Quick Summary
Images have leaked showing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 range – and there’s a big change.
The case shape looks set to follow the Galaxy Watch Ultra this time out.
After months of spec leaks and rumours, we’ve finally got a good look at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 range. That’s because a series of renders have just been spotted and shared by the team at Android Authority.
The next-gen smartwatch has been the subject of the rumour mill in recent weeks, after a Samsung executive confirmed an “innovative” design would be coming on the new models. Now, we know exactly what that will look like – and it’s one of my favourites.
The models appear to utilise the squircle case shape from the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. In my humble opinion – and as someone who spends most of my week surrounded by pricier luxury watches – that is the best looking smartwatch on the market right now, so I’m really excited to see more models follow suit.
The two models shown are the base model Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. The latter is the more interesting of the two – released every two years, that features a physical rotating bezel for a more traditional feel.
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It will certainly be interesting to see how that is implemented on the more squared case shape. The report also suggests that the Classic variant could take the Quick Button and stronger vibration from the Ultra, which would make it an appealing prospect.
Speaking of the Ultra, it looks as though we might not see a new version of that model this time out. The team found the codename for the original Galaxy Watch Ultra variant, suggesting that it may just receive some new software features.
That’s no bad thing, though. It’s biggest competitor – the Apple Watch Ultra 2 – has moved to a bi-annual release cadence after arriving just 12 months after its successor. That felt like a step to soon for most, who weren’t willing to fork out so much cash in such a short period of time.
Elsewhere, we also learned that there will be two sizes for the base model. There’s no word on the actual sizes for those models, but the code appears to reference a small and a large option for users.
