Samsung has launched two new smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and yet still managed to demonstrate it’s terribly confused about its long-term smartwatch strategy.
It’s the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s fault, as it has only been treated to a new color and a storage bump this year.
On its own, this isn’t a bad thing. The problem is, what does it mean for the Galaxy Watch Ultra going forward?
Will we get a true sequel next year, or will a sequel to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro suddenly show up instead? Perhaps something completely different will arrive unrelated to either?
Additionally, will the Classic model disappear from the range again, and is Samsung now firmly set on the squircle design? Where does it all leave the Galaxy Ring?
I can’t answer these questions, and unfortunately, I’m not sure Samsung can either.
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Samsung has a good thing going
I just don’t think it knows
Before we get to why it can’t answer these questions, let’s talk about how Samsung has found itself in a good place with wearables.
The Watch 8 remains the smartwatch for everyone, the Classic with its innovative rotating bezel works as its premium model, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra goes a step further for those who want the biggest, toughest smartwatch on their wrist.
The adoption of the squircle case for all models is controversial, and not everyone will love the look, but Samsung has apparently settled on a uniform and recognizable style for its smartwatches.
They all sit nicely alongside each other, and give the range some much-needed identity. Whether by design or coincidence, it’s the most visually cohesive range of smartwatches Samsung has had in a while.
It’s a great line-up, and if I’m completely honest, Samsung didn’t really need to update the Galaxy Watch Ultra this year.
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So why am I worried? It’s envisaging what happens next year and beyond when the alarm bells start ringing.
I’d love to trust that Samsung’s wearables team has recognized its good fortune and is working hard on a follow-up to the Ultra, which builds on all the good in the product, ready to surprise and delight us in 2026.
At the same time, I’d like to see another new Classic model join the inevitably trusty Galaxy Watch 9, and all of them to get a revised (and maybe slightly softened) take on the cushion shape.
Indecision causes confusion
It needs to pick a lane and stick to it
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic (left) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I do trust them, and I’m absolutely not sure Samsung realizes just what a strong range of smartwatches it has at the moment. It’s what has happened over the last couple of years that gives me the jitters.
We’ve had the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and now we’re back to another Classic model, all alongside various iterations of its mainstay Watch smartwatch.
The Galaxy Ring is another mystery, as it wasn’t even deemed worthy of adding a new color or gaining some optimized feature set with the Galaxy Watch 8 to keep it fresh.
Samsung also stays practically silent about the Galaxy Fit 3, despite it being a lovely entry point into Samsung’s Health ecosystem.
I don’t understand which wearable products are important to Samsung, and therefore worth investing in. It’s a serious problem, and it needs to calm down.
Throwing things against the wall to see what sticks isn’t brave, it’s an admission you don’t know what to do next
The constant experimentation and lack of consistency show indecision, confused product planning, and a poor understanding of its customers’ needs and the smartwatch market as a whole.
People love consistency and familiarity, especially with complex tech products, as it helps with decision making.
Constant changes make people uneasy and affect confidence, and throwing things against the wall to see what sticks isn’t brave, it’s an admission you don’t know what to do next.
Wearables need the S series treatment
A few years of careful product evolution will do wonders
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
Looked at so pessimistically, the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s 2025 “update” is little more than a shoulder shrug, and the return of the Classic model only preempts the horror of some more “experimentation” in 2026, because it couldn’t possibly just stick with enhancing and optimizing the three great models it has ended up with this year, could it?
It’s bizarre, because Samsung has traditionally been excellent at serving its hardcore fans with phones like the Note series, quite content to slowly but surely update the S series and A series phones over the course of several years, and giving keen buyers both a clear path into ownership, and reasons to upgrade later on.
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Yet it doesn’t seem to have the same grip on its wearables. Looked at even more critically, it could be said it’s guilty of bandwagon jumping with the Watch Ultra (a response to that other Watch Ultra) and the Galaxy Ring, which was made only to grab some market share from the Oura Ring.
Now it’s got them, it’s not sure what to do next, because neither are true passion projects. Look at how the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has been extensively developed over time for evidence of what happens when Samsung loves a product.
Perhaps I’m thinking too deeply about the whole thing, and Samsung knows exactly what it’s doing with smartwatches and smart rings. I hope so, but we’re going to have to wait until 2026 to find out.
