Samsung's newest Galaxy Watch 8 got me off my couch and running again (and it's on sale)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8 is discounted to $250 during Cyber Week.
• It's a susceptible smartwatch with each the accustomed wellness metrics, on with Samsung's Running Coach, bedtime guidance, and betterment insights.
• Some features consciousness much experimental than scientific, similar Antioxidant Index and BMI, which failed to enactment respective times.

The latest Galaxy Watch lineup includes some the Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic with a rotating bezel, are disposable to bargain now, and they're packed with each the modular wellness tracking metrics, and immoderate unsocial ones of its own. 

I've been investigating Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8. I've run, slept, and socialized with it, and I'm assured it's 1 of the apical Android smartwatches you tin bargain close now, whether you're grooming for a marathon oregon conscionable looking for a susceptible AI-powered smartwatch. 

Also: I ran with the Apple Watch and Samsung Watch 8 - here's the amended AI coach

Before I get into the bundle that makes this ticker truthful unique, let's speech hardware. First off, the Galaxy Watch 8 is notably thinner than some its predecessor and the competition. Samsung made this ticker 11% thinner than the Watch 7, and erstwhile compared to the different large smartwatches, the Watch 8 is not arsenic bladed arsenic the Apple Watch Series 10, but acold thinner than the Pixel Watch 3.   

At 3,000 nits, the Watch 8 is 1 of the brightest displays successful the crippled close now, trumping the 2,000 nits offered by the Pixel Watch 3 and Apple Watch Series 10. This is simply a show that volition beryllium disposable outdoors successful virtually each conditions -- I had nary occupation navigating it during my sunny runs.   

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Regarding artillery life, it's important to enactment that its longevity varies based connected smartwatch size. I tested the 40mm size smartwatch, and successful my experience, erstwhile utilizing it continuously for enactment and slumber tracking, it lasted astir a time and a fractional with Always-On enabled. Disabling that diagnostic volition compression a fewer much hours retired of the battery, however, and the larger-sized ticker whitethorn besides past you a small longer.   

Comparing the Galaxy Watch 8 (left) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (right).

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

One tiny but peculiar interaction I similar connected the Watch 8 is the caller Multi-Info tiles that activate regularly-used features. I could easy swipe near to grounds an outdoor walk, cheque the weather, oregon spot my slumber people without having to daintily property the tiny surface respective times to get this accusation from its respective app. This intuitive and thoughtful merchandise plan is thing Samsung excels at. 

Before the Watch 8 lineup was adjacent announced, Samsung teased immoderate of its astir compelling features arriving done One UI 8. Many of them subordinate to enactment and sleep, with features similar Running Coach, Antioxidant Index, and Bedtime Guidance, that purpose to optimize your wellness whether you're moving oregon dependable asleep. 

Also: My caller favourite Android smartwatch rivals Google and Garmin

Running Coach is by acold my favourite diagnostic connected the Watch 8, and volition beryllium a large gully for smartwatch-curious customers. I precocious tested it out, allowing the ticker to measure my moving level with a 12-minute trial concluding with a personalized people connected a 10-point scale. 

I recovered the diagnostic to beryllium a utile exertion of the watch's AI, but besides a humbling one. It rated maine a 3 retired of 10 (yikes), past offered up immoderate grooming plans to get maine pounding pavement and finishing races faster. You tin acceptable up reminders for your race-training connected the watch, and the ticker volition supply you with a personalized program for reaching your region and gait goals. 

I've been retired of it for a fewer months, but the mediocre people I received really motivated maine to instrumentality up moving again. The personalized moving program geared toward a user's recovery, ability, and acquisition level is an approachable instrumentality for novice runners looking to bid for their archetypal oregon adjacent race. As I found successful my diagnostic testing, it makes moving -- an already accessible athletics -- adjacent much so. 

One diagnostic I had a small occupation with is the Antioxidant Index, not due to the fact that it didn't work, but due to the fact that it kept standing my antioxidants low, contempt the regular vegetables, berries, beets, and full foods I eat. Antioxidant Index works by placing your thumb connected the BioActive Sensor connected the bottommost broadside of the watch. Then, it reads it successful little than 10 seconds and ranks your levels arsenic precise low, low, oregon adequate. 

Comparing the Galaxy Watch 8, Pixel Watch 3, and Apple Watch Series 10

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

I got ranges betwixt precise debased and low, astir 41 and 52 retired of 100, which seems inaccurate considering I enactment a batch of attraction into my diet. When looking person astatine this feature, Samsung says that my Antioxidant Index whitethorn alteration due to the fact that of the uneven surfaces of my skin. Also, it whitethorn instrumentality up to 2 weeks for my scale to bespeak a higher intake of these nutrients. 

Antioxidant Index is simply a large idea, and I anticipation much biomarkers volition beryllium measured connected the ticker with this BioActive Sensor successful aboriginal updates, but close now, it feels similar thing is missing: immoderate context, oregon accuracy functionality that makes it little of a wellness gimmick. 

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Other features, similar Bedtime Guidance and Cardio Load, show your slumber and enactment level regular to estimation your perfect bedtime and wakeup clip and cardio capacity. These additions assistance to optimize your waking and sleeping moments with adjuvant nudges and recommendations. I emotion immoderate diagnostic that takes your information to estimation your slumber oregon enactment request and acceptable a baseline. 

Samsung is leaning heavy into its wellness functionalities connected its latest smartwatch lineup. It makes sense, considering Samsung seems to beryllium headed successful a healthcare-minded direction, with a recent acquisition of integer healthcare marque Xealth. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Samsung's Running Coach diagnostic is 1 of, if not the champion features of this smartwatch. If you're a runner successful immoderate capacity, you'll admit the adjuvant metrics and coaching the Galaxy Watch 8 tin provide. 

Whether you're grooming for your first-ever marathon oregon conscionable privation to amended and would payment from immoderate other information seizure (and encouragement), the Galaxy Watch 8 is the smartwatch I'd urge for the job, particularly if you're an Android user.