When the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 was announced last summer, my immediate thought was, 'I wonder what happened to all those promised upgrades that didn't come to fruition?'
Well, dear reader, it's time to dust off the Galaxy Watch 7 rumors and reapply them to Samsung's next-gen smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 8.
There are three particularly juicy bits of speculative insight surrounding the forthcoming Galaxy smartwatch — expected to launch summer 2025 — each more notable than the next. Read on for details on each, followed by my wish list for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.
Micro-LED screen
It seems like every forthcoming smartwatch model, including both the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3, has at least one leak or rumor hinting at a move away from OLED to MicroLED. And the Galaxy Watch 8 is no exception.
I've written numerous times about the benefits of MicroLED compared to OLED, the most notable being much better energy efficiency, but improved resolution, brightness and saturation are also potentially on tap.
New square (ish) case design
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the brand's first wearable in many years to sport a square (ish) case. Is Samsung trending too deeply into Apple's territory? Galaxy Watch 8 rumors suggest that the Ultra may not be the only Samsung smartwatch to feature an angular (ish) design.
I have mixed feelings about this move. As someone who reviews smartwatches for a living, I have no strong preference for square or round cases. I find both similarly comfy.
Of course, a square case makes it more obvious you're rocking a tiny computer on your wrist than a rounded one if that kind of thing matters to you.
Blood glucose monitoring
Similar to MicroLED upgrades, it feels like every single smart wearables manufacturer is working to figure out non-invasive blood glucose monitoring via the wrist, a breakthrough that would make managing diabetes much easier.
And there's reason to believe that Samsung may beat its rivals, namely Apple to the punch with blood glucose tracking in a smartwatch.
I initially predicted that we'd get the ground-breaking feature in the device which ended up being the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Now I'm cautiously optimistic that it will debut on the Galaxy Watch 8.
My Galaxy Watch 8 wish list
With the most notable Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 rumors (so far) out of the way, it's time to dream big and talk about my hopes and dreams for the Galaxy Watch 8.
Having reviewed both the Galaxy Watch 7 and Google Pixel Watch 3, one area Google dominates Samsung is in battery life, specifically for the larger 45mm Pixel Watch 3. My challenge to Samsung: match that model's 48-hour battery life mark with the next-gen XL Galaxy Watch model.
Speaking of the big boy, I'd like to see Samsung increase the size of the Galaxy Watch 8 from 44mm to 46mm to match the Apple Watch 10 and differentiate it from Google's 45mm XL.
Finally, for all my fellow fidgeters out there, Samsung, please bring back the Classic-style clicky bezel. It's both useful and highly comforting to futz with.
What do you want to see in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8? Let me know in the comments below.
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