Since its launch in 2014, Apple (AAPL) has continued to evolve the Apple Watch. It went from being an extension of the iPhone to a full fledged gadget with a gambit of well being options. With updates rolled out annually, the enhancements have been each small and enormous.
For 2022, we have now three new Apple Watches: The entry-level Apple Watch SE, the center Apple Watch Series 8, and the ultra-rugged Apple Watch Ultra. I’ve already reviewed the best-in-value Apple Watch SE and now we flip focus to Series 8.
It’s a pro-for-everyone unit with a bigger always-on show, and presents a few of Apple’s most superior well being options so far. The extravagant finishes tie a bow on the brand new mannequin, from aluminum to stainless-steel – and even a Hermes Edition.
If all this sounds acquainted, it ought to because it was the components for the Series 7. And with the clock putting eight, you get a brand new temperature sensor and crash detection. So let’s dive into the Series 8 and who it’s for.
- Apple Watch Series 8 41mm GPS in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($399; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 45mm GPS in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($429; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 41mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($499; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 45mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($529; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content material suppliers might obtain compensation for some hyperlinks to services and products on this web site.
Apple Watch Series 8: An All-Screen Premium Watch
Much just like the Series 7 earlier than it, the Series 8 continues the pattern of modern and trendy enchantment. The 41mm or 45mm dimension appears applicable on almost any wrist – whereas the screens are bigger than these of the Apple Watch SEs (or the Series 6 and earlier fashions), it nonetheless matches comfortably on most wrists. Petite ladies might desire to go for the 41mm dimension (as examined by my fellow colleague). During my very own hands-on the 49mm Ultra is kind of huge, however a manageable dimension for most people.
Display: 41mm or 45mm
The Series 8 excels as a “middle ground” choice, and one that’s appropriate for many smartwatch customers who need an always-on display screen or all of the well being options. Its show is vibrant and full of element, and shiny sufficient to make use of in direct daylight or in a constructing with fluorescent lights. It’s been powerful sufficient to battle by means of the New Jersey solar — although as Springsteen suggests in “Blinded by the Light,” you in all probability shouldn’t stare straight into it — and labored simply swimmingly whereas in California in the course of the heatwave.
Unique to the Series 8 is that the display screen goes all the way in which to the sides and even curves (or somewhat, slopes) down the perimeters. With a fast look, you may make out the quantity dials turning on a smartwatch even when not trying head-on. During my testing, I might have a look at it from a particularly off-angle view (whereas biking or working), and nonetheless make out the watch face.
WatchOS 9 has launched a bevy of latest watch face samples that stretch your display screen information proper to the sting. I actually like Modular and Astronomy which may rework the entrance. The former additionally enables you to add compilations — aka mini widgets — to the display screen for simple process completion. Customization is the secret in the case of the digital show display screen for the Apple Watch.
Material high quality and colours
Apple presents the Series 8 in just a few finishes — the most affordable $399 fashions are constituted of aluminum and are available in (PRODUCT) RED, Starlight, Silver, or Midnight.
I’ve been testing the Midnight, and it’s a really darkish blue that in some lighting can seem as black. If you prefer to match product colours, the Midnight is similar shade that the MacBook Air with M2 or the iPhones are available in. If you’re keen to spend extra, you too can get it in stainless-steel or a Hermes Band with a chrome steel watch.
The Apple Watch Series 8 has a sturdy aluminum construct, and on the again of the watch, the most recent sensor stack — which is part of the brand new S8 SiP — sits as a bit of sapphire glass that rests on the highest of my wrist. This sensor options can monitor a ton of well being information, together with:
- Heart Rate
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) by urgent your finger on the digital crown
- Blood Oxygen
- Skin temperature
The left facet of the watch nonetheless incorporates an oblong slit for the speaker, whereas the proper facet has the Digital Crown and a facet button. The crown right here can be utilized to pick out one thing by pushing, or turned up or all the way down to scroll or zoom. It’s a very nice interface and I particularly just like the minute vibrations (aka haptics) built-in which offer you suggestions as you scroll.
