Samsung has updated its wearable collection with the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic – but what’s the difference between the two?
While there are obvious differences between the two – like the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic featuring the beloved rotating bezel – some of the differences are a little more nuanced.
If you’re on the fence about which to buy at release later this month, we’re here to help. Here are the key differences (and a few similarities) between the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.
Pricing and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is available in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm – starting at £319/$349 for the Wi-Fi models, with cellular available at additional cost. It’s up for pre-order at Samsung and third-party retailers now ahead of release on 25 July 2025.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is also available for pre-order ahead of release on the 25th, but at £449/$499, it’s easily the more premium of the two watches.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has a traditional look and rotating bezel
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is the follow-up to the Watch 6 Classic and once again features the fan-favourite rotating bezel, which helps you scroll through apps without needing to tap on the screen itself. It means you can see more of the screen as a result, without your finger obscuring things.
Elsewhere, it sports a very traditional wristwatch aesthetic, with traditional detailings, buttons on the right of the screen and an optional leather strap, though both it and the regular Watch 8 now feature the same ‘cushion’ design as the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
This not only brings a level of synchronicity to design across the range, even with different focuses for each wearable, but Samsung claims it makes for a more comfortable experience on the wrist – especially when combined with a new strap lug system.
The regular Galaxy Watch 8, on the other hand, is a much more minimalistic, elegant affair. It sports ultra-slim bezels, with the protruding screen appearing to sit comfortably on its metal ‘pillow’. It’s available in similar shades of Graphite and Silver to the Watch 8 Classic’s Black and White options, and both are IP68 and 5ATM protected.
The Galaxy Watch 8 is thinner and available in more sizes
The Watch 8 Classic is undoubtedly an attractive watch for the right kind of person, but it’s pretty significant on the wrist at 46mm with a 1.34-inch AMOLED screen – and unfortunately, that’s the only size available.
Instead, those with smaller wrists should look towards the Galaxy Watch 8. The standard wearable is available in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm – with 1.34- and 1.47-inch screens respectively.
Not only that, but the Watch 8 is the thinnest Galaxy wearable to date at just 8.6mm thick, a notable reduction over the 10.6mm-thick Watch 8 Classic, and it’s similarly lightweight at either 30- or 34g, compared to 63.5g.
The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has more storage and a bigger battery
With a slightly bigger chassis than the regular Galaxy Watch 8, the Watch 8 Classic packs a larger 445mAh cell than the 325mAh and 435mAh alternatives. That might not seem like much, but when combined with the slightly smaller screen than the 44mm Watch 8, it could translate to slightly stronger battery life – but we’ll have to test the wearables before we say for sure.
The Watch 8 Classic also separates itself from the regular Watch 8 by offering a boosted 64GB of onboard storage, matching that of the top-end Watch Ultra. This essentially means that the Watch 8 Classic can accommodate more apps and offer more space for music in apps like Spotify – perfect for outdoor exercise when you want to leave your phone at home.
The Watch 8, on the other hand, comes with the same 32GB as its predecessor.
Both offer One UI 8 based on Wear OS 6
No matter whether you opt for the Galaxy Watch 8 or 8 Classic, you’ll get the exact same software experience. That comes in the form of Google’s latest iteration of Wear OS, Wear OS 6, with Samsung’s own spin on top in the form of One UI 8.
Alongside all the regular benefits of Wear OS – like having access to third-party apps from Google Play, rich notification support, customisable watch faces and more – the latest version introduces a handful of new features. That includes a new tiling system that combines all tiles into a single view for a better overview, while notifications have also seen a similar improvement.
The watches are also among the first to feature support for Google Gemini, replacing Google Assistant, which should result in a much smarter experience overall. As well as handling general queries, Samsung claims that Gemini ties in well with its own first-party apps, allowing you to not only create calendar events and the like, but trigger exercise tracking.
There’s also integration with new One UI features, such as the Now Bar, which provides at-a-glance information and controls.
Both offer antioxidant tracking
Samsung has introduced antioxidant tracking with the release of the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic. Powered by the BioActive sensor that tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen and other metrics, you simply place your thumb on the sensor for five seconds to get a reading of your carotenoid levels.
This reading will indicate whether your antioxidant levels are high or low, and if they are low, it’ll provide guidance on how to improve them, such as by eating fruits and vegetables. It ties into Samsung’s more holistic approach to general health and fitness tracking with its new wearables, which present features like a new mindfulness and stress tracker, as well as vascular load training and high-stress alerts.
Early thoughts
Both the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic appear to be capable wearables that, in many regards, offer a similar experience. Both pack the same suite of sensors, the same Wear OS software and the same high-end screen technology.
Instead, the core difference boils down to design and build; the Watch 8 Classic is a traditional take on a wristwatch with its fan-favourite rotating bezel, while the Watch 8 is a much more modern and minimalist affair. The Watch 8 Classic is also a rather large watch, with a 47mm case, making the 40mm and 44mm Watch 8 models a better option for those who prefer a smaller watch.
That said, we’ll save our final thoughts until we’ve fully put the wearables through their paces – so check back soon!
