Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review: A Classic That’s Living in the Future

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Review; India has large number of smartwatch users, and every year these tiny computers on our wrists promise ”upgrades”. But let’s be honest, most of the time, it’s just a slightly shinier strap or a marginally better battery. So where does the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic fit in? Is it just another tick on the annual update cycle, or is it actually worth strapping to your wrist? I wore it, twisted its iconic bezel, and here’s what I found. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Review: A New Standard for Android Smartwatches

Design and Build: Premium Steel and That Iconic Bezel

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic arrives in a stainless-steel body paired with a white leather strap. It looks classy on paper, but in reality, it leans a little too ”loud” for my taste. Maybe you’ll love it. But here’s the bigger problem. It’s leather isn’t exactly workout friendly. Sweat and leather don’t get along and if you’re planning to wear it all day, you’ll probably feel the discomfort. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, Classic, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 Price And Specs Leak Ahead Of July 9 Launch

But here’s where Samsung redeems itself, that rotating bezel. This isn’t just a design gimmick, it’s tactile, addictive, and far more satisfying than poking at a tiny screen. Scrolling through menus, switching apps, or just flipping between watch faces feels intuitive and strangely fun. This single feature still gives Samsung an edge in the smartwatch race. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Leaks: Check Out Rumoured Date, Expected Foldables, India Timing, and More

The watch comes in a single 46mm size at about 64g. Premium, yes, but definitely chunky on smaller wrists. At least you won’t have to handle it with extra care, the IP68 rating ensures it’s tough enough for daily wear.

Display: 3000 Nits of Pure Brilliance on Your Wrist

The 1.34-inch Super AMOLED display is where Samsung flexes. At up to 3000 nits of peak brightness, this thing is blindingly good outdoors. Indoors, it looks equally stunning with slim bezels and fluid touch response.

And yes, the Always-On Display looks so crisp that sometimes you’ll mistake it for a luxury analogue watch.

Performance & Battery: Smooth, but Runs Out of Bread

Under the hood sits Samsung’s Exynos W1000 chip (3nm) with 2GB RAM and a 64GB storage. And honestly, I’ve noticed almost no lag. App switching is seamless, animations are buttery smooth, and everything just works the way a smartwatch at this price should work.

Battery life, however, doesn’t quite match the hype. You’ll get 30-36 hours on mixed use which is respectable but far from class leading. If you’re a heavy user with always-on display, sleep tracking and other health features enabled, expect to charge it daily. In a market where smartwatches are creeping towards multi day stamina, this feels like a missed opportunity.

Health & Fitness: From Heartbeats to Sleep, it Tracks it all

Here’s where Samsung decided to flex a little harder. The sleep tracking has levelled up in 2025. It’s not just about ”you slept 7 hours”. Instead, it gives you a full breakdown like time spent awake before sleep, deep sleep duration, relaxation quality, and even temperature fluctuations during the night. All this combines into a detailed Sleep Score with graphs that are more insightful than some therapy sessions.

But Samsung didn’t stop there. There’s also a new Bedtime Guidance feature, though finding it is a quest in itself. You need to track sleep for at least three nights in a row, then open the health app on your phone, hit Sleep, and tap the three little dots in the corner to actually enable it. The idea is nice. Why, because it measures your circadian rhythm to suggest your ”ideal” bedtime. So, while the feature sounds futuristic, in practice, it feels more like common sense wrapped in fancy packaging.

Another addition is Vascular Load, which Samsung claims measures the stress on your blood vessels. You need to wear the Watch 8 Classic at least three nights in a two-week span to get results. A consistently high load is associated with various chronic conditions, which sounds useful, except in practice, it’s a hit or miss. For me, I only got a result once. On the very next day, the watch said ”not enough data”. Maybe it lost skin contact during sleep, maybe I moved around too much, or maybe it just wasn’t feeling it. Either way, it’s a promising feature that still needs refinement.

Fitness tracking here covers pretty much everything from heart rate, stress levels, daily steps, to calories, and even this quirky little thing called an ‘energy score’. And you know what? The accuracy is surprisingly good. For example, I compared the step count with my phone on a long evening walk, and both matched almost perfectly. Even the stress tracking made sense, like on a hectic Monday, the watch flagged my stress levels, and later when I chilled with some music, the score dipped back down. It actually feels reliable, not just numbers on a screen.

But then comes the heartbreak. ECG and blood pressure monitoring are locked to Samsung phones. If you’re on another Android device or an iPhone, these features simply won’t work. And honestly, restricting crucial health features to brand loyalty feels like a letdown (even if it makes sense for Samsung’s business).

On the upside, there’s a customizable quick action button that can be set for workouts like running, walking, swimming and more. One press, and you’re good to go.

Software & Experience: Wear OS Meets Samsung’s Secret Sauce

Running on Wear OS with Samsung’s One UI 8, the Watch 8 Classic plays well with the Google ecosystem. That means you can install apps like WhatsApp, Spotify, YouTube, and more straight from the Play Store. Notifications, watch faces, quick replies, and even calls feel snappy and well optimized.

Samsung also ships the watch with built-in Google Gemini. Once activated, it’ll summarize emails, manage calls, or even help you find the nearest gym (though sadly, it can’t drag you there).

Pairing with non-Samsung phones takes a few extra steps and three apps: Samsung Health, Wear OS, and Samsung Switch. But once set up, the experience runs smoothly. Still, the watch’s true potential is unlocked only when paired with a Samsung phone.

My Verdict & Pricing: Classic Meets Future – But Only If You’re in the Club

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a premium smartwatch that nails the design, delivers some genuinely futuristic features, and keeps Samsung’s rotating bezel alive (and better than ever). The upgraded sleep tracking impressed me the most, while fitness insights remain reliable and accurate.

But it’s not perfect. A leather strap that sweats out easily, a battery that just misses the ”two-day” mark, and those Samsung exclusive health features force you to think twice, especially if you’re not already inside the Samsung ecosystem.

Should you buy it? Yes, if you own a Samsung phone, this is easily one of the best smartwatches around. But think twice if you’re on another Android from a different brand or using an iPhone, the compromises may sting.

Pricing in India: The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic starts at ₹46,999 for the Bluetooth only model. The LTE-supported Classic variant will set you back at ₹50,999.

Final Word: At the end of the day, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is both classic and futuristic, but only if you’re carrying the ”right” phone in your other pocket. But even with other Android phones it’s still a great companion, just with a few feature trade-offs.