Apple Watch 8
Retail Price
$399.00
Lowest Price
$269.00
Release Date
September 16, 2022
The Apple Watch Series 8, with its sleek and lightweight design, offers a comfortable fit, outshining the Watch Ultra. It introduces useful enhancements like a skin temperature sensor, crash detection, and a low power mode, boosting battery life. The latest watchOS 9 significantly elevates the user experience, maintaining the attractive design from the Series 7.
Purchase Links
Overview
- Summary
- Overview - Build
- Overview - Features
- Overview - Upgrade
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 enhances its functionality with a skin temperature reader, low power mode, and crash detection. The standout features are its design and the new watchOS 9, which significantly improve the user experience.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch Series 8 is sleek and light, offering a more comfortable fit than the Watch Ultra. While maintaining the same appealing design as Series 7, it introduces useful features like a temperature sensor, crash detection, and a low power mode for extended use.
David Phelan – Forbes
The design of the Apple Watch has subtly transformed since its 2015 debut, maintaining its rectangular shape with rounded corners but increasing slightly in size. Modifications include an evolved Digital Crown and a flatter side button, now seamlessly integrated with the casing.
6 Months Later
The graphite stainless steel material of the Apple Watch 8 is appreciated for its resistance to scratches compared to the original stainless steel version. The darker graphite color also effectively conceals any minor scratches that do occur, offering a durable and visually appealing choice.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The screen of the Apple Watch Series 8 is 20% larger than the Apple Watch Series 6, offering an optimized experience for features like Always-On Display, the new watchOS 9 faces, and a QWERTY keyboard for messaging.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch Series 8 primarily offers incremental improvements in fitness and sleep tracking, contextual information display, and media control.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 introduces significant internal enhancements including a skin temperature sensor, a low power mode extending battery life up to 36 hours, and a new crash detection feature using advanced motion sensors for instant assistance.
@JB-hq9yj – AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 offers significant improvements for sports enthusiasts and runners, featuring a standalone GPS chip that no longer relies on iPhone connectivity. This chip uses all satellite systems, delivering superior accuracy compared to its predecessor, the Apple Watch 7.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8, albeit a minor update, remains a superb accessory for iPhone users, featuring a highly recommended variant with a sapphire crystal display renowned for its impressive scratch resistance.
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 features an excellent design and display, along with innovative features like skin temperature reading for cycle and sleep tracking, crash detection, and an updated workout interface in watchOS 9. It also boasts a longer battery life due to its low power mode.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 is commended for its excellent WatchOS 9, innovative use of temperature sensors, and a helpful low-power mode. It also boasts a unique crash detection feature.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 boasts of a robust performance and sleek design, complemented by a low-power mode that prolongs battery life.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch 8 could have been improved by incorporating the siren feature from the Apple Watch Ultra.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 requires daily charging and offers minimal upgrades compared to previous models.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 has a repetitive design and its battery life, lasting only 18 hours, is below average.
Build & Design
- Build - Band
- Build - Bezels
- Build - Buttons
- Build - Display
- Build - Material
- Build - Size
- Build - Variants
- Build - Water & Dust Resistance
- Design - Bezels
- Design - Color Options
- Design - Finish
- Positive
- Negative
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 has a Nomad band which is a stainless steel piece with a distinct design, initially appearing as a typical Nylon Loop Watch Band. Despite initial irritation, after a few days of use, it becomes very comfortable and soft, owing to the Velcro loops and good breathability.
r/AppleWatch
The larger bezel on the Apple Watch 8 enhances its durability, providing protection against accidental knocks or impacts.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 is designed with a digital crown and side button, which, along with the touchscreen, aid in device navigation.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 now boasts a larger screen that accommodates a full-size mini keyboard for text responses.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 comes with a robust build featuring Ion-X glass protection on aluminum models, comparable to Gorilla Glass, while stainless steel models sport tough sapphire crystal fronts.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 is available in two size options, 41mm and 45mm.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 stainless steel variant is preferred due to its durable sapphire display, which resists scratches better than the aluminum versions.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 now boasts water resistance up to 50 meters and newly added dust resistance with an IP6X certification.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch 8 closely resembles the Apple Watch 7, showcasing a curvier frame and thinner display bezels, which were first introduced in the previous model.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in various color options including Midnight, Silver, Starlight, and Product Red.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 offers a variety of color options. The aluminum models come in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and PRODUCT(RED), whereas the stainless steel models, also equipped with cellular connectivity, are available in Graphite, Silver, and Gold, with an exclusive Space Black color for the Hermes edition.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 is available in two metal finishes – aluminum and stainless steel.
