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Apple Watch Series 8 is an excellent update for owners of previous versions and the ideal entry point for those wishing to enter Apple’s wearable ecosystem. The interior is the one place where the Apple Watch Series 8 differs noticeably from the Apple Watch Series 7.
Series 8 has been in my testing since shortly after its announcement. All the information you require is provided below. Here is our review of the AppleWatch Series 8.
Apple Watch Series 8 Review
The Series 8 offers much for those wishing to upgrade from a previous model or switch to the Apple Watch, though. While its battery life is not the best on the market for smartwatches, fast charging makes charging it every day a little less painful. It also has a great design, tonnes of sensors, and more features than you will likely know what to do with.
U can say for those who currently own a Series 6 or earlier, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a terrific upgrade, and for those who are brand-new to the Apple Watch universe and have decided the Watch SE is not enough, it is a great place to start.
Apple Watch Series 8 Design
Since the initial model was introduced in 2015, the Apple Watch has essentially had the same look, which is fine. The face is rectangular with rounded corners and curving edges, giving it a smooth and accessible style without any sharp angles. Would flat edges be preferable to the rest of Apple’s most recent products? I do like it, but more because it is a bit different.
It is not shocking that the Apple Watch Series 8 design has remained the same because it functions well as it is. Similar to the Series 7, I find Series 8 incredibly comfortable to wear and light enough not to be a distraction when sleeping.
These models made of aluminum are lighter than those made of stainless steel, but the latter does have a more upscale appearance, notably.
On the right edge’s top is the Digital Crown, which has an electrical heart rate sensor, and below it is a simple button. A speaker is located on the left edge.
The Watch Series 8 does not have an additional programmable Action button like the Watch Ultra; I find it unfortunate because I would have loved having the ability to rapidly start a workout or pause a workout if my hands were wet.
The buttons for removing the Watch straps are located on the underside of the shell, along with an optical heart rate sensor, several additional sensors, and more. Previous Watch bands continue to work with all previous Apple Watch models, which is excellent.
The Apple Watch bands are by no means inexpensive, especially when you take into account the stainless steel or leather options, so it is comforting to know that I can wear my favorite strap.
For Series 8, there are models made of aluminum and stainless steel. As I briefly mentioned, these materials are IP6X dust resistant and offer 41mm and 45mm casing options.
Read More: Apple Watch SE 2 vs. Apple Watch Series 8 Buyer’s Guide
Apple Watch Series 8 Temperature And Ovulation Tracking
The addition of two additional sensors created to precisely monitor a new metric—your nighttime body temperature—is Series 8’s most noteworthy improvement over the prior iteration. Other wearables, such as the Fitbit Charge 5, the Oura Ring Generation 3, and the Whoop 4.0, already detect skin temperature fluctuations. This metric shows whether your body temperature rises or falls relative to your baseline.
The Apple temperature function operates in the same way. When you wear it to bed, it takes a sample of your wrist temperature every five seconds overnight and tracks variations from your baseline rather than allowing you to take an on-demand measurement like a standard thermometer.
Both the temperature sensor under the top glass and the sensor near your skin are on the watch. To get more accurate readings, Apple claims that this dual-sensor setup helps to cancel out the ambient air temperature.
Apple updated the Health app to include a new Wrist Temperature area to view your statistics and graphs of temperature variances down to 0.1 degrees Celsius over the previous week, month, or six months.
It will take roughly five nights for the Health app to establish your wrist temperature baseline before you see any data in this section. Since I have only worn the Series 8 a few times to bed, it has not yet established a baseline. Nevertheless, I will check in after my data is in, and I will make an update.
Apple’s new ovulation monitoring function is intriguing, but it will only benefit a tiny subset of people: those who are trying to conceive but are having trouble doing so.
The Series 8 can now provide you with the date of your most recent ovulation based on your temperature data, and the Apple Watch can already predict your fertile windows.
It can only tell you when you did, after the fact, which makes it crucial to note that it cannot forecast when you will ovulate next. It may be a clue that a problem is worth discussing with a doctor if you were sexually active when the watch indicated you last ovulated, but you could not get pregnant.
It should be noted that using Apple’s retroactive ovulation tracker and fertile window predictions as a method of birth control is a terrible idea. The day you ovulated last month may not be the day you ovulated this month because your reproductive window might change from month to month.
You must activate Cycle Tracking and put Sleep Focus on your Apple Watch before wearing it to bed each night to receive retroactive ovulation estimations.
Retrospective ovulation estimations will start to appear after around two menstrual cycles. Retrospective ovulation dates are highlighted in purple, and anticipated fertile days are shaded in blue on the Apple Watch and Health app.
If you utilize Apple’s Cycle Tracking feature, ensure your phone is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID as a crucial privacy precaution. Additionally, if you have not previously, be sure to turn on two-factor authentication on your smartphone (you can verify by going to Settings > [your name] > Password & Security; it should indicate “On” next to Two-Factor Authentication there).
Apple cannot see your Cycle Tracking data since the firm lacks the decryption key.
Read More: Apple Watch SE 2; What’s New About This New Watch Series?
Apple Watch Series 8 Crash Detection
Although I sincerely hope no one ever has to use it, the Apple Watch Series 8 does not include a new crash detection feature. Unfortunately, auto accidents do occur. Long-standing safety features on Apple Watch include fall detection and emergency SOS, but Series 8’s improved motion sensors also make it possible for crash detection, a new type of safety utility.
Two new motion sensors, an upgraded gyroscope, and an accelerometer are all inside the Apple Watch Series 8 device.