Scroll to Continue
Apple Watch Bands
The Series 8 is appropriate with all earlier Apple Watch Bands, assuming you will have bands that match the identical display screen dimension. This is nice information if in case you have a group of bands and improve sometimes. I’ve additionally been making an attempt the brand new woven Nike sport loop bands, that are constituted of a nylon weave and have the “Just Do It” tagline proper on the band. It’s a reasonably comparable design to the Pride Edition bands from earlier this 12 months. It’s glorious for exercises in addition to on a regular basis use.
Skin Temperature and Other Health Features
Much just like the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7, the Series 8 is the Apple smartwatch to get you if you’d like the well being options. The Series 8 can monitor blood oxygen ranges, measure your coronary heart charge, and take an electrocardiogram in your wrist. Much like different watches and health trackers, it would additionally monitor steps, energy burned, train minutes, and exercises.
But there’s a new characteristic added to the Series 8, particularly two sensors that monitor pores and skin temperature. One of the sensors is clustered near the wrist to get the temperature of your pores and skin, and one situated underneath the show to measure the surroundings. These work in tandem to make sure information accuracy, particularly when environmental components might have modified.
Establishing a Baseline
The pores and skin temperature characteristic will work within the background to collect your baseline. Apple studies that working in tandem with the Health app, it may take at the least 5 nights of sleep for it to study your baseline and show the information. During my testing, it took six nights to ascertain a baseline, and now inside the Health app I can view a graph displaying excessive or low adjustments, although it doesn’t share that precise studying.
The common concept is that over time, being above or under this baseline ought to correlate with well being fluctuations. Maybe it has to do with stress or with being ailing, but it surely’s extra of an extended sport right here, and is much like the way in which that the Oura Ring is designed.
Cycle Tracking
Cycle monitoring isn’t new to the Apple Watch, as by way of the Health app you’ll be able to enter information to estimate a menstrual cycle and ovulation. Fitbit, amongst different apps, additionally presents an identical characteristic.
This new pores and skin temperature sensor was designed to raise the cycle monitoring expertise on the Apple Watch although. If you’re already utilizing this characteristic, an Apple Watch Series 8 with the temperature sensor is meant to supply extra information round your menstrual cycle and ovulation. Essentially, this smartwatch is aiming to trace a biphasic shift, which correlates a temperature swing that matches with hormones altering.
As with any common objective physique metric, Apple is obvious that this isn’t predicting the longer term (both ovulation or interval prevalence), however somewhat offering historic information to assist develop your private physique insights. Apple notes that with sleep and ovulation monitoring enabled, it would take about two menstrual cycles to get baseline readings on the right track. Combined with the added information from pores and skin temperature, it ought to begin making predictions as to when your interval may begin by trying again at your menstrual cycle information.
I’ve not been in a position to take a look at the ovulation options, clearly, so I’m not going to supply an evaluation right here. Education round bodily and psychological well being is a worthy trigger, but it surely’s an comprehensible concern when huge tech firms have entry to such private information.
This comes at a time when ladies’s physique rights have been underneath relentless political scrutiny and protections repealed. Apple has taken a stance that the corporate stays dedicated to privateness, and that this information is locked in your Apple Watch and iPhone. Either gadget would want your authentication because it’s encrypted (ideally a two-step authentication until you’ve disabled this perform), to entry this data.
For extra data on Apple’s information privateness, you’ll be able to study extra right here.
Medication Reminders
My favourite Health characteristic presently on the Apple Watch isn’t unique to the Series 8, and is out there by means of any Apple Watch working watchOS 9. You can use it to trace your medicines and get reminders to take them.
How it really works: You’ll scan the tablet bottle in, decide an icon for it, after which set how usually you are taking it. You’ll then get a reminder in your iPhone and the watch to make sure you’re taking it, and log it. And if the Health app detects any potential interferences between medicines (and even drugs and alcohol), it would warn you.
