New Galaxy Watch 8 improves health tracking accuracy with redesigned fit

As you all know, Samsung introduced a new smartwatch series at Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York. And as expected, the latest Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic, and Watch Ultra (2025) run the One UI 8 Watch firmware update and ship with a handful of extra Samsung Health features.

So far, so ordinary. But the company also shared a couple of surprising facts about the BioActive sensor and Watch 8 design language. Samsung confirmed that these new smartwatches employ the same upgraded BioActive sensor introduced last year, yet Galaxy Watch 8 users will enjoy better health and fitness tracking accuracy. How is this possible? Samsung explained.

All three Galaxy Watches revealed at Unpacked 2025 in New York share two key design elements:

Samsung first introduced these two characteristics with the Galaxy Watch Ultra last year. They now embody the entire 2025 smartwatch lineup, but they're not just aesthetic elements. When combined, they provide tangible practical benefits.

According to Samsung, the Cushion Design and the Dynamic Lug System ensure a better fit on the user's wrist, resulting in more accurate health and fitness tracking.

Exactly how much of an accuracy gain these design cues provide is not entirely clear, but Samsung shared the following stats, which highlight some improvements when comparing the Galaxy Watch 8 with the Galaxy Watch 7.

It's not nothing, and it should explain why Samsung switched to the Cushion Design and Dynamic Lug System across the entire 2025 lineup, including the base Watch 8 model. However, this might also mean that older Watches that don't have these design elements could miss out on more health-related features moving forward. Time will tell.

If you're looking to upgrade your smartwatch, the base Galaxy Watch 8 model comes in two sizes (40/44 mm), while the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and Watch Ultra (2025) are available only in 46 and 47 mm sizes, respectively.