First Impressions & Reality Check

It’s now been about two months since I started wearing the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic daily, and I have to admit: I rarely find a smartwatch that genuinely wins me over. Yet this one did. That means the upcoming Pixel Watch 4 has a serious challenge ahead if it wants to claim superiority.

Leading up to the launch, leaks circulated showing a “squircle” design (a cushion-style body with a circular display). Early opinions were largely negative — many assumed Samsung had abandoned the iconic round watch look and lost its way. But once the watches arrived in hand, sentiment changed. People who were skeptical at first warmed up to the design when they saw it in physical form.

Why the Watch 8 Design Works in Real Life

My takeaway is that the renders failed to capture depth and detailing. The Watch 8 models don’t use a mechanical rotating bezel, but instead the screen “floats” slightly above the body, lending a subtle 3D visual effect. The Classic variant carries that approach further, giving it a more striking presence.

To me, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic may be the best-looking Samsung watch ever made. Its flat cushion frame, clean edges, and circular screen alignment create a balance between boldness and elegance.

Usability & Software — Where It Delivers

I’ve often struggled to keep a smartwatch on my wrist over longer periods, mostly because their designs or user experience feel half-baked. But on One UI 8 and Wear OS 6, the Watch 8 Classic comes exceptionally close to what I’d call a refined experience.

Widgets (or Tiles) now behave more intuitively — you don’t feel like every app is vying for full-screen dominance. Navigation is smoother, aided by the bezel-like touch controls and logical layout.

Before pairing, I did encounter a few hiccups when connecting it to a Pixel phone—issues that seem to stem from how Google’s Android 16 handles watch interfaces. Once patched, however, the watch worked flawlessly even without a Samsung phone in the mix.

The Pixel Watch 4 Is Coming — Can It Compete?

Google will soon unveil the Pixel Watch 4, offered in two sizes. The design is familiar — similar form factor to its predecessor — but one standout upgrade is the new 3D domed display, which extends nearly edge to edge. That gives it a visually immersive, bezel-less look.

In hands-on impressions I tried a 41 mm Pixel Watch 4 side by side with the Galaxy Watch 8 (40 mm). Performance was comparable — Samsung’s model might squeeze a bit more pixel density into its panel, but both offered strong visuals. The Watch 8 Classic emphasizes design cues that let the bezel recede and the display become the focal point, whereas the Pixel leans into being “all screen.”

Specs & Feature Showdown

Both watches come with 32 GB storage and 2 GB RAM out of the box. The Watch 8 Classic adds a higher-tier variant with 64 GB storage. One area where the Pixel Watch 4 aims to gain on the Watch 8 is satellite SOS on LTE models — something Samsung’s current models lack but which makes the Pixel more competitive with premium smartwatches. (Apple’s Ultra line already supports something similar.)

Finally, battery life is one of the most critical matchups. The Galaxy Watch 8 (both sizes) is rated for up to ~40 hours in moderate use (dropping to about 30 hours with Always-On Display enabled). In practice, the Classic tends to last ~1 to 2 days depending on settings and usage. That’s decent, but it places pressure on the Pixel Watch 4 to deliver at least as good, ideally better, endurance.

The Challenges Ahead for Pixel Watch 4

From where I sit, the Watch 8 Classic has set a high bar in form, functionality, and everyday comfort. Unless the Pixel Watch 4 brings meaningful upgrades — not just incremental tweaks — it might fall short in the eyes of power users.

Final Thoughts

After wearing the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic daily for months, I found myself reluctantly attached — impressed by its design, daily usability, and balance of features. The Pixel Watch 4 has to do more than match; it has to reinvent. And that’s a tall order. Still, I can’t wait to see whether it can deliver.

Want me to break down a side-by-side spec sheet, or compare battery tests when the Pixel Watch 4 is released? I’m happy to dig deeper.