Only the differences are shown. 17 specs stay the same.
+1you gain
−0you give up
Galaxy Watch9 came out in August 2026. Galaxy Watch8 Classic came out in July 2025, over 1 year earlier.
Note on Galaxy Watch9: No Galaxy Watch9 Classic was announced. Samsung says the 40mm battery has 20% more capacity than the previous generation.
Updates & compatibility
32 GB → 64 GB storage
One UI 8 Watch (Wear OS 6), Global press release: Android 12.0 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory. Samsung US product page: works with Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 12 or higher., Exynos W1000 (5 Core, 3nm)
Display
1.34-inch (40 mm), 1.47-inch (44 mm) → 1.34-inch
Battery & charging
390 mAh (40 mm), 445 mAh (44 mm) → 445 mAh
The only change here
Design & durability
40 mm, 44 mm → 46 mm
Stainless steel, Physical rotating bezel
Connectivity
Bluetooth 6.0 → 5.3
Price check
Galaxy Watch8 Classic launched at $499.99
All 18 differences
Updates & compatibility1 gain · 3 changes · 1 unconfirmed
Software at launch
One UI 9 Watch (Wear OS 7)›One UI 8 Watch (Wear OS 6)
What does this mean?
The software the watch came with: Samsung's One UI Watch on top of Wear OS, Google's software for watches.
A watch moves to newer versions through updates, so this shows where it started, not what it runs today.
Phone needed
Android 13.0 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory›Global press release: Android 12.0 or higher and with more than 1.5GB of memory. Samsung US product page: works with Samsung Galaxy smartphones running Android 12 or higher.
What does this mean?
The phones Samsung says the watch works with. Galaxy Watch4 and later need an Android phone with Google Mobile Services; they do not work with an iPhone.
Some health features also need a Samsung Galaxy phone; the health section says which.
Matters most if: Your phone is not a Samsung Galaxy, or it runs an older version of Android.
Galaxy AI and Gemini
Not stated by Samsung›Gemini (Google) out of the box; AI-powered Energy Score
What does this mean?
The AI features Samsung names for the watch, such as Gemini, Google's assistant, or Energy Score, a daily readiness score.
Samsung says Galaxy AI features need a compatible Galaxy phone, the Samsung Health app and a Samsung account. "Not stated by Samsung" means Samsung's pages for the watch name none.
Chip
Qualcomm SDW6100 (Penta-Core, 3nm) - Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform›Exynos W1000 (5 Core, 3nm)
What does this mean?
The main processor: the part that runs apps, workouts and the watch face. Samsung uses its own Exynos chips; Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 use Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform.
Apps and workouts start faster on a faster chip. Compare the chip names rather than the year.
Storage
32 GB›64 GB
What does this mean?
Space for apps, music and maps saved on the watch, in GB (gigabytes).
Part of it is taken by the watch's own software, so you have less than the figure for your own things.
Security updates
Quarterly (on Samsung's list) (same on both)
From Samsung's security updates page, checked on October 16, 2026. Samsung updates watches quarterly at most; it has no monthly list for them. Samsung's security updates page
What does this mean?
Whether the watch is on Samsung's list of devices that get security updates. Samsung lists its watches as Quarterly: about one update every three months.
"No longer updated" means the watch is no longer on that list, so new security problems may not be fixed.
Matters most if: You're buying a used watch, or you plan to keep it for years.
Update promise
Up to four years of One UI Watch and Wear OS updates (Samsung, February 2022, for Galaxy Watch4 'and upcoming Galaxy Watch series devices'). (same on both)
Galaxy Watch9: Samsung told the press: five major OS upgrades and five years of security patches (not on a Samsung page as of October 16, 2026).
What does this mean?
What Samsung announced about software updates for its Wear OS watches, in Samsung's words.
In February 2022 Samsung promised up to four years of One UI Watch and Wear OS updates for Galaxy Watch4 and the Galaxy Watch models after it. What Samsung later told the press is shown under the row, never in place of the official promise.
Works with iPhone
No (same on both)
What does this mean?
Whether the watch can be set up with an iPhone. Samsung's Wear OS watches (Galaxy Watch4 and later) cannot.
Galaxy Watch3 and the older Tizen watches worked with an iPhone when they came out.
