Galaxy Watch 8 Debuts Bold New Design, Says Goodbye to Traditional Watch Bands

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 8 series introduces a refreshed design and marks a significant shift in how users connect their watch bands. Moving away from the traditional pin-based system that’s been in place since the Gear S2 in 2015, Samsung now adopts a proprietary “dynamic lug” connector. The Galaxy Watch Ultra was the first to adopt this new attachment technology, which is similar to Apple and Google’s proprietary band systems in that it uses a button on the watch casing to release the band instead of pins or other mechanisms inside the bands.

This update completely replaces the older quick-release pins found on previous models, making the Galaxy Watch 7 the last in the lineup to support the standard lug design. The shift, though a notable change, has been anticipated. Samsung had already shown signs of transitioning by introducing a hybrid band mechanism in the Watch 6 and 7 series, where the band gripped a fixed pin that lacked a traditional quick-release option.

With the dynamic lug, bands now attach and detach with a firm click and are held securely in place—sometimes a bit too securely, based on early impressions. Unlike Apple or Google’s band systems, there’s no need for sliding motions to remove the bands; a simple pull after pressing the release button does the job.

Samsung has launched a broad range of first-party bands designed for this new format, all of which are compatible across the current lineup. While the 40mm Galaxy Watch 8 uses a “small” band size, the 44mm version, the Watch 8 Classic, and both Watch Ultra models share a “large” size standard. Interestingly, users can still use traditional bands through Samsung’s special lugs, especially for leather and select styles, similar to the adapter approach used by Pixel Watch bands.

Starting at $349, the Galaxy Watch 8 series is now available for pre-order.