I’m usually loathe switching to smartwatches, even for the purpose of a review. But once I start using it day in and day out, it becomes such an integral part of my routine that not having access to that familiar physical form and a familiar UI feels jarring. In any case, the thought of trying out the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for a long-term review was alluring enough for me to take a break from my go-to Apple Watch device. 

Design

The first thing that strikes me when I start donning the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the “squircle” shape of the device. It’s unique. Is it pretty? That’s subjective. The second thing I notice is how insanely comfortable the soft rubber finish on the straps feel on my wrist. The Dynamic Lug system makes it easy to securely snap the detachable straps on and off during the review. 

At 44mm, the Watch 8 feels slightly large on my wrist. It’s not uncomfortable, but if you have slim wrists, like mine, it might dominate rather than sit subtly. I found it particularly uncomfortable when I wore it to bed at night. The 40 mm might have felt more unobtrusive. On the upside, the larger size gives me access to a bigger screen, which is genuinely useful—I don’t have to squint, and swiping through tiles and apps feels more comfortable.

The only two hardware buttons - Home and Back - rest on the right side of the smartwatch, although you can wear it the other way so that they rest on the left, and customise the display accordingly as well. 

Display

The variant I’m reviewing sports a massive 1.47-inch Super AMOLED display. While early adopters of the Samsung Watch might still miss the tactile, rotatable bezels that ringed the periphery of the watch, I, for one, don’t mind the touch-based replacement in the current generation. The appropriately sensitive touch-based bezel is designed to operate on the top half of the watch display and makes scrolling through settings and options feel smooth like butter. The super AMOLED screen is bright and crisp, and the Always-On Display ensures you can glance at notifications or the time even under harsh sunlight.

A quick swipe down from the top of the main screen brings up the quick panel, which includes quick toggles for brightness, do not disturb, water lock, flight mode, NFC and more. I’ve had to download the Samsung Health app to access most of the health and fitness features and set goals for myself. Of course, health and fitness tracking on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 remains solid. It covers the basics such as heart rate, sleep, SpO2, ECG, and workout tracking work reliably. Even with something as basic as counting steps, it lets me set a daily target, which the Apple Watch doesn’t. A feature called ‘Together’ also helps get a little competitive with your family and friends as far as your step count is concerned. Of course, they need to be using the Samsung Health app as well.

Sleep tracking is particularly useful if, like me, you like to wear the watch overnight. A minor annoyance: the Always-On Display sometimes glitches with the time, showing the wrong hour and correcting itself only when I wake the watch up. Hopefully, nothing that a reset or a software update can’t fix. 

The Antioxidant index is a brand-new metric that this watch now measures. All ready to be disappointed by my antioxidant index, I’m thoroughly surprised to see it’s 90 out of 100 - and underwhelmingly termed as ‘adequate’ by Samsung! I’d rather it be categorised as ‘brilliant’! I wish the process were a little simpler, though. At the moment, I need to take the watch off, press my thumb against the biometric sensors at the back of the watch, and then view my antioxidant index on my smartphone - which kind of defeats the purpose of having this feature on a smartwatch! 

The same goes for measuring vascular load - the details of which are available on my smartphone after wearing the watch to sleep for a minimum of three nights. 

The ability to record your mood with a daily log prompt is a recent and helpful addition. There are breathing exercises too that you can practise guided by the watch.

Tech Specs

Performance is smooth across the board, and the longer I use the watch, the more seamless it feels. Samsung’s updated Exynos chipset ensures apps launch quickly, notifications sync instantly, and scrolling through tiles is fluid. Integration with Samsung phones and other devices remains seamless, and Wear OS feels polished enough to make the watch genuinely useful for everyday tasks—calls, music control, messaging and quick app access.

Battery

With Always-On Display and sleep tracking on, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 kept me company for easily through the day. However, the disappointing bit was the charging time. With the proprietary charging setup, it takes a little more than two hours to reach full capacity. This is an issue especially if you, like me, wear the watch to bed to track your sleep, which means you can’t put it on charge at night. And, a quick charge in the morning while you shower, is not sufficient to charge it fully. I usually ended up plugging it in while sitting down for work in the middle of the day, where I wasn’t doing any other physical activity. 

Verdict

For the Indian consumer, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is best understood as a refined, lifestyle-first smartwatch rather than a radical technological leap. It is comfortable, polished, and thoughtfully designed for everyday use—tracking your steps through long workdays, monitoring sleep at night, and nudging you gently towards better health habits without feeling overwhelming. If you are already part of the Samsung ecosystem, the experience feels cohesive and intuitive, and features like step goals, sleep insights, and friendly competition through Samsung Health add real value to daily life. That said, charging time demands a bit of planning for users on-the-go. Some of the newer health metrics, while impressive on paper, still feel more experimental than essential for daily, meaningful use.

If you’re upgrading from an older Galaxy Watch or moving on from a basic fitness tracker, the Galaxy Watch 8 will feel like a feature-packed, premium upgrade. In typical Samsung fashion, the Watch 8 gets most things right—and if you can live with a slightly longer charging cycle and appreciate a large, bright display with smooth navigation, and a ton of health and fitness features it’s one of the most balanced smartwatches available for Indian users today.

Price - ₹32,999 onwards

Pros - Comfortable straps, bright AMOLED display, smooth performance and responsive UI, reliable fitness and sleep tracking

Cons - Limited colour options, one-day battery life, slow charging

Published on December 17, 2025