Matters most if: You use an iPhone.
Memory (RAM)
2 GB (same on both)
What does this mean?
Memory (RAM) is the watch's short-term working memory for the apps running right now, measured in GB (gigabytes).
More memory lets the watch keep more apps ready without reloading them.
Price1 change
Price check
Galaxy Watch8 Classic — launched at $499.99
What your Galaxy Watch9 sells for
- Samsung Trade-In
- Sold listings on eBay
eBay may ask you to sign in to see sold prices.
Links open in a new tab. Prices are set by each seller and change daily.
Starting price
$379.99›$499.99+$120
What does this mean?
The lowest US price Samsung announced when the watch came out, before sales tax. Most models start with the smallest Bluetooth version.
This is not what it costs today: check the used links for current prices. If Samsung has not confirmed a price, the site shows "Price not confirmed by Samsung".
Display2 changes
Display size
1.34-inch (40 mm), 1.47-inch (44 mm)›1.34-inch
Resolution
438 x 438 (40 mm), 480 x 480 (44 mm)›438 x 438
Display type
Super AMOLED (same on both)
What does this mean?
Super AMOLED is Samsung's name for its OLED screens, where each pixel makes its own light.
Black parts of the screen are switched off, so a dark watch face shows clearly without lighting the whole screen.
Peak brightness
3000 nits (same on both)
What does this mean?
How bright the screen can get at most, in nits (a unit of brightness).
A brighter screen is easier to read in direct sunlight. Samsung says the 5,000 nits of Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is a peak in part of the screen; full-screen brightness may differ.
Always On Display
Full Color Always On Display (same on both)
What does this mean?
Samsung's Always On Display keeps the watch face showing when your wrist is down.
Samsung's battery figures are shorter with it on: for Galaxy Watch6 Classic, up to 30 hours with it on and up to 40 hours with it off.
Cover glass
Sapphire Crystal (same on both)
What does this mean?
The glass over the screen. Samsung uses Sapphire Crystal on recent models; Galaxy Watch4 used Corning Gorilla Glass.
Samsung says Galaxy Watch5 was its first smartwatch with a Sapphire Crystal display.
Health sensors1 unconfirmed
Health features Samsung named at launch: Galaxy Watch9
- Same health features as Galaxy Watch Ultra2 except Trail Run and Nutrition Alert.
Health features Samsung named at launch: Galaxy Watch8 Classic
- Bedtime Guidance
- Vascular Load
- Antioxidant Index
- Running Coach
- Energy Score
- High Stress Alert
Availability varies by country, and some features need a Galaxy phone. Samsung's Health Monitor page
Sensors
Not stated by Samsung›Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Bio-signal Sensor + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, 3D Hall sensor
What does this mean?
The sensors Samsung lists for the watch. The Samsung BioActive Sensor on the back combines three in one chip: an optical heart sensor, an electrical heart sensor (for ECG) and a body composition sensor (bioelectrical impedance analysis).
Which health features you can use also depends on your country and your phone.
Battery & charging1 change
Battery capacity
390 mAh (40 mm), 445 mAh (44 mm)›445 mAh
What does this mean?
The battery's capacity in mAh (milliamp-hours), for each case size. For most models Samsung gives the capacity rather than hours of use.
Samsung says actual battery life varies with how you use the watch, the model and the network, so capacity is only a rough guide.
Battery life (Samsung's figure)
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
The hours of use Samsung states, for the models it gives a figure for.
Samsung's figures come from its own tests; workouts with GPS and LTE use shorten them.
Charging
WPC-based wireless charging (same on both)
Fast charging
Fast Charging (WPC-based wireless charging) (same on both)
What does this mean?
Samsung's name for how fast the watch charges on its wireless charger.
Samsung gives examples for some models, such as eight minutes of charging covering eight hours of sleep tracking on Galaxy Watch5.
Design & durability5 changes · 1 unconfirmed
Case sizes
40 mm, 44 mm›46 mm
Case material
Aluminum›Stainless steel
Weight
31.5 g (40 mm), 34 g (44 mm)›63.5 g
Samsung weights are measured without the band.
What does this mean?
The weight of the watch for each case size, as Samsung gives it.
Samsung weighs its watches without the band, so the watch on your wrist weighs more.
