Expert review Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

I notice right away that the watch looks a lot like a regular watch. That's because of the bezel that has numbers on it and the strap. The watch strap looks like leather from a distance, but it's made of silicone. That means I can also work out with it. I don't have a big wrist, so the watch doesn't completely fit my wrist well. The screen is brighter and always easy to read, even with lots of sunlight. The side has an extra button, which the 6 Classic didn't have.

The bezel of the Watch 8 Classic is rotatable. That way, I can easily navigate through my apps. I do notice that I don't really use it, because the watch has a touchscreen that works a bit more easily and precisely. The Watch 8 Classic has a new button on the side. This is very useful to quickly open an app. In my case, I can start and pause a workout with it.

With the new sleep functions on the watch, I get a lot of insight into my sleep pattern and more. For example, I know for exactly how long I've slept and what the best sleeping times for me are. With the Watch 8 Classic, I now have a kind of running coach around my wrist. After each workout, I know what my times were, what my step length was, and in which heart rate zones I was running, for example. I receive running advice based on this data, so I know exactly how I can improve and what the best workout moments are.

I only have to talk to the Watch to activate Gemini. I can let it plan an event in my calendar, for example. I tried this during a walk. It worked very smoothly and the event was in my calendar and in my smartphone right away. While cooking, I also like using it to set a timer, for example. The biggest advantage of Gemini on the Watch 8 Classic is that I don't always have to have my smartphone with me. I can now answer messages with my voice as well, for example.

The battery of the Watch 8 Classic lasts 1 to 2 days. With average use and without workouts, it lasts about 1.5 days. When I'm running, the watch drains faster. On such a day, it lasts 1 day. I've also tested the watch in energy-saving mode. Many functions are turned off then, so the screen is less bright. The Watch 8 Classic then lasts about 2 days.