I hope Samsung Galaxy Watch 8’s new Ultra-style squircle design rumor is actually true

Samsung has now set a date for its next Unpacked showcase, which is Wednesday, July 9. As well as some new foldable phones, we’re also expecting the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 – and in the run up to the big day, there have been some intriguing leaks around the design of the smartwatch.

This will of course be the follow-up to last year’s Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and it also looks as though we may get a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 as well, after the original launched alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 in July 2024 (or perhaps just a new color – the rumors aren’t too clear, as yet).

It also seems likely now that we’ll get a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, too, following on from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic that debuted back in 2023. While the names may not match, it seems this watch and the standard Watch 8 will have some Ultra elements to its design – including an overall shape and aesthetic that may divide opinion among users.

Here comes the squircle, again

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra broke with tradition as far as its design went, being the first from Samsung to not use a perfectly round casing.

It actually tries to meld both a circle and a square – with “squircle” being the most commonly used technical term – so it’s part Pixel Watch and part Apple Watch in appearance.

Now, it seems likely that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will follow suit and be squircle-ized. This comes from renders leaked by well-known tipster @evleaks (via SamMobile), showing the squircle on these two models and the 2025 refresh of the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Of course, nothing is certain until Samsung makes it certain, but when it comes to industry rumors and predictions, there aren’t many people with a better record than @evleaks aka Evan Blass. His leaks are usually accurate and timely, so much so that it would be a surprise if these weren’t the official designs of the upcoming smartwatches.

And if we needed more convincing that this redesign really is happening, an early edition of the Galaxy Watch 8 has also showed up on eBay. Even though the listed wearable wasn’t actually functional, it had the distinctive squircle design.

More evidence of a squircle takeover comes from images hidden away in the One UI 8 update for watches, as spotted by the Android Authority team. There’s no doubt that these squircle images are there in the software, even if they can’t be seen yet, making us even more sure about what’s coming with the Galaxy Watch 8 design.

And we’ve also seen the new look for these watches in the latest update to the Samsung Health app, as spotted by 9to5Google. It’s a simplified, cartoon-like rendering of the design, but you can definitely see the squircle.

Put all of that together, and we’ve got a very good idea of what the Galaxy Watch 8, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are going to look like ahead of the big reveal from Samsung.

Besides the refreshed appearance, there’s also been talk of a rotating bezel for the Classic model, a slight battery life bump, and (of course) improved AI smarts.

Sign me up

The squircle approach is likely to divide opinion, but it’s very much a subjective call, and I’m fully on board with the new look. Some people are calling it a weak compromise that’s neither here nor there, but there’s another way to look at it: the best of both worlds.

I don’t particularly prefer square smartwatches or circular smartwatches: both can look good, and both can look rather ugly. What I do like in a smartwatch is a certain amount of heft, and that’s what Samsung delivers with the squircle look – it’s a wearable that you know is there, which helps with glancing at the display and operating the device.

For me, many watches – including the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Pixel Watch 3 – can look a little flimsy and toy-like. There are plenty of happy customers for both of those wearables of course, but I prefer to wear something that’s a bit more substantial.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve tended to lean towards the best Garmins when it comes to choosing smartwatches in the past. It remains to be seen whether any of Samsung’s 2025 smartwatches will convince me to upgrade – the pricing points will be crucial, as usual – but as far as the appearance goes, sign me up.

You might also like