The Apple Watch Series 8, is the latest addition to Apple’s segment of premium options. With this new generation comes a few changes and upgrades that puts this watch against other luxury smart watches such as the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It still maintains all the standard features such as the edge to edge display, an OLED panel, a crack resistant screen just to name a few.
New for this year, are the two temperature sensors that have two main functions. To measure temperature and of course improve the accuracy of the cycle tracking app. More on this later.
Another new segment that Apple could not seem to emphasize enough is the crash detection feature. Basically, the Apple Watch Series 8 uses the improved gyroscope, microphone , accelerometer and the barometer to determine whether you have been in a crash. After a short period, if you don’t respond and cancel the request, Apple will call emergency services and also notify your emergency contacts. These are some of the features that we hope we will never have to use, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation, at least the Apple Watch will come to your rescue.
In this article, we are going to discuss about its design language, its battery life, the health benefits of owning such a watch and lastly, I will give you my final verdict.
Specs.
- Build – Glass Front, Ceramic/ Sapphire Back, Stainless Steel or Aluminum Frame
- Display – Retina LTPO OLED
- Case Sizes – 44mm and 41mm
- Peak Brightness – 1000nits
- Sim – eSIM
- OS – watchOS 9
- Chipset – Apple S8
- CPU – Dual Core
- GPU – PowerVR
- RAM – 1GB
- Storage – 32GB
- Water resistance rating – IP6X, WR50
- Always on display – Yes
- Swim proof – Yes
- Card Slot – No
- Loud Speaker – Yes
- NFC – Yes
- Sensors – Accelerometer, gyro, heart rate, barometer, always-on altimeter, compass, SpO2, VO2max, temperature (body)
- Batter Capacity – Li-Ion 308 mAh, non-removable
- Charging – Wireless Fast Charging
- Aluminum model Colors – Midnight, Product Red, Starlight, Silver
- Stainless Steel model colors – Graphite, Silver, Gold
- Starting price – $399 (GPS) $499(Cellular + GPS)
- Availability – From September 16th 2022
Design language.
The Apple Watch Series 8 comes with very minimal design changes. In fact if they were put side by side against the Apple Watch Series 7, it would be very hard to differentiate them. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Apple offers one of the best designs in any smart watch.
With the Apple Watch Series 8, you get the option of either an Aluminum version or a Stainless Steel version. Stainless Steel tends to be more premium hence a bit expensive when compared to the Aluminum version. In addition to this, depending on which material you choose, there are different color options. For the Aluminum version you get; Product Red, Midnight, Starlight and Silver while in the latter you get Gold, Silver or Graphite. It is also worth noting that for the first time in almost eight years, the Apple Watch Series 8 will not have a Titanium option which may be a huge turn off to some people. On the upside, you can get a Titanium case with the new Apple Watch Ultra.
As for the cellular version, you get an eSIM, regardless of your region. Companies are really pushing for eSIMs, to go mainstream, so you better brace yourself for an ugly future if you somehow dislike them. New for this year, are the two temperature sensors. One is located behind the display while the other one is located at the back of the watch closer to your skin. This is a far better implementation unlike the side temperature sensor in the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Series.
The temperature sensors have basically two functions; measuring body temperature and they are also a key ingredient in Cycle tracking.
Display.
Unlike in the Apple Watch Ultra, the Series 8’s display still flows over the edge which from an aesthetic point looks very cool. Another feature that makes this display phenomenal is that it is an OLED panel. Just like with most OLED displays, it offers a positive impact on battery life and the also deep black levels. The brightness peaks at 1000nits which is more than enough for usage even under bright sunlight conditions.
Apple continues to brag its crack resistant display which is a plus when it comes to durability. I f you were perhaps considering the Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen, it is worth mentioning that the Series 8 has approximately 20% more screen real estate.
Health benefits.
Despite the high price of owning such a watch, you should consider it as an investment more so when it comes to your health. This watch comes with plenty of sensors that provide accurate readings. You can then use these metrics to improve on your health. For example, the SPO2 sensor can measure your blood oxygen levels. If it goes below a certain thresh hold say, 90%, it could be an indication that you need to seek professional medical assistance. Below is a list of all the health sensors and apps in this watch and their functions.
| Health Sensor/ Health App | Function |
| Heart rate sensor | Measures your heart rate |
| SpO2 Sensor | Measures your blood oxygen levels |
| Temperature Sensor | Measures body temperature Key ingredient in cycle tracking |
| VO2 max | Shows how much oxygen your body absorbs and uses during workout |
| ECG App | Tracks and looks out for any irregular heart rhythms |
| Noise App | The Apple watch can measure over 90 decibels of sound and warns you if you are in an excessively noisy environment in order to lower the risk of hearing loss. |
| Cycle Tracking | Checks for irregular menstrual cycles which can indicate conditions such as osteoporosis or even transition to menopause |
| Fall Detection | Detects falls and can alert emergency services if you don’t respond to a notification sent to your Apple Watch. |
| Crash Detection | Uses various sensors to determine if you have been in a car crash and then it informs emergency services as well as your emergency contacts |
| Activity Tracking | Tracks how active you are during your day and it can send notifications if the Watch detects long periods of inactivity |
Batter life and Performance.
Just like its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 8 is capable of lasting up to 18 hours of normal usage. But with the new watchOS 9, comes low power mode. When this mode is activated, the watch can last up to 36 hours, which very impressive. But the downside to this, functions such as Always on display and Auto Workout detection are temporarily disabled.
New for this year, is the Apple S8 chip. It is the fastest SoC ever integrated into an Apple Watch. It is estimated to be 20% faster when compared to its predecessor which is a huge plus for this watch. As we all know, watchOS 9 is set to debut on this watch, and with it comes new features.
These include;
- a new low power mode
- Four new watch faces
- Added running metrics
- Support for six new keyboard languages
- Redesigned calendar app
- Redesigned Dock
- HomeKit Support in the Family Setup App
- Track heart rate zones while working out
- Atrial fibrillation history for those diagnosed with AFib
Final Thoughts.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is obviously a great fit for those looking to upgrade from the previous versions. I f you already have an Apple Watch Series 7, there is not much you are missing out on except for the temperature sensor.
This watch ticks all the boxes for a premium watch and can stack up well against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series. If you are looking for a more rugged but premium watch from Apple, then you should consider the new Apple Watch Ultra.
I would definitely get myself one of those.
The benefits are worth investing for one
I agree, it’s more like an investment rather than an expense!