You’re not alone in the event you’ve been pondering that latest Apple Watch releases have been a bit underwhelming. Although Apple provides quite a few quality-of-life enhancements to its wearable every year — and the brand new Series 8 is not any exception — over the previous few releases, there’s been little to compel present homeowners to improve to a more recent mannequin.

That’s most likely truthful because the Apple Watch, and wearables typically, are nonetheless a rising market. Today, virtually everybody already owns a smartphone, so the majority of Apple’s iPhone clients come from older fashions or switching over from Android handsets. 

However, with the Apple Watch, there’s a big and untapped market of parents who’ve by no means even tried a smartwatch. Each new era of Apple Watch is extra about convincing folks to make the leap into this courageous new world of wearable know-how. Apple presumably hopes that with every minor enchancment, extra of these on the fence will determine it’s time to leap in.

In different phrases, in the event you’re already sporting a latest Apple Watch mannequin, the Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t essentially for you. While Apple is comfortable to take your cash if you wish to improve out of your Series 7, the Apple Watch Series 8 is designed to make Apple’s smartwatch engaging to a broader vary of individuals.

The final vital Apple Watch function

The Apple Watch Series 5 is arguably probably the most compelling improve Apple has provided prior to now few years, because of the always-on show. Unlike newer Apple Watch releases, this was a function that stood to enhance the lives of each Apple Watch proprietor relatively than being focused at extra particular customers.

To be truthful, the bigger display screen on the Apple Watch Series 7 was additionally a pleasant total enchancment, however I don’t suppose it was almost as vital because the always-on show. More display screen house is at all times good, however the always-on show made the Apple Watch rather more sensible to make use of as an precise watch. 

If you’ve ever spilled espresso on your self attempting to verify the time in your Apple Watch, precisely what I’m speaking about. The Apple Watch Series 5 means that you can look at your watch face with out having to maneuver your wrist or faucet on the watch face. 

This is one thing people with conventional watches have taken as a right for years (except you’re nonetheless toting an 80s-era digital watch with a pink LED show, in fact). It’s additionally one of many two largest complaints I as soon as heard from these contemplating an Apple Watch, second solely to the necessity to cost the machine each evening.

The Apple Watch Series 5 was the final time I used to be captivated with upgrading to a brand new Apple Watch. I’d skipped the Series 4 the yr earlier than, and the Series 5 made me glad I waited, as I’d have upgraded even that year-old mannequin solely to get the always-on show. 

The Series 6 to eight period

There hasn’t been a brand new Apple Watch since then that’s given me that very same “gotta have it” feeling — at the least not among the many customary Apple Watch Series fashions; the Apple Watch Ultra could be very thrilling, however it additionally appeals to a distinct segment that I don’t match into. My concept of an outside journey is a stroll to my native Starbucks, and an excessive sports activities watch appears a bit foolish when wandering the streets of Toronto.

The Apple Watch Series 6 could have been the primary mannequin to show that Apple’s annual refresh cycle was extra about iterative enhancements to attract in new clients. The solely vital new function at launch was a blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor that wasn’t medically licensed; in contrast to the ECG function launched on the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple made it clear that the SpO2 sensor function was “only designed for general fitness and wellness purposes,” and “not intended for medical use.” 

It additionally didn’t assist that, within the weeks following the discharge of the Series 6, many discovered that the SpO2 sensor wasn’t prepared for primetime. In a scathing report within the Washington Post, know-how columnist Geoffrey Fowler declared it “mostly useless,” whereas ZDNet’s David Gerwitz advisable shopping for a $20 pulse oximeter from Amazon as an alternative of dropping $400 on the brand new Apple Watch solely for the brand new sensor. 

That’s to not say the brand new SpO2 sensor didn’t provide some worth. An affordable drug-store pulse oximeter gained’t log your blood oxygen measurements, nor will it be capable of seize them as you go about your typical day. A brand new Apple Watch consumer could be getting this thrown in for gratis, together with all the opposite nice options of the Apple Watch. Still, it wasn’t sufficient to justify an improve for folk already sporting a nearly-identical Series 4 or Series 5. 

