When Samsung's Galaxy Watch 7 was announced last summer, my immediate thought was, “What happened to the promised upgrades that never materialized?”

Well, dear readers, it's time to dust off the Galaxy Watch 7 rumors and reapply them to Samsung's next-generation smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 8.

There are three particularly interesting speculative insights surrounding the Galaxy smartwatch, which is expected to launch in summer 2025. Read on for more details on each and my wish list for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

It seems that every upcoming smartwatch model, including the Apple Watch 11 and Ultra 3, has at least one leak or rumor suggesting a transition from OLED to MicroLED, and the Galaxy Watch 8 is no exception.

I have written many times about the advantages of MicroLEDs compared to OLEDs, the most notable being a significant increase in energy efficiency, with possible improvements in resolution, brightness, and saturation.

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra is the brand's first wearable in a long time to feature a square case. Is Samsung moving too deep into Apple's territory? the Galaxy Watch 8 rumor suggests that the Ultra may not be the only Samsung smartwatch with a square design.

I have mixed feelings about this move. As a smartwatch reviewer by trade, I have no strong preference between square and round cases. I find both equally comfortable.

Of course, the square case is more noticeable with a small computer on the wrist than the round case.

As with the MicroLED upgrade, it seems as though all smart wearable manufacturers are working to make non-invasive blood glucose monitoring via the wrist a reality.

And there is reason to believe that Samsung may beat its rival, namely Apple, in blood glucose tracking on smartwatches.

I initially expected the device that became the Galaxy Watch Ultra to have groundbreaking features. Now I am cautiously optimistic that it will debut with the Galaxy Watch 8.

Now that the most notable Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 rumors (so far) have run their course, it's time to dream big and talk about my hopes and dreams for the Galaxy Watch 8.

Having reviewed both the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Google Pixel Watch 3, one of the areas where Google has an advantage over Samsung is battery life, especially with the larger 45mm Pixel Watch 3. The challenge for Samsung is to match this model's 48-hour battery life in the XL model of the next-generation Galaxy Watch.

Speaking of big boys, we'd like to see Samsung increase the size of the Galaxy Watch 8 from 44mm to 46mm to match the Apple Watch 10 and differentiate it from Google's 45mm XL.

Finally, for my fellow fidgeters, Samsung, please bring back the classic-style clicky bezel. That thing is useful and great to fiddle with.

What would you like to see on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8? Let us know in the comments below.