Apple Watch Series 8 to be unveiled on September 7, 2022 at Far Out event. It is no longer the most powerful smartwatch in the family, replaced by the Apple Watch Ultra, the king of the hill. But even though the Series 8 has become the middle child in the family, it still has excellent battery life and solid features, and is a more than worthy successor to the Apple Watch Series 7.
Our review of the Watch Series 8 calls it “the best flagship the company has ever made,” and when you look at all the stats and tech inside, you can see why. Sure, the Watch Series 9 is expected to debut in September alongside the all-new iPhone 15, but we’re expecting the next model to be a fairly minor upgrade. So if you’re looking for a new watch right now, the Series 8 is probably your best bet.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Apple Watch and watchOS 9.3.1, the latest version of the wearable software.
Apple Watch Series 8: Design
The Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t reinvent the wheel; Apple hasn’t gone for a circular design or anything like that. In fact, the Series 8 looks exactly like the Series 7 that came before it. This means that it is available in both 41mm and 45mm sizes. The Apple Watch Series 8 retains its crack-resistant front crystal and its aluminum and stainless steel finish options.
It is certified IP6X dust resistant and water resistant up to 50 meters as well as being swimproof.
iMore Expert Tip
Will fit your old Apple Watch band Series 8
Since there are no design or size changes to the Series 8, your old bands will also work with the new wearable, provided they’re sized correctly.
Apple Watch Series 8: Display
The Series 8 features the same 41mm and 45mm display options, along with an edge-to-edge Always-On Retina display with up to 1,000 nits of brightness. Apple describes the Watch display as LTPO OLED, an unnecessarily complicated detail that most people won’t need to know about. This stands for Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide – an Apple-designed and patented technology that aims to reduce the power consumption of your watch display by varying the refresh rate.
Like other Apple Watch models, the screen is beautiful, colorful, and makes good use of the deep, inky blacks that OLED TVs are famous for.
Apple Watch Series 8: New Features
Apple Watch Series 8 can sense your temperature
The rumors were true: Apple added a temperature sensor (opens in new tab) The company claims the module is sensitive enough to detect 0.1°C temperature changes in your body, a feat comparable to taking your wrist temperature every 5 seconds while you sleep. A big part of the sensitivity is the two-sensor design – one sensor on the back of the watch, near the skin, and the other under the display. Apple says this helps eliminate interference from the outside environment.
The temperature sensor will improve the cycle-tracking feature of the Apple Watch by notifying the wearer of possible cycle deviations as well as improved ovulation tracking. For privacy, all bicycle tracking data is encrypted on the device.
crash detection
Thanks to two new and improved sensors – a three-axis gyroscope and G-Force accelerometer – the Apple Watch Series 8 can tell when you’re in for a crash.
Crash Detection uses a number of sensors and features to determine if you’ve been in a serious crash, including the barometer, GPS, and microphone on your iPhone. This should prevent the Apple Watch from accidentally misplacing just a drop from your wrist.
When it detects a serious accident, the Series 8 automatically calls 911, provides your location, and notifies your emergency contacts if you don’t respond to the on-screen notification in 10 seconds. Are.
In addition to these new features, the Apple Watch Series 8 retains many of the best features from previous models including ECG, fall detection, always-on Retina display, and more.
Apple watchOS 9
Apple’s watches are powered by watchOS, a version of Apple’s iOS software that is built specifically for wearable devices, and includes functions and features tuned for it. As of this writing, the latest version of Apple’s watchOS supported by the Apple Watch Series 8 is 9.3.1, which was released on February 13, as well as new versions of Apple’s software for iPhones, Apple TVs, and iPads. They went.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much to talk about in watchOS 9.3.1. There are no new features and Apple’s release notes for the new update only say that the new software version includes “bug fixes and important security updates for your Apple Watch.”
Watch OS 9.3 was released on January 24, 2023, adding support for a new Unity wallpaper commemorating Black History Month. Watch OS 9.1 — released last October — was a major improvement to the core OS, with several improvements to battery life for select workouts, support for Matter, and more.