The Apple Watch Series 6 packed in a number of different small options, together with the U1 chip that might finally be used to energy Apple’s Car Key know-how. Nevertheless, with solely a handful of the very newest BMW fashions and a number of high-end Genesis and Kia autos supporting the Ultra Wideband model of Apple’s Car Key, it’s truthful to say that’s much more of a distinct segment function. 

Last yr’s Series 7 was probably the most thrilling improve because the Series 5. While it (fortunately) didn’t arrive with the wholesale design adjustments that the rumor mill had incorrectly predicted, it did provide a bigger display screen. With that additionally got here a full QWERTY keyboard for the primary time on an Apple Watch. 

This redesign was additionally joined by quicker charging — a really good improve for folk who prefer to put on their watch to mattress however not mandatory for many who pop their wearable onto a charger in a single day. 

Other than these two adjustments, the specs of the Apple Watch Series 7 have been nearly an identical to the 2020 Series 6. Even the chip inside didn’t meaningfully change; Apple referred to as the brand new chip the S7, nevertheless it was finally only a repackaged S6.

The identical has reportedly occurred with the Apple Watch Series 8. Although we gained’t know for certain till the newest mannequin arrives in our arms, rumor has it that the S8 chip is as soon as once more only a repackaged S7. 

Why purchase the Apple Watch Series 8? 

That’s not a lot of an issue. After all, how briskly does the processor on an Apple Watch actually must be? I’ve by no means had motive to complain that my Apple Watch was too sluggish, and in contrast to the iPhone, there’s no want for it to energy options like computational pictures. 

Processor specs apart, the Apple Watch Series 8 in any other case follows the identical playbook from the previous couple of years. The newest Apple Watch gives solely two vital upgrades over the Series 7: automotive crash detection and a temperature sensor that’s of comparatively restricted use.

Crash detection is a good security function that’s the form of factor we sincerely hope you’ll by no means want. However, like Emergency SOS by way of satellite tv for pc on the iPhone 14, it gives some good peace of thoughts. The iPhone 14 additionally has the identical crash detection function, which may lead you to conclude that having it on the Apple Watch Series 8 is a bit redundant in the event you’re at all times touring together with your iPhone. However, the Apple Watch in your wrist could be extra accessible for speaking with emergency providers after a severe accident.

Unlike final yr’s Series 7, which didn’t add any new sensors, the Apple Watch Series 8 features a temperature sensor, nevertheless it’s solely there for one factor proper now: menstrual cycle monitoring. The new temperature sensor ties into the Cycle Tracking app that Apple added within the 2019 WatchOS 6 replace to assist folks get a retrospective estimate of after they almost certainly ovulated. 

It’s typical of Apple to introduce new {hardware} know-how solely when there’s a sensible software for it, and it stands in stark distinction to Samsung, which added a physique temperature sensor to the Galaxy Watch 5 this yr that also doesn’t do something. Instead, Samsung is ready on app builders to make the most of it. It’s commendable that Apple has a working physique temperature sensor out of the gate, even when it’s one thing that male Apple Watch wearers gained’t be capable of make the most of.

Perhaps sarcastically, this function may encourage some folks to purchase the Apple Watch Series 8 for his or her companions as an alternative of themselves. Certainly, I can see the way it’s one thing I’d have accomplished 10 years in the past when my spouse and I have been attempting to conceive a second youngster with out a lot success. It’s an space the place the Apple Watch Series 8 may really be life-altering, nevertheless it’s additionally one other area of interest function that can solely attraction to a comparatively small section of the market.

I’m nonetheless delighted with my Apple Watch Series 5, however in the event you’re in search of a bigger display screen or an amalgam of the opposite options launched over the previous few years, the Series 8 gained’t disappoint. As a know-how author, I’m contemplating it merely to remain present. Still, as a shopper — even one who likes to remain on the vanguard of know-how — it’s powerful to justify spending cash on an Apple Watch Series 8 for what it gives in comparison with my Series 5. 

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