Among attractive options from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus, I chose the Galaxy Watch 8 as my Wear OS smartwatch of choice. The price was a big reason, since the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 It starts at $350 and discounts and trade-ins bring the cost down even further. Another factor was the watch’s design, which is much slimmer and lower profile than a Pixel Watch or OnePlus Watch. More than anything else, the Samsung Health suite won me over.
There are several Samsung Health features that actually provide insight into your fitness and long-term health using the Galaxy Watch 8’s sensors. I can look at my watch several times a day and get instant snapshots of how I’m feeling using the data from the underlying sensor. You can too by using these five features on the Galaxy Watch 8. They’re also available on the Galaxy 8 Classic Watch and the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Energy score
The best part about using the Galaxy Watch 8 regularly is getting a Energy score daily. Measure your readiness for the next day using activity and sleep data from the previous day and night. Requires use of the Samsung Health app with a Samsung account, but other than that, energy scores are calculated automatically with no manual setup required. Samsung uses the following metrics to calculate your score, out of a possible 100 points:
- Average sleep time
- Sleep time consistency
- Sleep regularity
- Sleep schedule
- Activity from the previous day
- Consistency of activity
- Heart rate during sleep
- Heart rate variability during sleep
As you can see, sleep is an important part of your energy score. If you don’t sleep well, your score will be lower and a midday nap may or may not help. This is because Samsung takes into account the time of day of your nap, knowing that subsequent naps disrupt your circadian rhythm and reduce energy. There are four energy score levels: Excellent (85-100), Good (75-84), Fair (60-74), needs attention (0-59).
So, to get the most insight into your Galaxy Watch 8’s power score, be sure to wear it while you sleep and during daily activities. Then, go to the Samsung Health app on your phone or smartwatch tile to see your daily score.
Sleep score
Since the energy score takes into account much of your sleep data, you may be wondering what the Sleep score makes different. Similar to the Energy score, the Sleep score is automatically calculated when you take your Galaxy Watch 8 to bed. It also uses the same scale, but takes into account different metrics to calculate it. The sleep score measures your real sleep time, deep sleep, REM sleep, restand sleep latency to calculate the final score.
Samsung also compares its nightly sleep score to the average scores for its age group. For example, one night I scored a 92, which was in the top 2% of my age group. The company adds that getting a sleep score of 85 or higher is equivalent to a healthy night’s sleep. You can also see your blood oxygen levels, sleep stages, snoring, skin temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate in the Samsung Health app.
I never felt like myself Apple The watch offered enough detailed sleep data to justify wearing it in bed, and my Garmin is too bulky to wear all night. Samsung offers the perfect combination with a data-rich sleep scoring experience and slim Galaxy Watch 8 hardware.
Gemini
Gemini It’s a worthy replacement for the Google Assistant on your wrist, enabling faster actions and time-saving automations. I use it on my Galaxy Watch 8 to set multiple nightly alarms with a single command, avoiding the hassle of having to set alarms on the small screen. You can also use it to get directions, start workouts, or suggest music. It will even read your health and fitness stats live during a workout for a hands-free experience.
To use it, all you need to do is hold down the side button or say “Hello Gemini.” You can also enable Get up to speak low Settings > Gestures > Raise to talk to activate Gemini by lifting the Galaxy Watch 8 to your mouth.
career coach
Samsung career coach feature They may not replace personal trainers anytime soon.but it’s a great Galaxy Watch 8 tool for beginners. The feature works by having the user complete a 12-minute lactate threshold test, which tells Samsung Health a lot about the user’s running capabilities. Then, he or she will create a training plan to help you achieve your goals. Complete a “level test” for each numbered level and you will advance to the next.
To try it yourself, open the Samsung Health app on your watch and tap Exercise. So find career coach in the list and tap it. You will now complete the aforementioned running test by following the on-screen instructions. After completing the test, your watch will generate a personalized training plan based on your needs.
vascular load
Many of Samsung’s best health features work in the background, and the same goes for vascular load. Try tracking your cardiovascular wellness to get a picture of your overall health. To see it, swipe left to see the Tiles screen and touch Add tiles. Find the Vital parts tab and select vascular load. Then press Show on phone.
From there, you’ll be able to start tracking your vascular load after establishing a baseline using your watch while you sleep for three nights.
Software is only part of the story, and the Galaxy Watch 8’s slim profile seals the deal. It’s just 8.6mm thick (excluding the protruding sensors), meaning it’ll be comfortable enough to wear during intense workouts and when sleeping at night. The more you use a smartwatch, the better the data it will provide. That’s why the design of the Galaxy Watch 8 deserves credit for how useful these five health and fitness features are.
The best Wear OS sports watch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 beats out the options from Google and OnePlus to win the title of best Wear OS sports watch in my opinion. It’s comfortable, precise and packed with features. Use all five on this list to get the most out of your Samsung smartwatch.
