Early evidence reveals Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 in two sizes and third mystery Galaxy Watch smartwatch
Samsung is not expected to replace the Galaxy Watch 7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra for a few months yet. Based on past release cycles, Samsung will deliver its new smartwatches alongside new foldables during a future Galaxy Unpacked event. Currently, the latter are expected to debut this July, with the Galaxy Z Flip FE and Galaxy G Fold 'tri-fold' to follow later this year.
In the meantime, early signs of what is expected to be the Galaxy Watch 8 have now started turning up online under model numbers like SM-L320 and SM-L330. As always, Samsung has started certifying specific LTE variants, which are identifiable by their model numbers ending in '5' not '0'.
Currently, only the battery capacity for 'SM-L330' has surfaced online so far. According to the Safety Korea regulatory body, Samsung plans to release this variant of the Galaxy Watch 8 with a 435 mAh typical capacity. If Galaxy Watch 7 model numbers tell us anything, SM-L330 relates to the larger version of the Galaxy Watch 8, not its smaller 40 mm sibling. As a result, a 435 mAh battery would only be a 10 mAh and 2.35% improvement over the equivalent Galaxy Watch 7 (curr. $251 on Amazon).
Also, there is evidence that Samsung is developing a third smartwatch this year under the model numbers SM-L500 and SM-L505U. Oddly, these bear a completely different model number root compared with last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra or the Galaxy Watch6 Classic that Samsung offered a year earlier. While these new model numbers do not indicate which path Samsung has taken, there is a general consensus that it will return to its Classic brand this year after a two-year absence.
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