At its Far Out Keynote event on September 7, 2022, alongside the brand new iPhone 14 series, Apple unveiled Apple Watch Series 8. The wearable marks Apple's eight-year running in the smartwatch space and comes with minor improvements to further improve its offerings. In what was expected, owing to the significant number of leaks, this year, Apple Watch is joined by an entirely new lineup, the Apple Watch Ultra. But in this article, we will focus on the standard model to see what's changed with this generation.

Apple Watch Series 8: Price and Availability

Preorders for Apple Watch Series 8 are already live with retail availability starting from September 16, 2022. Like previous years, the 41mm base model will run users $399, with the larger 45mm size costing $30 more, coming in at $429. An upgrade to the GPS+Cellular variant will warrant an extra $100. Changing the case material to Stainless Steel will add to the cost.

Model & Storage

Price

Apple Watch Series 7 41mm (GPS)

$399

Apple Watch Series 7 41mm (GPS + Cellular)

$499

Apple Watch Series 7 45mm (GPS)

$429

Apple Watch Series 7 45mm (GPS + Cellular)

$529

PBI Apple Watch Series 8 Midnight
Apple Watch Series 8

Apple Watch Series 8 is still an excellent option for those looking for a new smartwatch in 2023, as it comes with a more affordable price tag and tons of sensors to keep track of your fitness levels and notifications. It promises an all-day battery life and a body temperature sensor to improve metric accuracy.

Apple Watch Series 8: Colors

With Apple Watch Series 8, Apple is dialing back on the total variants available. The latest generation will be available in four aluminum finishes, Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Red. As for Stainless Steel, users can choose between the standard, Silver, Graphite, and Gold. Titanium will now be limited to Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple Watch Series 8: Technical Specifications

Specification

Apple Watch Series 8

Display

  • LTPO OLED
  • “Crack Resistant”
  • Always-On Retina Display
  • 1.7 mm bezels
  • 1000 nits brightness
    • 41mm: 1.69-inch
    • 45mm: 1.9-inch

Processor

Apple S8

Memory & Storage

  • Memory: TBA GB
  • Storage: 32GB

Dimension and Weight

Aluminum

  • 41mm: 32.0g
  • 45mm: 38.8g

Stainless Steel

  • 41mm: 42.3g
  • 45mm: 51.5g

Battery

  • Up to 18 hours
  • 0% to 80% in 45mins

Sensors

Compass, Altimeter, Blood oxygen sensor, Electrical heart sensor, optical heart sensor, High-g Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor, always-on altimeter, Barometer, Sp02, VO2Max, Body Temperature Sensor

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • GPS/GNSS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou
  • LTE (optional)

Durability

  • IP6X: dust-protection
  • WR50: Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Price

Starts at $399

Apple Watch Series 8: Design

Apple-Watch-S8-2up-hero-220907

The last redesign we saw for Apple Watch was as recent as last year, when Apple introduced a 20% increase in the display area by stretching the cover glass closer to the edges. This year, Apple is sticking to the style with Series 8, which means there isn't much change in looks. The back panel on the watch sees some behind-the-scenes changes as the wearable now houses a new body temperature sensor, but there isn't much to note apart from that.

Although, if you are looking for a different wearable, we recommend turning your attention toward Apple Watch Ultra. The $799 model is a new entrant geared towards those users whose intentions are sport-focused. It has advantages like a flat display, an extra button, and certain rugged elements ensuring the wearable is protected from the rigorous environments in which it might find itself.

The proprietary watch band mechanism also remains unchanged for the eight-year running, so going to shop for new ones still isn't required, unless, of course, you want to dabble with the new colors Apple will introduce as the years goes along.

In terms of endurance, Apple Watch Series 8 will maintain its IP6X and WR50 ratings, which are responsible for its dust and water resistance, respectively. The 6 in IP6X refers to Apple Watch's dust-tight nature, whereas the WR50 rating indicates the wearable can withstand being 50 meters underwater, although you should stay away from salt water.

Apple Watch Series 8: Internals

Apple Watch Series 8 Nike

Like the S7 SiP on Apple Watch Series 7, the S8 SiP, which ships with Series 8, doesn't appear to showcase a marked performance improvement. Rumors say the specifications are similar to the S7 SiP. Internal storage and RAM are also unlikely to see a change on Apple Watch Series 8.

Previous generations have shipped with 32GB of ROM, which in my experience, has been sufficient. And the 1GB of RAM reported for Series 6, and 7 has always easily managed my active applications. There was never a moment where I felt my Apple Watch should be able to do more!

As for its set of sensors, Apple Watch Series 8 depends upon the following equipment to serve its function.

  • Compass
  • Always-on altimeter
  • Blood oxygen sensor
  • Electrical heart sensor
  • Optical heart sensor
  • High-g Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Barometer
  • SpO2 Sensor
  • VO2Max
  • Body Temperature Sensor

Apple Watch Series 8: Software and Health Features

Apple Watch Series 8 Cycle Tracking

The tagline for Apple Watch Series 8 reads, "A healthy leap ahead." And to that end, during its keynote, Apple unveiled new features aimed at women's health and protection in case of accidents with the introduction of Crash Detection. In addition to these announcements, Apple Watch Series 8 will ship with watchOS 9. The update will provide more informative details about sleep stages, exercises, and functionality like the notification-based medication tracking.

Expanding upon the new temperature sensor, the primary use Apple determines it play is in the tracking of menstrual tracking, aiming to help women understand their body's condition better. The temperature sensing component is made of two parts, one that sits closer to the surface of the wrist and another that faces outwards, sitting near the display. Apple states this design helps reduce bias from the temperature fluctuations of the outside environment.

Nighttime wrist temperature is even said to be a good indicator of overall body temperature. Apple Watch Series 8 will sample temperature every five seconds, measuring changes as small as 0.1 degree Celsius. Apple aims to utilize this information and provide details regarding illness, jet lag, ovulation estimates, and period predictions.

Then there's Crash Detection, made possible by an algorithm that uses the new gyroscope and accelerometer in Apple Watch to register when an accident occurs. It can understand the severity of a crash and then dial emergency services if the afflicted person is unresponsive after a 10-second countdown.

Apple Watch Series 8: Battery

Apple Watch Series 8 Low Power Mode

Apple promises 18 hours of use with a single charge on Series 8. The claim has remained identical over the years and is more than accurate for the everyday usage your Apple Watch might see.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like 2022 is the year when the standard models will beat the one-day battery life tag, but there is now Low Power mode which can help extend usage to 36 hours. The faster charging introduced last year does remain on board. Series 7 introduced the ability to charge your Apple Watch from zero to 80% in 45 minutes to refresh your memory.

Apple Watch Series 8

Apple Watch Series 8 is still an excellent option for those looking for a new smartwatch in 2023, as it comes with a more affordable price tag and tons of sensors to keep track of your fitness levels and notifications. It promises an all-day battery life and a body temperature sensor to improve metric accuracy.


Does Apple Watch Series 8 introduce enough changes to warrant an upgrade in your books? Let us know with a comment below.