Watch OS 9 was announced at WWDC 2022 and finally released on September 19th, 2022 — and in the amazing words of the incredibly talented Lizzo, “it’s about damn time.” The latest version of the watch operating system includes sleep stage tracking (finally!) workout enhancements including heart rate zones and customizable workouts, crash detection, medication logging and reminders, a more thorough compass… and of course, new watch faces Are included. This is a heckuvan upgrade.
Apple Watch Series 8: Battery Life
The Apple Watch Series 8 has the same battery life as the previous model when used as normal. But there’s more to it: This wearable device has a new low-power mode.
Apple Watch Series 8 has a low-power mode
With your iPhone, you can get up to 36 hours of battery life using the new and improved Low-Power Mode. While you can do a lot more with Low-Power Mode than you could with the Apple Watch Series 7, there are still some limitations that the new Low-Power Mode will impose on you. This will disable and/or limit the use of select sensors and features, for example, notably the Always-On Display and heart health notifications.
This new low-power mode is also coming to other Apple Watch models from the Series 4 onwards, thanks to watchOS 9.
Apple Watch Series 8: Finish and color
The Apple Watch Series 8 is only available in two finishes – aluminum and stainless steel – and they each have different color options.
The aluminum Series 8 is available in four colors, including Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Product (Red), while the stainless steel finish is available in Silver, Gold, and Graphite.
Apple Watch Series 8: Price
| row 0 – cell 0 | 41 mm | 45 mm |
| aluminum gps | $399 | $429 |
| Aluminum GPS + Cellular | $499 | $529 |
| Stainless Steel GPS + Cellular | $699 | $749 |
| herms | $1,229 | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
These are the base prices for each Apple Watch Series 8 model, but you’ll see a slight increase in prices depending on which band you buy with your watch. A braided solo loop or some leather link bands can increase the value of your watch.
Apple Watch Series 8: Release Date
The Apple Watch Series 8 is fully available now and has a release date of September 16, 2022. You can buy it directly from Apple or at several retailers. Check out our full guide on the latest Apple Watch Series 8 deals and if you can’t decide which version to get, reading our Apple Watch Cellular vs GPS guide will help.
Apple Watch Series 8: Review
The Apple Watch Series 8 is an incredibly well-built and capable device, our Watch 8 review notes. There’s no doubt that the company has made the best flagship smartwatch ever if you consider the SE as its budget offering and the Ultra as a specialist device.
Yet this year’s model had so few upgrades that we found it extremely difficult to recommend. Apple Watch Series 7 users don’t need to upgrade, and users of older devices can save more money without losing out on the Series 7.
There’s no refreshed design or display to speak of, and very limited and fairly niche new features like temperature sensing and crash detection. Battery life is pretty disappointing due to the lack of 24-hour support, which can make battery life feel like a lottery. There’s certainly enough juice to get you through a regular day, including multiple workouts and uses, but it’ll let you down when it comes to bedtime and sleep tracking, or when you wake up.
watchOS 9 is another solid iteration in the watch software lifecycle, yet paradoxically it makes the Series 8 less attractive, thanks to a number of upgrades that breathe new life into older models, most notably Low Power Mode.
As I’ve said, the Series 8 is something of an enigma this year, thanks to the refreshes of the Apple Watch Ultra and SE. If you’re budget conscious or looking to save money and you’re still in the market for an Apple Watch, I’d recommend either the SE or the Series 7. Save a little more and go for the Apple Watch Ultra, which is really the best Apple Watch for most people, despite its rugged look and niche focus.
Do I need to upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 8?
There are some great additions from the Apple Watch Series 7, but not enough to warrant an upgrade. If you have an older watch, such as the Series 5 or 6, it might be worth taking a look at the Series 8, which has its improvements across the board.
When does the Apple Watch Series 8 come out?
Apple Watch Series 8 comes out on Friday, 16 September 2022.