A series of leaks and APK analyses may have revealed Samsung’s upcoming innovations for the Galaxy Watch 8 ahead of time. While One UI 6 for Watches seemed somewhat incremental, One UI 8 appears to introduce enough updates to rival those from two years prior, generating significant anticipation for future enhancements in Samsung’s smartwatch lineup.
We can likely anticipate some improvements or positive developments.
alleged design changes
for the
Galaxy Watch 8 series
Samsung might be putting just as much emphasis on software improvements to enhance its smartwatches’ competitiveness this year. Following the fairly conservative One UI 6 Watch update, this seems like the initiative required to bring about significant changes.
Here’s a concise summary of all the rumors and leaks about One UI 8 for watches up until now:
What we have learned up until now regarding One UI 8 for Watches
First,
SamMobile
it was reported that we would bypass
One UI 6 Watch
, which concentrated on AI and health features without implementing many system-wide alterations, to the One UI 8 for Watches to synchronize it better with the Galaxy smartphones’ One UI 8.
Then we started seeing the real meat of the update. We knew Gemini was coming to Wear OS, but a leaked One UI 8 Watch build showed the option to
add Gemini actions
linked to other apps like Gmail, Calendar, and Weather — beyond Assistant’s current capabilities.
Following that, Android Authority explored this build’s AFK mode and uncovered signs of the
Now Bar and Now Brief are making their way to Wear OS.
It will appear as an empty placeholder icon on your watch face until you perform a “double-pinch” gesture to enlarge it.
As per the guidelines, the Now Bar on Wear OS is designed to display specific types of information such as contextual suggestions, navigation directions, media control options, the Now Brief, sport scores, and fitness updates. Similar to this,
Now Bar on Samsung Galaxy smartphones
, you can customize it.
The
Now Brief
The mention got me thinking about whether we might see a Wear OS-exclusive variant of today’s early-morning summary for Galaxy smartphones, akin to the Morning Report available on Garmin devices or the Morning Brief feature found on Pixel smartwatches.
In addition, the APK analysis revealed a new feature.
Shortcuts function
This feature allows you to view two or four application icons directly on the One UI 8 watch face. Although this might feel somewhat cumbersome relative to simply scrolling down for the app drawer, many individuals will find the quick accessibility beneficial.
On a lighter side, the
Shuffle Watch Face
The tool will cycle through your saved favorites, while the “Recommend watch face” feature selects one with a “style similar to the current watch face” for you to test out. Samsung’s watch faces
outperform the competition in Wear OS brands
for quality
and
quantity, so having an excuse to experiment with even more looks is always welcome.
There might be additional data concealed within the code waiting to be discovered. The APK dissection revealed an
adaptive charging tool
This feature locks your Galaxy Watch battery at a specific level (such as 95%) and only resumes charging once the charge drops to another preset threshold (for example, 50%).
Pixel Watches are also
planning to receive adaptive charging shortly
, thus extending the battery life of both brands without causing overcharging.
Stirring software for a safe release year
Even if we presume that the dataminers have uncovered all the concealed information, there remains the
Official Samsung Health artificial intelligence features
Launching at Galaxy Watches this year, we have the Vascular Load feature along with an AI Health Coach, as well as a new Antioxidant Index and Mood Check-ins.
It’s reassuring to witness Samsung putting significant effort into software development since, up until now, they have been more focused on hardware.
Galaxy Watch 8
might not show significant internal changes when compared to the
Watch 7
.
Although we haven’t received full leak renders just yet, the Galaxy Watch 8 has already been approved by both the FCC and Korean battery certification authorities. Based on all accessible public information, the new model maintains the same charging speeds and Wi-Fi capabilities as before, with only a slight bump in battery size.
During its most recent earnings call, Samsung stated that their upcoming Galaxy Watch will feature an “innovative design.” As such, it’s likely that the Watch 8 might come with a completely fresh appearance along with updated software. According to leaks, both the regular and Classic versions of the watch may adopt a squarish-round shape, aligning with this trend.
Galaxy Watch Ultra
It’s pleasant to witness this change following four consecutive generations of the same Galaxy Watch design.
If you’re enthusiastic about seeing a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic with a revolving bezel and a vintage Samsung design, the rumors indicate that this feature might indeed return for this model.
probably look forward to
However, apart from the redesign, Classic watches usually come with the same specifications as the standard version.
In general, Samsung’s One UI Watch is crafted to closely resemble the smartphone interface both visually and functionally, such as using swipe gestures to open the app tray and quick settings. While standard Wear OS emphasizes a minimalist and straightforward design, Samsung’s iteration adheres more closely to familiar Android conventions that enthusiasts appreciate.
I’m uncertain about how much of
One UI 7
His personality was reflected in last year’s Wear OS update. Visually, it wasn’t much changed. Of course, everything remains unofficial for now, and we must await the formal announcements of Wear OS 6 and One UI 8 to know more. Nonetheless, it’s reassuring to observe Samsung integrating numerous familiar smartphone features into their watches to better align them with each other.
For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch, check out our
Ultimate Guide
.
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