Samsung Galaxy Watch8

It might have a new (albeit divisive) look, but it's largely business as usual with the Samsung Galaxy Watch8.

- Thomas Deehan

We're in a very strange place with the Samsung Galaxy Watch range. In a sense, Samsung's smartwatches have never been better, and with four solid options currently available, ranging from the budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy Watch FE to the high-end Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, it's a great time to be a fan of all things Samsung.

The problem is that when viewed up close, very little has changed over the past few years. I absolutely adored the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 when that device came to market with its Wear OS overhaul and a bright future ahead of it, but after having the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 on my wrist for about two weeks, I can't say that all too much has changed in the time since.

It means that unless you're a devout Samsung user, you might want to see what else is out there from the likes of Google Pixel, OnePlus, Huawei and others. This is arguably the last time that the company can rest on its laurels before it becomes a much bigger issue.

DESIGN

The only area where the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 has really taken a step in a new direction is with its design. Well, I say new in that it's a different approach for the mainline watch, but it's really an adaptation of the square-circle (aka 'squircle') design language of the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Now, instead of having the chassis form a perfect circle around the screen, there's a bumper (Samsung calls it a 'cushion') protruding from the watch that is more prominent at the corners, making the watch look more like a rounded-off square.

Speaking to fellow tech journalists, it's clear that the design is quite divisive, but much to my own surprise, I actually quite like the look of it.