Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic Near Launch with Bigger Batteries

Samsung is preparing to launch its next-gen Wear OS watches alongside its new foldables this summer. The company has the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic in the pipeline. The former should come in two sizes (40mm and 44mm), while the latter may be available in a single size (47mm) and feature a physical rotating bezel. Today, we have the battery capacities of all three models.

A Classic model may return to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 lineup

There have been contrasting reports about what Samsung’s next big watch would be called. The company launched the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in 2022 and followed up with the Watch 6 Classic in 2023. Last year, it introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra. While some rumors point to the continuation of the Ultra series with Watch Ultra 2 this year, others point to a possible return of the Classic model. Some reports also refer to the watch as the Watch 8 Ultra.

However, it looks like Samsung will launch the device as the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. That’s based on its battery size, which has a rated capacity of 435mAh. The typical capacity could be somewhere around 450mAh, which is comparatively smaller than the Watch 5 Pro and Watch Ultra’s 590mAh unit. In comparison, the 47mm Watch 6 Classic had a 425mAh battery. This is because the rotating bezel takes up a lot of space, leaving little room for a bigger battery.

Another reason we believe Samsung won’t launch it as the Watch 8 Ultra or Watch Ultra 2 is its model number. The upcoming watch has the model numbers SM-L500 (Bluetooth version) and SM-L505 (LTE). Last year’s Ultra is only available in an LTE variant globally and comes with the model number SM-L705. Even if Samsung does adopt the “Ultra” branding, the iconic bezel ring may still make the cut on the upcoming model.

The vanilla Galaxy Watch 8 models also get a battery boost

The Galaxy Watch 8’s 40mm variant has the model numbers SM-L320 and SM-L325, while its 44mm sibling is identified as SM-L330 and SM-L335. The smaller watch packs a battery with a rated capacity of 318mAh, which should mean a typical capacity of 325mAh. The 44mm model’s rated battery capacity is 426mAh, and the typical capacity is 435mAh. In comparison, the Watch 7’s two size variants have typical battery capacities of 300mAh and 425mAh, respectively.

While the entire Galaxy Watch 8 lineup is getting bigger batteries, the charging speed remains unchanged at 10W (5V/2A). As mentioned above, Samsung is expected to launch the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic alongside its new foldables, with the launch event likely taking place in the first half of July. Expect more details to emerge in the coming weeks.