Samsung Launches Galaxy Watch8 Series with Focus on Health Monitoring

The Galaxy Watch8 Series is the first to be preloaded with Wear OS 6 and Google’s AI assistant, Gemini.

Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Watch8 Series at the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday, highlighting advanced health monitoring features, including sleep apnea detection, vascular stress analysis, and the first smartwatch-based Antioxidant Index.

The Watch8 Series introduces Bedtime Guidance, a feature designed to assess circadian rhythm and sleep latency, offering recommendations for optimal sleep timing.

The device can also detect moderate to severe signs of sleep apnea, expanding its sleep monitoring capabilities.

Among the new health functionalities is the Vascular Load measurement, which analyzes stress on the vascular system.

The smartwatches also debut an Antioxidant Index, enabling users to monitor their carotenoid levels—a biomarker for antioxidant status and nutritional health. This measurement helps assess whether an individual’s diet supports strong antioxidant defenses or reflects increased oxidative stress and inflammation.

Additional wellness tools include High Stress Alerts, which prompt users to manage stress, and a Mindfulness Tracker for breathing exercises and mood tracking. The devices also feature an Energy Score to reflect the wearer’s physical and mental energy levels.

Fitness-oriented features include the Running Coach and the enhanced Together app, which gamifies workouts by allowing users to compete with friends and family.

The Galaxy Watch8 Series is the first to come preloaded with Wear OS 6 and Google’s AI assistant, Gemini. Users can prompt Gemini to initiate workouts, launching the Samsung Health App in response.

The Galaxy Watch8 is priced starting at $349.99, the Watch8 Classic at $499.99, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra at $649.99.

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