Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Rumours: Everything We Know So Far
Update: the Galaxy Watch 8 stopped being a rumour a year ago. Samsung announced it on 9 July 2025 and it's been on New Zealand shelves since late July 2025. This page now covers the confirmed specs and pricing, plus how the pre-launch leaks compared to what actually shipped.
What's confirmed
Confirmed
Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch 8 series at Galaxy Unpacked in Brooklyn on 9 July 2025, with Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic and Watch Ultra all launching together and going on sale 25 July 2025. It was Samsung's first smartwatch line to ship with Wear OS 6.
Confirmed
Both Galaxy Watch 8 models run Samsung's Exynos W1000 chip on a 3nm process. The case is 11% slimmer than the Watch 7 at 8.6mm, and the display peaks at 3000 nits — 50% brighter than the previous generation. The 40mm model has a 325mAh battery, the 44mm has 435mAh, and the Watch 8 Classic has 445mAh.
Confirmed
US pricing launched at $349.99 for the 40mm Watch 8 (a $50 increase over the Watch 7), $379 for the larger display option, and an extra $50 for LTE. The Watch 8 Classic started at $499. In New Zealand, the Watch 8 has typically sold from around $423-$450 for Bluetooth-only 40mm/44mm models, rising to roughly $520-$630 for LTE variants, depending on retailer.
What's reported
Reported
Pre-launch coverage from outlets like SamMobile and Android Central correctly anticipated the squircle case design carrying over from the Galaxy Watch Ultra's cushion shape, and correctly forecast a slimmer profile ahead of Samsung's official reveal.
Reported
Some pre-launch rumours speculated about a significantly larger battery jump than what actually shipped; the real-world capacity increases were more modest than several leak roundups had suggested.
Twisti's opinion
Opinion
A year on, the Galaxy Watch 8 remains a solid buy in NZ if you're inside the Samsung/Android ecosystem — the brighter, slimmer display and Wear OS 6 software still feel current, and prices have settled well below launch RRP at most retailers. If a Galaxy Watch 9 is announced at the next Unpacked event (historically around July/August), that's the point we'd suggest holding out for a newer model rather than paying near-launch pricing for the Watch 8 today.
What we'll update
We'll update this page with any confirmed details on a Galaxy Watch 9 as soon as Samsung's next Unpacked event is scheduled.
Comparing Galaxy Watch prices in NZ
Twisti tracks live pricing across major New Zealand retailers so you can see who actually has the best deal today.
Compare prices