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Apple Watch Series 8
MSRP $399.00
“Powerful, comfortable, and familiar. The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t a revolution in Apple’s portfolio, but it’s still the best smartwatch you can buy.”
Pros
- Sleek, snug design
- Display is huge and beautiful
- Excellent well being options
- Fast cost speeds
- WatchOS 9 is best than ever
- Car crash detection
Cons
- Temperature sensors are restricted
- Almost an identical to the Series 7
In 2022, the Apple Watch is a identified amount — and one of the recognizable merchandise in Apple’s portfolio. That’s why while you have a look at the Apple Watch Series 8, you have got a fairly good thought of what to anticipate. It’s certain to be simple to put on, have loads of well being options, and provide the perfect software program you’ll find on any smartwatch.
After carrying the Apple Watch Series 8 for some time, I can confidently say that each one of these issues are true. Wearing the Series 8 has jogged my memory plenty of my Apple Watch Series 7 I’ve worn for the previous yr as a result of, effectively, the Series 8 is virtually an identical to it. It’s similar to the iPhone 14 in that method. Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel with the Apple Watch Series 8, and that’s as a result of it’s already up to now forward of the curve that it doesn’t have to.
Call it “boring” or “bland” if you need, however that doesn’t cease the Apple Watch Series 8 from being the perfect smartwatch cash can purchase.
Apple Watch Series 8 design
What’s occurring with the Apple Watch Series 8’s design? Well, it appears like an Apple Watch. Apple’s had a really clear and targeted design method ever because the authentic Apple Watch debuted in 2014, and whereas new fashions have improved issues over time, the final aesthetics haven’t modified very a lot. When you have got a design basis that’s this good, it’s comprehensible why that’s.
Whether you get the Apple Watch Series 8 within the 41mm or 45mm trim (the model I’ve), each really feel incredible to put on all day lengthy — and even all through the night time if you happen to’re involved in sleep monitoring. The watch sits comfortably on my wrist, the squircle form is one I personally love to take a look at, and a WR50 ranking offers waterproofing for as much as 50 meters of submersion.
Apple’s execution of the Apple Watch’s design can also be as glorious because it’s ever been. When you scroll by means of menus or notifications, the Digital Crown feels great to work together with. Pressing the facet button beneath it provides nice tactility to swap apps or open Apple Wallet. When you’re able to placed on a brand new watch band, Apple’s band system is among the many best to make use of.
If you’ve by no means favored how the Apple Watch appears, the Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t do something to alter that opinion. But if you happen to do like how the Apple Watch appears and feels, the Series 8 is extra of what you like.
Apple Watch Series 8 display
The standout function of the Apple Watch Series 7 was its bigger display and slimmer bezels, enabling you to see extra content material on the tiny show than ever earlier than. The Apple Watch Series 8 recycles that very same design, and identical to final yr, it creates a really spectacular viewing expertise. Watch faces have room to shine, notifications creep out to the very edges of the display, and navigating apps/menus by no means feels restrictive — particularly on the bigger 45mm mannequin.
And it’s not simply the scale of the display that’s so spectacular. Colors pop with vibrancy, textual content is well readable, and the 1,000 nits of peak brightness guarantee you possibly can simply learn the watch even in broad daylight.
When you’re not interacting with apps or notifications, the Apple Watch Series 8 has an always-on show to indicate a dimmed model of your watch face always. The Apple Watch has had an always-on show because the Series 5, so whereas it’s nothing new, it nonetheless stays considered one of my favourite Apple Watch options. Being capable of subtly look down and see the time, climate, and different data without having to boost my wrist is enormously handy — and one of many greatest lacking options from the cheaper Apple Watch SE 2.
Apple Watch Series 8 well being and exercise
The marketplace for well being/health trackers in 2022 is crowded, to say the least. From Fitbit, Garmin, Oura, Amazon Halo, Whoop, Amazfit, and extra, the myriad of choices to trace your each day exercise usually feels overwhelming. Despite all of that, Apple has carried out an unimaginable job of constructing the Apple Watch’s well being and exercise suite really feel concurrently approachable, intuitive, and complete.
The crux of exercise monitoring on the Apple Watch Series 8 revolves round your exercise rings — extra particularly, your Move, Exercise, and Stand rings. Each one encourages you to burn energy, carry out X quantity of train minutes, and stand up and stand all through the day. It’s one of the recognizable exercise metrics round and has created one thing of a cultural phenomenon to “close your rings” every single day.