Because of their combined ability to sample motion 4x faster than before, the watch identifies a crash as it occurs. Additionally, in the unfortunate event of a crash, the Apple Watch will immediately contact emergency services and alert your emergency contacts.
Apple Watch Series 8 Battery
This Apple Watch has the same 18-hour battery life as the preceding models. Series 8, like Series 7 before it, has fast charging capabilities as long as you utilize the strong charging cable and puck that are included.
But there is more than that. You can increase the battery life to 36 hours thanks to a new low-power mode (useful if you forgot to charge it last night and have a busy day today).
Not only that, but it does not make the Watch a zombie that can tell you the time. You can still make workout recordings and listen to music, for example. However, the always-on display will turn off.
The always-on display, automated workout tracking, and heart health notifications are all disabled or severely constrained in Low Power Mode. Essential features like Fall Detection, activity and sleep tracking, and nightly temperature sensors continue to function.
It is a convenient choice if you anticipate a very long day and will not be able to adjust your watch when you usually would. Go to Settings > Battery and toggle the Low Power Mode switch on.
The Series 8 lasted up to 40 hours on a charge with light use in testing even without turning on Low Power Mode, offering two nights of sleep tracking. In this instance, I mostly used the battery-saving features Airplane Mode and sleep Focus, but I also kept the always-on display turned on during the day with the screen brightness set to 100%.
When used moderately to heavily, the Series 8 lasted 30.5 hours before I received a message that the battery was just 10% charged. That narrowly surpasses Series 7, which in similar conditions lasted 29 hours.
Generally, a feature-rich smartwatch with a big, bright screen still has a far shorter battery life than many fitness trackers and specialized sports watches, which may often go for weeks without a charge.
Recharging the Apple Watch happens fast. When charged with the supplied charger, it tested to go from dead to 100% in roughly an hour.
Read More: Apple Watch Series 8 Chip Has The Same CPU As The S6 And S7
Apple Watch Series 8 New Compass
You can mark a location, such as your campsite or a waterfall you come across while hiking, with Waypoints using the new Compass app in watchOS 9. Backtrack, another new Compass feature, uses GPS data to record your trip and creates digital breadcrumbs that may be used to retrace your travels and return to your starting point.
When the Compass app first launches, a new hybrid interface with an analog compass dial and a real-time digital view of your current bearing is shown. A new orienteering view with neighboring Waypoints appears when the Digital Crown is scrolled.
I pressed the location icon in the lower left corner of the Compass app to add a Waypoint. Then I chose a symbol from a grid to symbolize Waypoint; then, I gave it a name and color. To construct the Waypoints you want to visit, you can manually enter coordinates before a trip. The Compass app must have permission to utilize your Precise Location for you to view or create Waypoints.
The list of all your saved locations appears when you tap a Waypoint in the orienteering view. You can scroll through the list using the Digital Crown. When you locate the desired Waypoint, tap on it to see its approximate location about you and related directions in the Compass app. During testing, I had no issue deleting Waypoints and using the compass to return to them.
Go ahead and tap the footprint icon in the Compass app’s lower right corner to start Backtracking. Before beginning a hike, it is a brilliant idea to launch Backtrack from the parking lot, so you can quickly get back to your vehicle. You will see the Compass app indicating your path as you continue to climb.
Backtrack may be left running in the background while you use your Apple Watch to perform other tasks, such as tracking your exercise routine and using Spotify to manage the music playing through your AirPods.
As opposed to using GPS to track an outside workout, Backtrack only records your location once every two minutes. When you are prepared to turn around, hit the pause button and choose Retrace Steps.
When it detects you begin to venture off the grid, the Compass app will instantly activate Backtrack. When you are away from typical places like your home or automobile and in an area lacking Wi-Fi, for instance, this can occur. Although I would not rely exclusively on it, the automatic Backtrack option may come in handy if you forget to manually activate the feature.
Apple Watch Series 8 Hardware
The 64-bit dual-core S8 chip powers the Apple Watch Series 8’s operation. The processing unit is the same as the Series 7, which is the same as the Series 6. Thus there has not been an upgrade in this area in a while. Is that a concern? Though, no. The Series 8 performs flawlessly, precisely like the Series 7 did, in our experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Series 8 have a watch?
The innovative new sensor in the Apple Watch Series 8 tracks your body temp while users sleep, so they can see how it changes over time. Cycle Tracking uses this information to figure out when you probably ovulated in the past, which can help you plan a family.
Does Apple Watch 8 have value?
In the end, it’s a good idea to keep your Apple Watch SE if it remains in good shape. But if you want to track your health in more detail and your SE is starting to feel slow, the Series 8 has enough new features to make it worth thinking about.
Is the Series 8 Apple Watch waterproof?
Use your watch to make a splash.
The Apple Watch can stay dry for 50 meters. You can swim, surf, or have water balloon fights.
Is there a charger for the Apple Watch 8?
The Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (only for the Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch Series 8) or the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable comes with your Apple Watch (other models).
Final Word
Given that the design has not changed much from the previous version and that the sole additional sensor is a temperature sensor, this would initially appear to be a minor improvement. However, that sensor is useful for more than simply family planning, and I anticipate that wearing the Watch at night will give me a better awareness of my health. The new sensor had helped me get back into a habit that I had abandoned.
Then there is crash detection, which although I hope I never use it, provides a great deal of peace of mind. In a pinch, the enhanced battery life is also incredibly helpful, even if I will miss the always-on display.
Learn More About Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra here.