I received my Galaxy Watch 8 Classic last week and besides having to charge it, it hasn’t left my wrist. There is a lot to play with and test on the latest model of smartwatches from Samsung, mostly thanks to the newest version of Wear OS and the integration of Gemini into the watches.
Initial impressions on Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: I’m not even a full week into wearing this device, but there are a few initial impressions that are best to share quickly rather than waiting for a full review. For example, I can tell you immediately that the return of the rotating bezel is very much welcomed. It makes navigating the UI much more simple, instead of having to swipe my nasty fingers on the display. The responsiveness of the rotation is quite good, with very little lag between initial rotation and the scroll.
- TL;DR Impressions: The return of the rotating bezel is welcomed, Gemini is fantastic, and battery life seems solid so far.
Hello, Gemini: I can’t tell you how happy I am that Google Assistant is gone and Gemini has finally arrived. It has put perspective on just how bad Assistant was, with Gemini able to actually understand the way I talk. While you could bark orders at Assistant and it worked fine sometimes, I can talk to Gemini like a human and it handles orders and inquiries much more fluidly. Sometimes I will have random questions about a topic pop up in my head and after that initial connection to Google Search, Gemini has no issues providing answers.
To access, hold down on the Home button (top button) and speak your command. You can ask for directions, compose messages, and start workouts all from Gemini. It can be much easier than pulling your phone out or digging through menus on the smaller display. And the fancy thing? It actually works. I’ll have more thoughts to deliver after living with it for a bit longer.
Battery life seems good: I got the watch last Thursday evening and it is now Monday morning. I have charged the device twice, once from about 60% as that was the initial out-of-the-box charge level. I have been quite busy running around and even did a little traveling over the weekend — I’ve had zero battery issues. I have the WiFi-only model, so I’d be curious how a 4G connection might affect this, but my initial experience has been positive.
So much software stuff: Whether you’re looking at the watch itself or the Wearables app, there is so much software to play with and learn about. You have all of the fitness tracking, like Antioxidant level tracking and Running Coach, but then there are also options for creating your own tiles, customizing the watch faces to your liking, and so much more. It really took me a bit to get the watch set up just the way I like, and honestly, I still don’t think I’m done. And if I’m being completely honest, I’m still waiting for a watch face that I love. Even with the hundreds to choose from, none of them have truly clicked with me. If you anyone has suggestions on Google Play, let me know.
Quick notes: I was in the pool this weekend and the Watch 8 Classic survived. This isn’t a surprise given its IP rating, but figured I’d at least share that. Lastly, I ordered the Fabric band with the watch and it’s very good/comfortable, but thanks to the Apple Watch Ultra, I basically have to have an Alpine Loop band with all of the my watches now. I ordered two off of Amazon and they are solid. I highly recommend to all of my fellow Android watch friends.
Full review coming soon. In the meantime, do you have questions about the watch that I might be able to help with? I’ll try my best.
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