C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 owners complain it won’t charge properly on Samsung’s wireless charging pad.
- The issue stems from the curved default strap, which prevents the watch from lying flat on the Wireless Charger Duo.
- The included magnetic puck charger works fine, but users are frustrated by the poor fit with official accessories.
Samsung has clearly impressed many people with the Galaxy Watch 8, including us. However, the tech giant may have overlooked a much more basic element of the wearables’ design. Pushing engineering boundaries with the hardware is all well and good, but fans may protest if the smartwatch won’t sit on its own charging pad.
A Reddit post now gaining traction on r/GalaxyWatch shows how the 44mm Galaxy Watch 8 doesn’t lie flat on Samsung’s own Wireless Charger Duo. That’s gone down badly with users, with the opening poster considering a refund over what they called a “stupid” design oversight.
Reddit user Luxkeiwoker shows us the issue.
Plenty of users in the thread joined in to vent, troubleshoot, and roast Samsung. Some compared it to Apple’s Magic Mouse charging debacle, but there were also real concerns about slower charging speeds and increased heat. One commenter suggested that PowerShare from Samsung phones doesn’t seem to work reliably either.
My brother in Christ, this is Magic Mouse level of charging.@Tuhyk_inside on Reddit
The strap design of the Galaxy Watch 8 clearly wasn’t made with this wireless charging pad, or any that sits relatively flat on a surface, in mind. Specifically, the default rubber band curves down sharply, preventing the watch from resting flat on the pad and making charging a hit-or-miss affair.
Some users recommended workarounds like turning the strap inside out or switching to a hybrid or fabric band, but many were frustrated that a new watch won’t charge properly on the brand’s hardware.
In Samsung’s defense, the Galaxy Watch 8 ships with a magnetic puck charger that doesn’t require the device to lie flat. However, it’s another wire to add to the mix.
