Galaxy Watch 8 takes a sharp design turn, and the clues were there all along

Samsung has been taking a leaf out of Nothing's communication bible lately by releasing an information trickle about its upcoming wearables.

Just recently, the company announced a new suite of health features coming to its latest generation of smartwatches, including some peculiar ones, such as Vascular Load, among others.

Now, supposedly leaked renders and hands-on footage have appeared online, showcasing what's supposed to be the new design of the upcoming Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

You don't need to squint your eyes to see that the new models resemble a very recent wearable from the brand, the one that most of us talked about in the last 12 months: the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

The most significant design cue is easy to spot in the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic: the more rectangular case design, encasing a circular, 1.5" AMOLED screen.

This marks a new chapter in Samsung's wearables. Until now, the division has been such that the Apple Watch has been the square option, while Samsung has opted to use rounded cases.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic - Official First Look And Features - YouTube

Watch On

The South Korean brand threw a spanner in the works by rehauling the Galaxy Watches, which now occupy a space between square and round.

The case is more rectangular, even square, which differs from Apple's longer rectangular approach. However, the display remains circular, lending the wearables a distinct hybrid identity that blurs the lines between traditional watch aesthetics and modern smartwatch design.

What stayed the same is the distinction between the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, the latter catering to those who prefer dress watches but would like to enjoy all the health and fitness tracking benefits of a smartwatch.

The Galaxy Watch 8, with its refined, minimalist design and clean edges, caters to younger, more progressive users who like to feel they are keeping up with the times.

Another change is that the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will only come in one size, 47 mm, as reported by 9to5Google.

This might be bad news for people with smaller wrists; a 47 mm case can look quite large on the wrist, especially the bulkier new design.

An option for these small-wristed people might be the Galaxy Watch 8, which still comes in two sizes, both smaller than 47 mm (40 mm and 44 mm).

Will a Galaxy Watch Ultra successor be announced?

The same rumour mill that produced the information on the other watches says the "Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025" might just be a cosmetic update, like 2024's Apple Watch Ultra 2 upgrade, which only added the black case colour without any hardware upgrades.

We don't have to wait much longer until we know for sure what's actually coming, as Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event will happen in the next few weeks, potentially in the first week of July.