Google Store quietly starts selling Samsung wearables, starting with the Galaxy Watch 8

We loved the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and what it brought to the table in terms of features and overall comfort. While you’ve been able to buy the smartwatch from several retailers in the US, including Samsung’s own store, the wearable has now landed in an unlikely place.

Listings for the Galaxy Watch 8 are popping up under the “Devices from the Google Store” section in the Play Store, as flagged by the folks at 9to5Google. Google is also offering a $20 discount on the smartwatch, with the promo running until July 14.

We’ve spotted this promotion on one of our devices, so it doesn’t seem like an accident on Google’s part. As the screenshots below show, both the 40 and 44mm variants of the smartwatch are on sale. So far, we’re not seeing the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic here.

For now, the Galaxy Watch promo and listing are visible on the US Play Store, though we can’t tell if it’s available in other markets. However, we’re not finding any direct mention of Samsung’s smartwatches on the US Google Store page.

While a $20 discount certainly sounds appealing, we’ve seen cheaper deals on the smartwatch recently, so you’re likely to get a better price elsewhere. A quick look at Samsung’s online store reveals the same 40mm LTE variant of the Galaxy Watch 8 listed at $339.99, taking $60 off the asking price compared to the Play Store’s much smaller $20 discount.

Without any official confirmation available from either company, it’s hard to speculate on the nature of this partnership. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come just ahead of the expected launch of the Galaxy Watch 9 at Unpacked.

Google is no stranger to selling third-party products on its store, though the selection of items has lately been limited to accessories and a small collection of smart home hardware.

This has the potential to be a major development in Google’s retail business. Samsung is among the most prominent producers of Wear OS smartwatches, so the availability of Galaxy Watches on the Google Store may benefit both parties.

As for consumers, where it’s sold shouldn’t matter as long as it’s available for the right price. We don’t see Google moving the needle too much with this minor $20 discount, though.