Galaxy Watch 8 owners in South Korea can install One UI 9 Watch now

Outside South Korea you'll have to keep checking, because Samsung hasn't said when your country gets it. Older watches come later.

By iDeviceNov 9, 6:25 AM CT3 min read

Ask about the Galaxy Watch 8

Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, you can swim in it. It is rated to 5 ATM. It is not for scuba diving. Its rating is IP68. The rating does not cover hot showers, soap or saunas.
What does it cost? It costs $299.99. That is the current list price. It launched at $349.99.
Does it measure blood pressure? Yes, after you calibrate it with a separate upper-arm cuff. The cuff is sold separately, and the watch asks you to calibrate again from time to time. Availability depends on jurisdiction/approval.
Does it read blood glucose? No, it has no glucose sensor.
Does it track sleep apnea? It looks for signs that you may be at risk. Its screening is FDA-cleared. It is a signal to act on, not a diagnosis.
How heavy is it? It weighs 30g for the 40mm case and 34g for the 44mm case. That is the watch body without a band.
How sharp and bright is the screen? The screen reaches 3000 nits at its brightest.
What chip is inside? It runs on Exynos W1000.
Which AI assistant does it use? It uses Samsung Galaxy AI.
What software does it run? It runs Wear OS 6. It has One UI Watch 8 over the top.
What is it made of? It is made of aluminum.
Does it do satellite SOS? No, it does not do satellite SOS.
What kind of screen is it? It is an AMOLED screen. The pixels light themselves, so blacks are deep and it can dim to almost nothing.
Does it track sleep stages? Yes, it tracks your sleep stages.
Does it do 4G LTE? Yes, it has 4G LTE.

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The stable update started reaching the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic in South Korea on November 9, for people in the beta and everyone else, SamMobile reported. That ends a test that ran almost two and a half months and six beta versions. Screenshots show firmware L320XXU2BZJ7 on the Watch 8 with the October 5 security patch. It's about a 2GB download if you weren't in the beta.

Samsung hasn't published a full changelog, so the betas are the best guide: a redesigned interface, more watch face options, cardio load tracking, sleep vitals monitoring and improved workout controls. SamMobile expects other countries over the next few days, going by Samsung's past rollouts, but there's no confirmed date. You can check in the Galaxy Wearable app, under Watch settings, then Watch software update. Older watches, back to the Galaxy Watch 5, are due to get it by the end of 2026.