Summary
- Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 has a slight battery upgrade from Watch 7, at 435mAh versus 425mAh.
- Safety Korea certifications hint at model numbers SM-L330, SM-L335 (44mm) and SM-L320, SM-L325 (40mm) for Watch 8.
- Watch 8 Classic is likely unified in size, potentially bringing back a physical rotating bezel.
The next generation of
Samsung smartwatches
is on the way. We’ve started seeing the Galaxy Watch 8 appearing in regulatory databases, which gives us a good idea of some of its key details. Most recently, we learned the new watch’s battery will only be a little larger than the previous generation.
Related
Safety Korea, a South Korean government regulator, has certified two new Samsung battery packs for the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (via Sammy Guru). Battery certifications are often one of the first solid clues of a new device in production.
Here’s what the Galaxy Watch 8 certifications tell us
Source: Sammy Guru
Safety Korea’s certifications give away a few details about the upcoming watches. Two devices were tested: EB-BL330ABY and EB-BL505ABY. According to Sammy Guru, Samsung’s model numbering system indicates these are meant for the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 classic. Model numbers SM-L330 and SM-L335 refer to the Bluetooth and LTE versions of the 44mm Galaxy Watch 8. SM-L320 and SM-L325 are the smaller 40mm variants.
The Bluetooth version of the 44mm watch (EB-BL330ABY) also showed up in TUV Rheinland’s database. It shows a battery capacity of 435mAh. That’s only a slight bump over the Galaxy Watch 7, which has a 425mAh battery. Nevertheless, it could become a significant boost if properly paired with software improvements.
Then there’s the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, which appears to come in only one size, with Bluetooth (SM-L500) and LTE (SM-L505). This could mean a unified size for this model, and possibly the return of a physical rotating bezel. This means we expect a much smaller battery on this device unless Samsung can find room for a bigger cell.
Here’s when we expect Samsung to launch the Watch 8
We expect the Galaxy Watch 8 series to launch in July alongside new Galaxy Fold and Flip devices. That gives Samsung a bit of time in the spotlight before the Pixel event in August and the Apple launch in September.
There is bound to be more speculation and leaks as the launch gets closer. So far, we know very little of design tweaks, health sensors, and
Wear OS
enhancements. These battery certifications are the first concrete clues anyone has seen.
