The Galaxy Watch 8 may ruin my favorite thing about Samsung watches

Leaks don’t usually take the wind out of my sails, but the latest details about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch lineup came close. According to renders posted by trusted leaker Evan Blass, the Galaxy Watch 8, Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 will each feature the same squircle design that debuted with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, and, to put it softly, that’s a massive disappointment.

I wasn’t a fan of the Ultra’s shape at launch (or months later on my wrist), but I held out hope that it would stay confined to just one SKU for a certain type of buyer. To my dismay, it looks like Samsung is going all-in on the squircle.

Let’s start with the obvious: the squircle just doesn’t look good. At least, not to me. It’s a strange hybrid of the Apple Watch’s rounded rectangle and Samsung’s usual circular style, a compromise that lands firmly in no-man’s land. A circular smartwatch has always had a classic charm. It feels like an actual watch and doesn’t look out of place with a dress shirt or a leather strap. Square-faced wearables like the Apple Watch lean heavily into their tech-first identity, offering more screen real estate and sharper information layout, but still featuring a refined impression.

Samsung’s squircle tries to split the difference and ends up accomplishing neither. It doesn’t have the elegance of a traditional watch shape or the unapologetic utility of a square one. At best, it feels indecisive, and at worst, it feels like a child’s toy. Wearables aren’t just gadgets anymore, they’re accessories we wear 24/7, and looks matter. Plenty of people may like the squircle shape, but I’m not one of them.

As the saying goes, form follows function, but here, too, the squircle stumbles. The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s shape adds noticeable bulk to the lineup, especially for smaller-wristed folks like me. I typically love a large watch, but only if its size is packaged with refinement and its increased real estate delivers added usefulness.

Simply put, if I’m going to wear something oversized, I want that space to be filled with display space to deliver bigger menus, richer complications, and enriched user interactions. The squircle is chunky without the payoff of a proportionally larger screen; it merely sacrifices comfort and utility for visual distinction I can’t get behind.

What bums me out most is how unnecessary this feels. Samsung has historically done a good job of offering variety. When the revamped Galaxy Watch 4 series arrived to usher in a new era of Wear OS, shoppers got the choice of a sporty or classic build. The Galaxy Watch 5 series echoed that two-pronged approach with a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and a regular Galaxy Watch 5 model. Even last year’s lineup gave us the circular Galaxy Watch 7 alongside the squircle Galaxy Watch Ultra.

I get the desire to unify the product line. Streamlining manufacturing, creating a signature look, etc. But making all your watches look the same doesn’t mean they’ll appeal to everyone. I love the domed shape of the Pixel Watch line, and I love the square-ish Apple Watch Series. I loved the historically elegant Galaxy Watch line and its elevated Classic models.

The rotating bezel might be making its way back to wrists with the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but it doesn’t give the same analog watch vibes on a chubby rectangle. I realize the squircle may appeal to some people, but I just wish Samsung hadn’t painted the entire lineup with the same broad stroke.

TL;DR: I hate the squircle. I want options. Samsung trimming every watch into the same questionable shape isn’t forward-thinking; it’s cutting corners. Literally.