Here are the key new features and improvements coming with the Galaxy Watch 8 series:
Advanced, Proactive Health Monitoring
Samsung is pushing the boundaries of personal health with a suite of new sensors and AI-driven insights.
Blood Sugar Monitoring (Non-invasive): In a groundbreaking move, the Galaxy Watch 8 series introduces non-invasive blood sugar (glucose) monitoring. This feature, long-awaited in the world of wearables, uses advanced optical sensors to provide users, particularly those with diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, with continuous, pain-free glucose level estimates directly from their wrist. This aims to help users track trends and understand how their diet and exercise impact their blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Enhanced "AI for Health": The BioActive sensor, a staple of the Galaxy Watch, gets a major upgrade. The new "AI for Health" feature provides more personalized and actionable insights based on your tracked metrics. For example, it can offer tailored workout suggestions if it detects a period of inactivity or provide dietary recommendations based on your blood sugar trends and body composition data.
Improved Sleep Tracking: The sleep tracking functionality is now more granular. It can better differentiate between sleep stages and introduces snore detection analysis that correlates with blood oxygen levels to provide a more comprehensive picture of your sleep quality and potential respiratory disturbances.
A More Robust and Refined Design
The Galaxy Watch 8 series boasts both aesthetic and structural improvements.
Stronger, More Scratch-Resistant Materials: The Galaxy Watch 8 Pro model now features a Super-Tough Titanium Casing and an even more durable Sapphire Crystal Glass 2, making it significantly more resistant to scratches and daily wear and tear, catering to outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.
Brighter and More Dynamic Display: The displays on both models are up to 30% brighter, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct, harsh sunlight. The new screen technology also allows for a lower "always-on" power consumption, improving battery efficiency.
Refined "Classic" Rotating Bezel: For fans of the physical bezel, the Galaxy Watch 8 (in its "Classic" variant) features a smoother, more responsive rotating mechanism for navigating apps and widgets, providing a more satisfying tactile experience.
Smarter Features and Seamless Integration
Powered by One UI Watch 6, the Galaxy Watch 8 is smarter and better integrated into the Samsung ecosystem.
Enhanced AI Assistant on Wrist: The on-device AI is more powerful, allowing for more complex voice commands and offline functionality. You can now set multi-step reminders or ask for a summary of your health data from the past week directly via voice command.
Seamless Device Switching for Galaxy Buds: The watches offer improved integration with Galaxy Buds. For instance, you can be listening to a podcast on your Galaxy Tab, and if a call comes in on your phone, the watch allows you to seamlessly switch the audio source to the call and answer it from your wrist without touching your other devices.
Upgraded Safety Features: The fall detection feature has been improved to be more sensitive and accurate, reducing false positives. It can also now automatically share your pre-set medical information with emergency services when a hard fall is detected.
Battery Life and Performance
Next-Generation Processor: A new, more efficient processor not only makes the user interface snappier and app-loading faster but also contributes to better power management.
Improved Battery Life: While daily usage will vary, Samsung claims up to a 15% improvement in battery efficiency over the Galaxy Watch 7 series, thanks to the new processor and display technology. The Galaxy Watch 8 Pro, with its larger battery, is expected to last up to four days on a single charge with typical use.
On a Pixel phone, you might encounter issues accessing and using the glucose monitoring and other advanced features within the Samsung Health Monitor app.
