In the tech world, it’s easy to get lost in specs, but a bigger number isn’t always better. When it comes to a smartwatch, this is especially true. I recently upgraded from a bigger watch to a smaller one, and it has been a vast improvement.
Looks less like a gadget on my wrist
Modern smartwatches look far less like gadgets than they did in the days of the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch. But there’s something about a large display, whether on or off, that screams device. My wife’s tiny Garmin Lily looks like an accessory. My 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 was very much a smartwatch.
I recently leapt to the Galaxy Watch 8, and I made two big changes along the way: my new watch is an LTE model, and I switched from 44mm down to 40mm. The latter is a small-seeming change on paper that had an outsized impact on how I felt when I first strapped on the watch.
A more comfortable fit
If you’ve looked at the small lines on a ruler, you know 4mm doesn’t seem to amount to a much. Turns out, it’s a larger difference than I expected. The screen of my previous watch was around the size of the entire body of my new one.
Here are the two watches side-by-side. The difference may not be stark in a photo, but I’m surprised how noticeable it is on my wrist.
The Galaxy Watch 8 feels substantially more comfortable. I thought at first this was exclusively due to changes Samsung made to the shape of the hardware, which I had heard improved the fit. You can see in the photo above how flush the new watch rests against the table, and the same is true about how it lies flat against my skin.
But it also occurred to me that my watches are different sizes. I had actually forgotten my previous watch was 44mm and was not consciously looking to downsize, so this was a pleasant surprise. The lugs on the 40mm model are better positioned to allow the straps to get a secure fit on my wrist. It’s a change I wouldn’t have sought out, since it’s not like my previous watch was loose or slid around. I thought it was fine, but this is so much better—so much so that it’s easier for me to forget it’s even on.
If I were comparing this to significantly larger watches like the Galaxy Watch Ultra or the Apple Watch Ultra, the change would be even more stark. Having experienced the difference a comfortable fit makes, I’d gladly choose this over an extra day of battery life or a larger display.
The display looks even better
The screen resolution of the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 8 remains the same, despite the difference in screen size. This means the pixel density of the smaller Galaxy Watch 8 is slightly higher. As a result, the text and images are sharper. I find the display that extra bit nicer to look at.
A smartwatch remains an accessory, and a prettier screen goes a long way toward making it feel like the timepiece on your wrist is a premium product. If I turn the two on side-by-side, the difference may be subtle, but the smaller one feels like I’m getting a nicer watch.
Smaller battery, but less battery drain
Battery size is the primary downside of a smaller watch. A smaller screen means a smaller body, which means there’s less space to stick a battery inside. The 44mm Galaxy Watch 8 has a 435mAh battery, while the 40mm version has a 325mAh one. The Galaxy Watch Ultra bumps that number all the way up to 590mAh.
Thing is, there isn’t a proportional increase in battery life to match those larger numbers. Samsung advertises the same 30 hours of battery life (with always-on display enabled) for both the 40mm and 44mm version. Only the Galaxy Watch Ultra is advertised with a longer battery life of up to 60 hours.
None of these numbers make all that big a difference. A watch with 2–3 days of battery life can technically go two full days, but I still end up topping it up daily to avoid waking up in the morning with a super low charge that takes a while to recoup. It’s nice having a larger cushion each day, but my charging habits don’t change all that much.
The Ultra watches have more battery life. There’s no denying that. But are these watches you charge once or twice a week? No. And if the difference isn’t that stark, I would personally rather opt for a watch with a more comfortable fit and also doesn’t look quite so imposing.
- Brand
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Samsung
- Operating System
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Wear OS
Now thinner and more comfortable, the Galaxy Watch 8 adds new health-tracking features like sleep apnea detection and antioxidant readings.
The important point here isn’t that small watches are better. If you have a larger wrist, a larger smartwatch may feel proportional. Some people also prefer the look of a big, chunky watch. But there are also many of us who are probably wearing a larger smartwatch than we need and would be better served by shrinking it down. A few millimeters makes a larger difference than you think.