Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs Galaxy Watch 8: What are the differences? Galaxy Watch 9 is a relatively modest update of last year's model. ByGabriela Vătujul 22, 2026 9: 17 am ESTMat SmithSamsung'snew Galaxy Watch 9 landed and on the surface resembles much the Watch 8 that he replaced. You get the same Slim build and light screen, but Samsung has made some significant changes underneath, changing his in-house exynos chip for Snappdragon Elite Qualcomm's Wear, adding a big light fight and running a new operating system and interface. It all adds up to a modest refreshment rather than a bold reinvention, and gets at a starting price $30 higher than Watch 8 released to. So the real question is simple: is the upgrade worth paying for, or is last year's model still smartpick?
ByGabriela Vartu July 22, 2026 9: 17 am EST ByGabriela Vartu July 22, 2026 9: 17 am EST Samsung's new Galaxy 9 watch landed, and on the surface it looks a lot like the Watch 8 it replaces.
Samsung's new Galaxy 9 watch landed, and the surface looks a lot like the Watch 8 he replaced. Galaxy Watch 9 vs.
Galaxy Watch 8: DesignNe liked to call the Galaxy Watch 8 a squircleand if you have so much eyes on it, you will always understand why. Well, Galaxy Watch 9 has the same design, with a square aluminum box with a circular screen that is available in the same two dimensions - 40mm and 44mm. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 measures 42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6mm, while version 44mm comes to 46.0 x 43.7 x 8.6mm - these are identical dimensions to Galaxy Watch 8. There is also a slight weight gain this time around, although it is negligible in practice.
The new 40mm Weaghs 31.5g compared to 30.0g on Watch 8, while version 44mm amounts to 34.0g from 33.7g.
Obviously, that's not a difference you'll even feel if you try them on backwards, but it was worth a mention. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 carries over the same Super AMOLED screen as Watch 8, with up to 3000 nits of peak brightness, which provides legible even in direct sunlight. The 40mm version has a 1.34-inch screen, while the 44mm version has a 1.47 inch screen. Sustainability is also unchanged. Both watches hold an IP68 and 5ATM water resistance rating so they can handle sweat, rain and shallow diving very well. The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 will be available in Cream and Graphite, while 44mm will come to Graphite and Silver. This Cream color choice is new, as we only saw gray and dark grey last year. Pre-orders in the US begin immediately, with general availability starting on August 7.
We liked to call Galaxy Watch 8 a squircleand if you laid eyes on it, you'll understand easily why.
Obviously, that's not a difference you'll feel even if you try them on back to ba