If you’ve ever used an Apple Watch, you’ll know exactly why that’s. Aiming to shut your rings every day is enjoyable, difficult, and a transparent metric to work towards. It’s nonetheless not nice at selling restoration days, however third-party apps (like Gentler Streak) assist to fill that void.
To measure your ring progress all through the day, the Apple Watch Series 8 information an enormous array of well being metrics. It tracks your steps, distance, resting and lively vitality, and 24/7 coronary heart price. There’s additionally an ECG app to get on-demand ECG readings, a SpO2 sensor for guide and computerized blood-oxygen stage monitoring, and sleep monitoring to measure the standard of your slumber at night time. You can use all of those options if you happen to’d like, decide and select those you need, or ignore all of them.
While well being monitoring on Apple Watch Series 8 is sort of an identical to earlier fashions, Apple’s WatchOS 9 software program does add a number of nifty additions. Some workouts now present coronary heart price zones in real-time, making it a lot simpler to gauge the depth of your exercises. Speaking of exercises, WatchOS 9 means that you can create customized exercise routines which you can tweak with customized time, distance, calorie, and pacer targets. And when it comes time to relaxation up, WatchOS 9 provides sleep phases to indicate you ways a lot time you’ve spent in REM, Core, and Deep sleep (essential information that was beforehand lacking in WatchOS 8).
Apple Watch Series 8 temperature sensors
That mentioned, there may be one new {hardware} addition to the Apple Watch Series 8’s well being toolkit — a pair of temperature sensors. Using one sensor on the again and one other beneath the show, the Apple Watch Series 8 tracks your wrist temperature and shows these readings within the Health app in your iPhone. You have to allow sleep monitoring and put on the Series 8 for about 5 nights earlier than it establishes a baseline, however as soon as that’s carried out, you’ll see a brand new Wrist Temperature part within the Health app.
Per Apple’s web site, wrist temperature modifications might be associated to your “diet and exercise, alcohol consumption, sleep environment, or physiological factors such as menstrual cycles and illness.” It’s a neat metric to have, however I additionally don’t know what to do with it. I see my wrist temperature within the Health app, however there’s no steering about what these numbers imply. My temperature was 1.05 levels increased on September 19 however 0.59 levels decrease on September 26. There’s most likely some which means to that, however I don’t know what it’s. I’ll give Apple credit score for doing one thing out of the field with its temperature sensors (not like the Galaxy Watch 5), however I’m far more involved in seeing what third-party apps do with this information.
There is one other side of the Series 8’s temperature sensors, but it surely’s not a function I’ve been capable of take a look at. After carrying the Apple Watch Series 8 for 5 nights, customers who make the most of Apple’s Cycle Tracking app will see retrospective estimates for once they final ovulated — one thing probably very useful for household planning.
Apple Watch Series 8 automotive crash detection
There’s one other Apple Watch Series 8 function I haven’t been capable of take a look at, and it’s one I’m hoping that I by no means will. Like the iPhone 14, the Apple Watch Series 8 provides automotive crash detection. If you’re ever in a extreme accident, the Series 8 will ask if you happen to’re OK with a immediate to name emergency providers. If you don’t reply to that immediate inside 10 seconds, the decision is mechanically positioned for you.
The function seems to work fairly effectively on this yr’s iPhones, so it’s secure to imagine it’s simply pretty much as good on the Series 8. While I’m crossing my fingers that I (and anybody else with a Series 8) by no means have to make use of automotive crash detection, it’s reassuring to know that it’s there — simply in case.
Apple Watch Series 8 WatchOS 9
When you purchase an Apple Watch Series 8, WatchOS 9 is the software program powering it proper out of the field. As talked about above, WatchOS 9 improves the well being/health expertise with new exercise metrics and higher sleep monitoring. But that’s not all.
In typical Apple vogue, WatchOS 9 brings a number of new watch faces to maintain your watch feeling recent. Metropolitan is my private favourite, which is an analog clock with customizable numerals and has loads of room for issues. There’s an enthralling face referred to as Playtime, which is a digital face that turns the numbers into playful characters.
If you’re an astronomy nut, the Lunar face has a full breakdown of the present lunar calendar. Apple additionally up to date the Astronomy watch face to higher make the most of the Series 8’s giant show, whereas the Modular, Modular Compact, and X-Large faces can now be custom-made with full-color backgrounds.
Along with testing the brand new watch faces, I’ve additionally had plenty of enjoyable taking part in with WatchOS 9’s new Compass app. By default, the Compass app exhibits the present course and diploma you’re going through, together with a everlasting marker for north on the prime of the display. You can rotate the Digital Crown as much as get a extra detailed view of your elevation, incline, latitude, and longitude.
