Besides the new foldables, Samsung launched new smartwatches – a new vanilla model and a new Classic, plus it refreshed the Ultra with 64GB storage and a new color. Check out our hands-on for more details.
These won’t be out in time for Prime Day, but last year’s models are still available – and some are deeply discounted.
Samsung managed to slim down the Watch8, it’s 8.6mm thick compared to 9.7mm for the Galaxy Watch7. And the battery got a bit bigger – just a bit, 435mAh vs. 425mAh for the 44mm model and 325mAh/300mAh for the 40mm one. A more tangible upgrade is the brighter display, 3,000 nits vs. 2,000 nits.
The new model uses the same Exynos W1000 as before. And what’s with that squircle shape? Samsung says it is more comfortable and stable, but not everyone will love the look. Also, the straps now use a Dynamic Lugs system, so you can’t use standard straps.
And here’s the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 for comparison. There’s no discount, but Amazon will give you a $50 gift card if you pre-order one.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic is a bit weird. We love that the rotating bezel has made a comeback and we appreciate the new Quick Button. That said, there’s only a 46mm model available with a 1.34” screen – that’s rather small, isn’t it? The Galaxy Watch6 Classic has a 43mm model with a 1.3” screen and a 47mm model with a 1.5” screen. It’s called “47mm”, but in reality it measures 46.6 x 46.5 x 10.9mm, while the Watch8 Classic is 46.4 x 46.0 x 10.6mm.
Of course, the Galaxy Watch6 Classic uses the older Exynos W930 (5nm vs. 3nm for the W1000), which hurts performance and battery life. It’s cheaper, though, much cheaper. How much cheaper depends on the size and the choice between Bluetooth and 4G models.
And here is the Galaxy Watch8 Classic, which costs double but you do get a $100 gift card if you pre-order.
This Galaxy Unpacked event didn’t bring any new tablets, but the older models are on sale for Prime Day. Let’s have a look.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is two years old at this point and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is starting to show its age. It’s not slow by any means and easily tops the Exynos 1580 inside the FE slates (more on them in a moment). And this is the only premium 11” OLED tablet that Samsung offers.
If you want a bigger tablet – or more performance – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ has a 12.4” OLED display and a Dimensity 9300+ chipset.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Tab S10 FE+ are powered by the Exynos 1580 as mentioned above and use IPS LCDs – 10.9” and 13.1”, respectively, running at 90Hz instead of 120Hz like the premium S tablets. All of the Tab S models are dust and waterproof with an IP68 rating, by the way.
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