’s ‘Classic’ edition, which features a fan-favorite rotating bezel.
Those core differences aside, from a fitness-tracking perspective, these two devices are essentially an even match. So, which model, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or Galaxy Watch 7, came out on top in my walk test? Read on to find out.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Galaxy Watch 7: Walk test results
For this walk test, I wore the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic on my left wrist and the Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm) on my right wrist. As a control, I manually counted my steps, denoting every hundred taken with a click of my trusty tally counter. As a control for distance, elevation, and pace data, I ran Strava on my iPhone.
To avoid either device piggybacking on location data from my paired Samsung Galaxy S24, I left it behind.
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (40mm) |
Control |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Step count |
5,531 steps |
5,475 steps |
5,500 steps (manual count) |
|
Distance |
3.08 miles |
3.20 miles |
3.16 miles (Strava) |
|
Elevation gain |
221 feet |
211 feet |
237 feet |
|
Average pace |
16 mins 22 secs per mile |
16 mins 12 secs per mile |
16 mins 19 secs per mile |
|
Average heart rate |
130 bpm |
131 bpm |
n/a |
|
Max heart rate |
160 bpm |
161 bpm |
n/a |
|
Total calories burned |
352 calories |
328 calories |
n/a |
|
Device battery usage |
8% |
12% |
n/a |
This is as close as they come. Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 7 recorded step count tallies that fall well within a reasonable margin for error. The former overcounted by just 31 steps and the latter undercounted by a mere 25 steps.
Strava, for what it’s worth, measured a step count total of 5,524 steps.
Distance-wise, both smartwatches also proved accurate, with less than a tenth of a mile separating the totals from Strava’s count.
The Galaxy Watch 8 seems to have undecounted my climb by a manageable 16 feet, while the Galaxy Watch 7 was off by a more notable 26 feet. Beyond that, pace, heart rate, and calorie data are all anear-match across the board.
Finally, the Galaxy Watch 7 burned more battery during my 50-minute walk, which was to be expected.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Galaxy Watch 7: And the winner is…
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is just as competent at tracking workouts as the newer Galaxy Watch 8.
While the Galaxy Watch 7 was ever-so-slightly more accurate at counting my steps and measuring my distance, the Galaxy Watch 8 was noticeably more precise at measuring my climb.
So, which device wins this bout? I’m giving the championship belt to the Galaxy Watch 7, but I strongly suspect that these two titans of the wrist will be squaring up again sometime soon (perhaps for a bike ride). As noted above, this was an exceptional close comparison.
More importantly, you now know that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is just as competent at tracking workouts as the newer Galaxy Watch 8, and either is a great choice to keep tabs on your next walk, run, hike, or pickleball match.