Where the Compass app will get actually attention-grabbing is with its Backtrack function. From the Compass app, faucet the footprint icon on the backside proper nook and begin strolling. The app retains a log of the place you go and exhibits a visible define of your path in actual time. When you’re carried out, faucet the pause icon after which Retrace Steps to observe the trail again from which you got here. To make issues much more attention-grabbing, you possibly can create customized waypoints alongside the best way that will help you keep in mind the place a lake, hill, or one other focal point is.
I used the Compass app and the Backtrack function whereas out strolling round an area nature protect, and it truly proved fairly useful. I took a distinct path than I usually do, acquired a bit rotated, and was ready to take a look at my start line and simply stroll again towards it. It’s not a software I’ll use each day, but it surely was very handy to have.
There’s loads extra with WatchOS 9 to sink your enamel into. The Medications app is an effective way to trace the medication and nutritional vitamins you repeatedly take, customers with atrial fibrillation can now monitor their AFib historical past, and the Calendar app lastly permits you to create occasions proper in your wrist.
WatchOS has at all times been far forward of wearable software program from the competitors, and whereas WatchOS 9 isn’t an overhaul of that have, it does make it higher in some very key methods. All of this stuff work fantastically on the Apple Watch Series 8, and in case you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or newer, you possibly can expertise them proper now with a free software program replace — no new Series 8 required.
Apple Watch Series 8 battery and charging
The Apple Watch has at all times been a dependable one-day smartwatch, and with the Series 8, that’s no totally different. While you gained’t discover the next-level endurance of the Apple Watch Ultra, there’s loads of energy right here for all-day use with out battery nervousness.
During my time carrying the Apple Watch Series 8, I’ve ended every day someplace within the 40% to 30% battery remaining vary. One day noticed me placed on the Series 8 at about 6:00 am and discover myself at 9:15 pm with 48% battery nonetheless accessible. That was after monitoring a 20-minute core exercise on Apple Fitness+, receiving fixed notifications all through the day, utilizing a few timers whereas cooking dinner, and having the always-on display enabled.
On a extra intensive day, I took the Series 8 off the charger at 9:00 a.m. and had one other day crammed with notifications and the always-on display. I additionally tracked a 1.8-mile outside stroll and used the Backtrack function on the Compass app for 40 minutes. I had 33% battery remaining at 2:03 a.m. and wakened at 8:00 a.m. with 23% remaining after monitoring my (a lot too quick) sleep.
Just like final yr, the Apple Watch Series 8 helps quick charging speeds. It simply goes from 0 to over 80% in 45 minutes and reaches a full battery in round an hour. That’s quick sufficient to throw the Series 8 on the charger while you get up after an evening of sleep monitoring, prepare for the day forward, after which take it off the charger with a full battery able to go.
Apple Watch Series 8 worth and availability
The Apple Watch Series 8 is obtainable for buy now. It begins at $399 for the 41mm aluminum case with GPS solely. Stepping as much as the 45mm aluminum case with GPS will run you $429. If you need to add LTE mobile connectivity, the worth goes up by $100 to $429 and $529, respectively.
You can even get the Apple Watch Series 8 with a extra premium chrome steel case. Here, the 41mm GPS/LTE mannequin prices $749, and the 45mm model is $799.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is the smartwatch to beat
There’s nothing stunning or stunning in regards to the Apple Watch Series 8. It does the entire Apple Watch stuff you anticipate in 2022, with some added niceties to make it higher than ever.
Like the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 comparability, there’s no have to improve to the Apple Watch Series 8 if you have already got a Series 7. The chipset is nearly an identical, the display and design are the identical, and also you’ll get the identical WatchOS 9 software program expertise. But if you happen to’re coming from an Apple Watch Series 6 or older, I feel there’s sufficient right here to justify an improve. The giant show is a pleasure to take a look at and work together with, quick charging generally is a lifesaver, and the temperature sensors and automotive crash detection — whereas not instantly helpful for everybody — are very nice to have. And you get all of that on the identical $399 worth Apple’s been charging for Apple Watches for the previous couple of years.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is probably not a revolutionary chapter within the Apple Watch story, however as one other entry within the household, it’s a remarkably good one. If you have got an iPhone, need a smartwatch, and wish extra performance than what the Apple Watch SE offers, the Apple Watch Series 8 is our new go-to advice. Just just like the Series 7, it truly is that good.
Editors’ Recommendations
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