Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 collection hands-on: squircle squad

One factor is instantly noticeable as I strive on the brand new Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Traditional simply forward of Samsung Unpacked. The squircle has taken over.

The circle-face-in-a-square-case design was launched final 12 months with the Galaxy Watch Extremely, and it has now made its solution to the remainder of the lineup. At a look, it’s essentially the most noticeable change about this 12 months’s Galaxy watches. And I can’t lie, I used to be resistant. The preliminary pictures and renders that Samsung shared with the press had me bracing. The round design was iconic! The Extremely was sq. and squat! However to my shock, once I slipped on the common 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 8, the squircle form wasn’t so unhealthy.

It was, dare I say, type of glossy? Facet-by-side, the Traditional appeared chunkier in comparison with the earlier model of the watch, however not a lot that I felt it had totally misplaced the Traditional’s distinctive design taste. (Talking of which, the rotating bezel is right here, it’s satisfyingly clicky, and, oh, how I’ve missed it.)

Jeffrey Kim, Samsung’s senior product lead for smartwatches, instructed me there are a couple of the reason why Samsung went full squircle for this 12 months’s lineup. It permits the watches to sit down flatter in your wrist, and it permits the case to be 11 p.c thinner whereas housing a barely bigger battery. Emphasis on barely — we’re speaking round 10-20mAh of additional battery, relying on the mannequin.

You’ll must take my phrase for it, however the squircle watches do sit flatter in your wrist, and they’re extra comfy. I observed the impact extra on the larger Galaxy Watches — the 44mm 8 and the 46mm Traditional, which sadly solely is available in a single measurement. My colleague Allison Johnson additionally gave me a intestine examine on the flatness, so you may’t accuse us each of getting Stockholm syndrome.

In any other case, the {hardware} updates are minor. The Traditional will get the Extremely’s Fast Button so you may program shortcuts. The watches additionally sport a brand new lug system for swapping straps. Samsung has refined it from final 12 months, and the button mechanism is considerably simpler to make use of (although I did lose a press-on nail within the technique of making an attempt it out).

The Extremely now is available in blue and has twice the storage (64GB), and that’s about it. There are not any new sensors. The processor is identical as final 12 months’s fashions. The supplies are additionally the identical. You’ll discover extra of a change when you’re coming from the Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional, provided that Samsung solely updates these fashions each different 12 months now.

The majority of the updates are software-based. That features stuff like a Working Coach, which grades your capability primarily based on a 12-minute working check after which generates a customized coaching plan. It’s geared towards newbie and intermediate-level runners, however Kim says you would use it to coach for a marathon. There’s additionally a brand new Bedtime Steerage characteristic that estimates your circadian rhythm to recommend an optimum bedtime. Vascular Load measures your stress ranges whilst you sleep. I can’t touch upon these options simply but, as they weren’t accessible for a demo. I did, nevertheless, get to strive two new software program options: Google Gemini and Antioxidant Index.

Gemini is a part of Put on OS 6 and can exchange Google Assistant. Kim tells me it doesn’t require a separate Gemini subscription to make use of, although it does require an web connection. LTE Galaxy Watches, for example, gained’t want a telephone close by to make use of it, however Bluetooth ones will. Gemini on the wrist can do every part that Assistant can, after which some. Particularly, you may ask it to do issues that require a number of apps in a sequential order. It’s onerous to think about these sorts of queries off the highest of your head, however listed below are some that I noticed demoed:

In every of those demos, I watched as Gemini did an web search after which opened the corresponding app to complete the motion. These had been ready demos. After I tried crafting my very own, issues went a little bit sideways. To be truthful, I used to be in a loud venue with spotty Wi-Fi on demo gadgets that hadn’t been totally arrange with the person apps crucial for fulfillment. I’m reserving judgment till I obtain my overview items and may check how Gemini on the wrist works extra organically — however I can see the potential, and I’m excited to find its limits for myself. That is the primary time we’re actually seeing a generative AI assistant on any smartwatch.

As for the Antioxidant Index, I’m a bit extra cautious. The nuts and bolts of the way it works are that you just stick your thumb on the LED sensors, the algorithm goes beep boop bop, and also you see a gauge of whether or not you’re consuming sufficient fruits and veggies. Should you’re not, you’ll get some suggestions as to which antioxidant-rich crops so as to add to your plate. To dial it again a smidge, antioxidants are molecules that inhibit oxidation and the creation of free radicals — issues related to growing old and cell harm. Fruits and veggies are chockful of antioxidants! The Galaxy Watches, Kim tells me, are utilizing a mixture of LED colours to detect the extent of carotenoids in your pores and skin. Carotenoids are the pigments that make carrots orange and different crops vivid colours like yellow and crimson. (Therefore why you, too, might flip orange when you eat an extreme quantity of carrots.)

My Antioxidant Index was rubbish. I attempted it 3 times and obtained three “very low” scores of 37, 40, and 43. (You may anticipate to see variance in readings taken in a brief interval.) I did this demo proper after a vegetarian July 4th, full of colourful veggies and a heaping pile of strawberries. However I haven’t been consuming as nicely this previous month, and Kim instructed me that it may take as much as two weeks to see adjustments to the Index and that that is meant as a useful wellness characteristic. It’s not prescriptive, and my preliminary take is to view this with a grain of salt. Then once more, don’t everyone knows we must be consuming extra fruits and veggies?

I’ll must see how the totality of those updates work collectively after some rigorous testing. However right here’s one replace I dislike: every part’s pricier. The bottom Galaxy Watch 8’s beginning value is now $50 extra at $349.99, whereas the Traditional’s beginning value is $499.99. Add on a bit extra for LTE variations and greater sizes and woof. Samsung declined to say whether or not this was due to tariffs, however any value hike stings. However a minimum of the Extremely is staying the identical at $649.99.