Crash Sensors
And lastly, Apple has included some extra gyroscopes and accelerometers to detect a collision. Obviously, I didn’t take a look at this as I didn’t crash a automobile. According to Apple, the Apple Watch’s sensors and microphones have been educated to detect actions and sound related to a crash. This is similar auto crash characteristic now baked into the Apple Watch SE, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Suffice to say it’s good to have right here, however one thing I hope no consumer ever has to name upon. In the occasion it does happen, the service can robotically join you with the authorities and alert your emergency contacts.
Finally, a Low Power Mode and Fast Charging
With watchOS 9 Apple lastly delivered a Low Power Mode to the Apple Watch Series 8 in addition to the Series 4, 5, 6, 7 and the unique Apple Watch SE. So it isn’t a purpose simply to expire and purchase a Series 8, bear in mind to replace to watchOS 9.
How it really works: Swipe up from the underside of the display screen to the battery menu and faucet “Low Power Mode.” It will shut off the always-on show and a few background readings, and can decelerate notification supply. You’ll nonetheless get all different performance together with Activity Tracking. Apple claims that Low Power mode stretches battery life for Series 8 to 36 hours.
On common, I’ve had the Series 8 final for a full day, however with Sleep Tracking I ended up charging it earlier than going to mattress or proper after I wake for about twenty minutes. With low-power mode, I’ve had the identical cost working for about two full days up to now. I’ll proceed to replace the assessment on this as I preserve testing it.
The different factor that makes the Series 8 so nice, because it did for the Series 7, is that it helps Fast Charging. So with the charging puck that comes within the field and a 20-watt adapter like this one from Anker, you’ll be able to quick cost the Apple Watch. In my expertise, it takes about 20 minutes for 50%, and 35 minutes to succeed in 80%. That’s fairly affordable, and quick charging paired with low-power mode successfully solves the battery life problem.
watchOS9 updates
It additionally doesn’t damage that watchOS 9, the newest software program launch, is fairly darn environment friendly and have packed. You can see my full ideas on watchOS 9 right here, but it surely actually makes the Series 8 seamless. Like the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra, the Series 8 will get the upgraded compass app which may monitor your hike, and on the push of a button aid you retrace your steps.
You even have bigger buttons inside functions and an improved on-screen keyboard that basically reap the benefits of the bigger show right here. And if in case you have a Series 7 or perhaps a Series 6, watchOS 9 is out there for these units as effectively.
Is the Apple Watch Series 8 Worth it?
In our opinion, sure, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a good Apple Watch alternative, and is designed for many customers which are searching for well being and health monitoring, an always-on show, and upgraded battery life.
The Series 8 improves upon the Series 7 with small tweaks, specifically with a temperature sensor and crash detection. But if both of these new options appeals to you, and peace of thoughts actually does to me, it could possibly be value an improve for you.
Upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 8 makes extra sense for people with an older mannequin just like the Series 4, 5, or 6, because you’ll profit from a bevy of latest options like a bigger display screen, a lot better efficiency and battery life, with a number of new well being options.
And if you happen to don’t have an Apple Watch but, and need a absolutely featured one, the Series 8 matches the invoice. But if you are able to do with out an always-on show or each well being characteristic, the Apple Watch SE is quite a bit cheaper at $249 and brings a ton of worth.
Then there may be additionally the query of Apple Watch Ultra, which will increase the sturdiness, stretches the battery life, provides in a brand new button, and presents a bigger show. That begins at $800 and it appears tremendous cool, sort of like a beautiful chunky look ahead to a superhero, however I’ll have to return again to that after I’ve examined it.
And lastly, in case you are upgrading it’s good to see what the trade-in worth of your present Apple Watch is thru a service like Decluttr.