Size
42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6 mm (40 mm), 46.0 x 43.7 x 8.6 mm (44 mm)›46.4 x 46 x 10.6 mm
Rotating bezel
None›Physical rotating bezel
What does this mean?
A ring around the screen that turns, for scrolling through the watch's screens without touching the display. Samsung's Classic models have one.
Watches without it use the touch screen and buttons instead.
Extra button
Not stated by Samsung›Quick Button
Water resistance
5ATM (same on both)
What does this mean?
5ATM and 10ATM are water-resistance classes: the pressure of 50 meters and 100 meters of water. Samsung describes 10ATM as up to 100 meters of water for up to 10 minutes.
Samsung says water resistance is not permanent and can diminish over time, and to rinse the watch in fresh water after it has been in seawater.
Matters most if: You swim with your watch.
Dust and water rating
IP68 (same on both)
What does this mean?
IP68 means dust-tight and water-resistant under water: Samsung says up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. IP69K, on Galaxy Watch Ultra2, adds protection against powerful, hot water jets.
Neither rating makes the watch a diving instrument. Samsung says Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is its first watch certified to EN13319, a standard for diving instruments.
Military-standard testing
MIL-STD-810H (same on both)
What does this mean?
MIL-STD-810 is a set of US military test methods, such as heat, cold, drops and dust. Samsung names the version the watch passed: 810G or the newer 810H.
Samsung says real-world use may vary from the test conditions and extreme conditions are not guaranteed.
Other certifications
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
Band
Dynamic Lug System›Dynamic Lug system
What does this mean?
How the band attaches, or the band the watch comes with, as Samsung names it. The Dynamic Lug System on Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch8, Watch8 Classic and Watch9 holds the watch closer to the wrist.
Samsung says it keeps the sensors in place for more reliable health readings. When you buy a new band, check that it lists your watch model.
Connectivity1 change · 1 unconfirmed
Bluetooth
6.0›5.3
GPS
L1+L5 Dual-Frequency GPS›L1+L5 Dual-Frequency GPS (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo)
What does this mean?
The satellite systems the watch uses to find where you are. "L1+L5 Dual-Frequency" means it listens to two GPS frequencies.
Samsung says Galaxy Watch7 was the first Galaxy smartwatch with dual-frequency GPS, and that LTE models can use GPS without a phone.
LTE model
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
Whether Samsung sells an LTE version, which has its own mobile connection, for calls and data without your phone nearby.
Samsung says the LTE version needs a separate plan from your carrier, and some carriers do not support calls without the phone.
Matters most if: You run or travel without your phone.
Wi-Fi
2.4GHz+5GHz›2.4+5GHz
NFC
Yes (same on both)
What does this mean?
Near-field communication: lets you pay by holding the watch near a card reader.
Paying with the watch also needs a payment app and a bank that supports it in your country.
What's new
RSS feedAdded Apple Watch vs Galaxy Watch
Compare any Apple Watch with any Galaxy Watch with Wear OS, in Apple's and Samsung's own words. The first row says which phone each watch works with. Only rows where both makers measure the same thing count as a gain or a loss; water ratings, blood pressure features and battery capacity, which Apple does not publish, are shown side by side. You can pick a Galaxy Watch on the Apple Watch tab and an Apple Watch on the Galaxy Watch tab. Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic now show their US launch prices from Samsung.
Added Samsung Galaxy Watch
Galaxy Watch models with Wear OS, from Galaxy Watch4 (2021) to Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (2026), checked against Samsung's own pages only, with a page for each model, comparisons with each other, launch prices from Samsung and model numbers in Find my model. Galaxy Watch3, the other Tizen watches and Gear are on the timeline by year as Legacy. The glossary explains the BioActive Sensor, 5ATM, IP69K and the Dynamic Lug System.
Added Samsung Galaxy Note
Galaxy Note10 and Note20 phones (Note10, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note10 Lite, Note20, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra and Note20 Ultra 5G), checked against Samsung's own pages only, with a page for each model and comparisons with any Galaxy S, iPhone or Pixel. Older Galaxy Note phones, from the first Galaxy Note (2011) to the Galaxy Note9, are on the timeline by year. Galaxy Note and Galaxy S Ultra pages now have an S Pen row.