Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic test: Design at the service of comfort

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic weighs, and literally. There are 63.5 grams on the scale – only case – or near what the Watch 8 is displayed and its 34 grams (in 44 mm version). It is even a little more than the Ultra Watch and its 60.5 grams. This weight, we owe it first to the composition of the case. Samsung has swapped aluminum from 8 or ultra titanium for stainless steel. Of course its imposing format (46 x 46.4 x 10.6) does not help, but the material has its effect. The case is very successful, it is undeniable. Only the piece of plastic connecting the buttons between them detonates. The leather imitation bracelet is pretty and comfortable, but is not necessarily the most suitable for sport; It is based on a owner fixation, but many options are available if you want to replace it.

The telescope is pleasant to use, the notches are well felt, it remains a real pleasure in using. On the right edge, there are three buttons: two dishes and a central round, which recalls that of the ultra watch. At the front, the 1.34 inch OLED touch screen displays 438 x438 pixels. This slab is the same as that of the Watch 8 40 mm. Why not have integrated a larger display on a box with 6 mm additional diameter? The imposing rotating crown requires a lot of space – but it is repeated, it’s worth it. The screen turns out to be of good quality: it is responsive and readable in full sun, but lacks a little discretion in the dark. And its size of embarrassment in nothing.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Ultra is waterproof certified up to 50 meters, this means concretely that you can shower and swim with it, however do not try to dive or surf with: too fast pressure changes could crack the case. Finally, the screen is protected by a sapphire glass while the watch is certified MIL-STD-810H, that is to say it will resist dust and shocks. It is also stamped IP68.

This Galaxy Watch 8 Classic runs under Wear OS 6 associated with One UI, the South Korean overlay. Its Exynos W1000 chip ensures fluidity to any test. The Tocante also has 64 GB of memory to store music (a lot of music). Its 4G version (ESIM) allows you to completely free yourself from a Bluetooth connection with the smartphone. Of course, thanks to Wear OS, the Play Store apps – compatible with connected watches – are therefore available. From this Google/Samsung association, iPhone are excluded.

Let’s say it, the regulars of Samsung will not be disoriented. The Korean flagship redoubles with efforts so that its watches are placed in the most perfect continuity of the smartphone and, visually, it is felt. Navigation is done here via the touch screen, the three side buttons and therefore the famous rotating crown. Switch the latter in the hourly direction, you will cross a series of widgets detailing your data, arranged by theme depending on whether you are looking for a data Health (number of steps, burnt calories, energy score, sleep), sport (rapid launch of an activity) or anything else, such as weather. Go in the antihorarous direction and you will find the notifications there. Once in a menu, the telescope scrolls the choices from top to bottom. Simple and intuitive.

Unfortunately, we cannot do everything with the crown, and the touch screen comes to take over. Thus, the touchscreen is necessary to access the main menu – a finger shift from top to bottom. A reverse movement takes you on a shortcut pane to put your watch in plane mode, do not disturb or adjust the brightness. Finally, the three buttons still allow a little more flexibility. The upper button returns from one click to the previous screen, a long support opens Gemini, the IA assistant from Google. The lower button launches long support Samsung Wallet, the manufacturer’s NFC payment system. The central button is a shortcut to the launching menu for an activity.

In use, this Galaxy Watch 8 Classic with Wear OS 6 is almost impeccable: the interface is fluid, colorful, well thought out. The display of notifications is superb and the 1.34 inch screen offers perfect readability. The tocante allows you to answer the phone on the wrist – speaker and microphone are suitable – and once again brings back the gestures for a last salvo from shortcut. You can therefore pinch your fingers twice to take a call, a functionality always as anecdotal as it is funny.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic synchronizes with two very distinct applications. On the one hand, we have Galaxy Wearable (or Galaxy Wear Manager) thought to configure his watch. It is there that we choose his dial, its applications, his widgets and that we parameter the tocante in depth. On the other hand, we find Samsung Health to follow his health. It lists your sports activities, your sleep and even gives you an energy score.

This Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has a heart rate monitor, a double band GNSS, an accelerometer, a barometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a temperature sensor and a brightness sensor. What ensure the essentials.

Let’s start with the double-band GPS, it delivers good results, whether in town or in nature. Its routes are credible and without major artifacts. It sometimes gets lost a few meters, but nothing serious. Enough to place yourself beyond a smartphone, but a little below a Garmin Forerunner 965, as below.

The heart rate rate is also of quality. Apart from a few artifacts here and there, he offers good surveys. During a jogging session without rapid rhythm variation, the watch follows without problem and displays curves very close to those of the Polar H10 pectoral belt that we consider as a reference.

During a session with quick variations in rhythm, no problem either. The watch follows without problem and continues to display coherent curves. You can see some peaks invented before the acceleration session (8 times 1 min followed by 1 min of rest), but without gravity.

This equipment offers a good basis for those who want to start running or in sport in general, especially since you can easily synchronize your Galaxy Watch with Strava. Besides, the years pass and Samsung is playing it more and more Garmin. We thus find a sports coach and, more generally, of life with his watch. She tells us when to rest, if we pull too much on the rope or if we lack activity. It must be said that the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is not content to follow your physical activities. The watch creates electrocardiograms, assesses the vascular load, stress or even measures the temperature in the context of menstrual follow -up. Small novelty, the watch has a sensor dedicated to the carotenoid indexes on the back of the case to measure “if you eat enough fruits and vegetables”. Are they going too far? We let you decide.