- Apple Watch Series 8 41mm GPS in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($399; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 45mm GPS in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($429; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 41mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($499; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 45mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight, Starlight, Silver or (PRODUCT) RED ($529; Amazon.com or Walmart.com)
How the Apple Watch Series 8 Compares to the SE and Ultra
<robust>Apple Watch SE (second-generation)</robust> | <robust>Apple Watch Series 8</robust> | <robust>Apple Watch Ultra</robust> | |
---|---|---|---|
Display |
40mm or 44mm Retina show with as much as 1,000-nits of brightness |
41mm or 45mm Always-On Retina LTPO OLED show with as much as 1,000 nits of brightness |
49mm Always-On Retina LTPO OLED show with as much as 2,000 nits of brightness |
Durability |
Water resistant as much as 50 meters |
Water resistant as much as 50 meters |
Water resistant as much as 100 meters, Dive proof as much as 40mm, EN13319 Certification |
Health & Activity Features |
Heart charge monitoring and sleep monitoring |
Heart charge monitoring, ECG, irregular rhythm notifications, Blood Oxygen, Wrist Temperature sensor, and Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates |
Heart charge monitoring, ECG, irregular rhythm notifications, Blood Oxygen, Wrist Temperature sensor, and Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates |
Saftey Features |
Crash detection, Fall detection, Emergency calling, and Emergency SOS |
Crash detection, Fall detection, Emergency calling, and Emergency SOS |
Crash detection, Fall detection, Emergency calling, and Emergency SOS |
Connectivity |
GPS or GPS + Cellular |
GPS or GPS + Cellular |
GPS + Cellular |
Speakers |
Second-generation speaker and microphone |
Second-generation speaker and microphone |
Dual speaker and three microphone array with beamforming |
Processor |
S8 SiP |
S8 SiP |
S8 SiP |
Battery |
All-day, as much as 18 hour battery life from a non-removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
All-day, as much as 18 hour battery life from a non-removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
All-day, as much as 36 hour battery life from a non-removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery |
Charging |
Standard charging |
Fast charging |
Fast charging |
Finishes |
Aluminum with nylon-composite again in Midnight, Starlight, or Silver |
Aluminum in Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT) RED, or silver. Stainless Steel in silver, graphit, or gold. Also accessible as Apple Watch Hermès in silver or house black. |
Titanium |
Pricing |
$249 (beginning) |
$399 (beginning) |
$799 (beginning) |
Apple Watch FAQ
How does the Apple Watch Series 8 evaluate to the Apple Watch Ultra?
There are just a few key variations between the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra, together with worth, display screen dimension, sturdiness, and battery life.
Price: The Series 8 begins at $399, whereas the Ultra begins at $800.
Screen dimension: You also can decide between two sizes for Apple Watch Series 8 – 41mm or 45mm – together with GPS or GPS with Cellular connectivity. The Apple Watch Ultra is available in a single 49mm Titanium dimension with GPS + Cellular out of the field.
Health options: Both of them supply the identical well being and exercise options— coronary heart charge, ECG, blood oxygen, and wrist temperature— together with them each being powered by the S8 SiP and working watchOS 9.
Durability: The Apple Watch Ultra is extra sturdy and may endure extra excessive temperatures, whereas it additionally has longer battery life at 30+ hours with low energy mode off and over 60 hours with it on.
If I’ve a Series 7, ought to I improve?
Realistically, most individuals with an Apple Watch Series 7 can skip this improve cycle. If you really need wrist temperature readings or crash detection, the Series 8 does supply these. But other than these, it is a very comparable expertise.
What forms of bands work with the Apple Watch Series 8?
The Apple Watch Series 8 nonetheless works with all earlier Apple Watch Bands because it makes use of the identical design. The 41mm dimension will work with 38mm, 40mm, and 41mm band sizes. The 45mm will help 40, 42, and 44mm sizes. This manner you’ll be able to carry your model assortment with you as you get a more moderen watch.
Fun truth: the Apple Watch SE may also help all band sizes whereas the one mannequin Apple Watch Ultra will work with 45mm bands.
Prices are correct and gadgets in inventory at time of publishing.
Source: www.thestreet.com”