Samsung Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Traditional Assessment: The Squircle

Julian says the larger Watch8 Traditional received shut to 2 full days on one cost. That is with a couple of auto-tracked actions per day, too. Naturally, anticipate the 44-mm Watch8 to sit down someplace within the center, possible a day after which a couple of hours additional. (You can prolong that battery life a bit for those who additionally bought a Galaxy Ring, because the ring and the watch share health-monitoring duties when used collectively.)

Along with brighter screens, there’s additionally the by-now customary dual-frequency location monitoring, which helps with health monitoring, and the brand new Operating Coach characteristic, which copies what Google launched final yr on the Pixel Watch 3. Google Assistant has additionally been changed with Gemini, however I principally used it as I’d Siri, for easy verbal instructions like turning on the flashlight or beginning a timer.

It is also price noting right here that Samsung just lately switched to a brand new Dynamic Lug system. As an alternative of utilizing a tiny pin to swap bands, you simply slide and click on to swap proprietary bands out and in. I first failed to note this as a result of that is the way you swap the bands on final yr’s Samsung Watch Extremely, in addition to the Apple Watches.

Personally, I like this technique rather a lot as a result of I discover utilizing the tiny pins to be horrible and annoying, they usually break my nails. However I am sorry for everybody who was anticipating to have the ability to use your outdated spherical watch bands on the brand new squircle watch. Samsung affords 4 new bands with Dynamic Lugs, however that is not many for those who’ve been constructing your assortment for some time now.

Eat Your Veggies

Courtesy of Adrienne So

I in contrast fundamentals like my step rely, sleep monitoring, and coronary heart price to my Oura ring and was shocked by how carefully the 2 matched. On at some point, the Watch8 tracked me as having walked 14,100 steps; the Oura, 14,099 (thanks, dual-frequency GPS!). Sleep counts and coronary heart charges had been tallied principally, too. Computerized exercise monitoring labored properly, because it often does with Samsung watches. Canine walks received picked up inside a minute or two, as did runs and pool swims.