I've been using the Galaxy Watch 5 for a few years, and when Samsung unveiled its new wearables at Unpacked, I finally felt like an upgrade might be in order.

The Watch 5 is my first Samsung smartwatch, and throughout the years, I never felt as though I needed to replace it with a newer model. Why? Mainly because every new base Galaxy Watch Samsung subsequently released looked almost the same as the last.

However, Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 8 is finally doing things differently, and for the first time since I got my Watch 5, I was tempted to replace it.

And yet, despite all this talk about how the new model is refreshing and powerful, the Galaxy Watch 8 is not my first choice. Not anymore, or at least, not for the time being. Here's what happened.

Samsung appears to have thrown a spanner in the works by re-releasing the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) and keeping the original Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) on sale.

Here's the deal. In some markets, like the USA, Samsung has the audacity to continue selling the 2024 Galaxy Watch Ultra at full price — the same price that could get you the refreshed 2025 model instead.

However, in other markets, for example, some European countries and India, Samsung and its retail partners are taking a much different approach.

Depending on where I'd be buying my new watch (from Samsung or an official Samsung retail partner), I could grab the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) in my market for roughly the same (or precisely the same) price as the Wi-Fi-only 40mm Galaxy Watch 8.

Why would I ever want to buy the 40mm Wi-Fi Galaxy Watch 8 instead of picking up the 47mm LTE Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) for the same price? Trick question. I wouldn't.

The Watch Ultra is equal or superior to the Watch 8 in almost every way, except that it doesn't ship with One UI 8 Watch. However, it will receive the full update (with all the latest Health and fitness features) over-the-air soon.

There's no doubt in my mind that Samsung pricing model is cannibalizing Galaxy Watch 8 sales in some markets as we speak, and I don't know whether it's all by design or by mistake.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying that the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) is cannibalizing Watch Ultra (2025) sales given the price gap of €250 or more between the two models — again, in some markets.

I don't expect Samsung to keep the 2024 Galaxy Watch Ultra on sale forever. But as long as it is on sale for the same price as the 40mm Watch 8, I don't see myself buying a 2025 smartwatch. The Watch Ultra from 2024 is essentially a premium model that doesn't yet run the same One UI Watch version as the 2025 wearables.

The big question at the end of the day is whether or not I will take advantage of these bonkers deals and buy the Watch Ultra (2024) instead of the Watch 8.

Honestly, I'm not sure anymore. Samsung just made things confusing. This whole turn of events almost made me reconsider everything, and instead of rushing into buying a cheap Watch Ultra from 2024, I'm starting to wonder if I should wait another year before I replace my Watch.

However, that's just me, and I'm sure bargain hunters will feel very different about it. So, if you are convinced that you need an upgrade, I'd highly recommend checking out Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) prices in your region. You might get a super deal.

Keep in mind that the Galaxy Watch Ultra from 2025 is exactly the same as the 2024 model, except it introduces a fourth color, it has 64GB of storage instead of 32GB, and runs the new One UI 8 Watch update that the 2024 model will soon receive in full with all the latest health and fitness features.