Features
- Battery
- Chipset
- Connectivity Options
- Controls
- Display
- Sensors
- Setup
- Software
- Specifications
- System
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 boasts an impressive battery life with a newly incorporated low power mode, extending the device’s usability. This mode limits certain power-draining features, still leaving the watch largely operational.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 comes with a low-power mode which limits Wi-Fi/cellular connectivity, turns off the always-on display and background sensor readings but keeps the heart rate and GPS active during workouts.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 introduces a Low Power Mode, significantly extending the battery life nearly two-fold.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 is equipped with the new S8 processor, offering quick app load times and a consistently responsive user experience, as well as swiftly capturing GPS signals, a feature beneficial for outdoor activities like running, thereby eliminating the waiting time experienced with some wearables.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 introduces the new S8 chip, but there’s no significant performance difference noted compared to the Series 4, with both models performing well.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 offers connectivity features such as GPS and a GPS + Cellular option, which allows for internet connection even without a nearby iPhone, given a separate data plan is signed up for.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, a feature that has been introduced to all iPhones this year.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 is highly utilized for managing media with easy control features on apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Apple Music, enabling music playback on either the phone or the watch itself.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 features an Always-On display for continuous viewing.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 is equipped with advanced features including two new motion sensors, an upgraded gyroscope and accelerometer which enable 4x faster motion sampling, resulting in precise crash detection.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
In case of a crash, the Apple Watch Series 8 auto-dials emergency services and alerts your emergency contacts. Additionally, it houses a skin temperature sensor that assists in sleep and cycle tracking, providing insights into factors that may disrupt your regular sleep.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 boasts an enhanced gyroscope, a new accelerometer that measures up to 256 g gravitational force changes, and passive temperature sensors.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 now includes two temperature sensors, one at the back for wrist temperature measurement and another beneath the display, although their presence may not be noticeable in everyday use.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Series 8 Apple Watch offers sophisticated health tracking features, including heart rate monitoring with alerts for unusual spikes, an ECG/EKG sensor, and a blood oxygen sensor. It also introduces a new temperature sensor for improved cycle tracking, aiding in family planning and offering retrospective ovulation estimates. It also has sensors for tracking body temperature during sleep for additional health insights.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 introduces new temperature sensors, one in the screen and another beneath it, which monitor both body and ambient temperatures. This feature is especially beneficial for users of Apple’s Cycle Tracking App as it can indicate ovulation times by monitoring body temperature changes.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 sleep tracking feature has been significantly enhanced, offering insights into different sleep stages throughout the night, rivaling the capabilities of third-party apps.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 introduces new sensor features, including the SpO2 sensor for measuring blood oxygen levels, providing fitness benefits. It also offers temperature sensing for cycle tracking, beneficial for those wanting to predict their menstrual cycle. Additionally, it includes advanced sleep stage tracking, allowing users to monitor the quality and different stages of their sleep.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 introduces a new temperature sensor. While it may not provide an accurate body temperature, it can detect temperature changes on the wrist, useful in tracking variations during activities such as sleep. Over time, the watch will compile this data, providing insights into temperature fluctuations throughout the day.
zollotech
Setting up the Apple Watch 8 involves bringing it close to your iPhone, selecting ‘set up for myself’ or ‘family member’, scanning the QR code on the watch screen, and transferring data from a previous Apple Watch. The pairing and connection process may take some time.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch 8 comes with a new Medications app on watchOS 9 which is highly useful, providing daily alerts for medication intake and adapting to time zone changes, and offering alerts for potential interactions.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 software, enhanced by WatchOS 9, includes a redesigned Calendar app that optimizes the larger display for visualizing weekly schedules. It also introduces a revamped Compass app ideal for hikers, with functionalities like waypoint dropping and backtrack. Sleep tracking is improved with detailed metrics in the Health app, although it’s still catching up with competitors. There are also redesigned workout views which are customizable, display heart rate zones, and allow for the creation of custom interval workouts, offering a more comprehensive fitness tracking experience.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 is highly appreciated for its Medications App, which allows for efficient tracking of medication intake.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 offers an enhanced workout experience with customization options, new views including senior activity rings, and support for duathlons and triathlons.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 is equipped with several well-designed applications, such as the Apple Watch app, which is mainly used during setup and includes a Discover section to guide users. A unique feature is the Compass Backtrack function that uses GPS to help users navigate back to the start of a trail during hikes. The device also has a ‘Now Playing’ app that allows control over other Apple devices like AirPlay 2 speakers or Apple TV.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 offers a back track feature that provides waypoints during your journey, aiding you to return to your starting point if needed. It also displays your exact latitude and longitude.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch 8, priced at $399, comes in a variety of sizes (41mm, 45mm) and colors (Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Product Red). It is powered by the Apple S8 processor and offers various connectivity options including cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, U1, NFC, and GPS. With IPX6 durability and waterproof up to 50 meters, it includes sensors for skin temperature, heart rate, ECG, and SpO2. The battery life lasts 18 hours, extendable to 36 hours in low power mode, and is compatible with iOS.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 comes in two sizes, 41mm priced at $399 and 45mm priced at $429, and is powered by an S8 64-bit dual-core processor. It boasts an LTPO OLED always-on screen with a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, and offers GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, and LTE cellular connectivity. The watch provides 32GB of storage and has a battery life of 18 hours during normal use, extending up to 36 hours in Low Power mode. The 41mm model weighs 1.1 ounces, while the 45mm model starts at 1.4 ounces.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch’s fitness tracking interface has been significantly improved with watchOS 9, allowing for the creation of custom workouts, automatic switching between multisport events, and heart rate zone monitoring.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 comes with the WatchOS 9 operating system which offers enhanced features and software. It also comes with appealing watchfaces, like Metropolitan, that exploit the thinner bezels effectively.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8 comes with Crash Detection, a feature that uses its barometer, GPS, and microphone to detect extreme impacts and sudden speed and direction shifts, triggering an emergency call if a severe crash is detected.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 features an advanced accelerometer for crash detection similar to the Apple Watch Ultra and SE, capable of measuring up to 256G force levels. It can also alert chosen contacts or emergency services if the wearer experiences a hard fall and does not get up.
AppleInsider
The crash detection feature on the Apple Watch 8 is seen as a game-changer that can potentially save lives, akin to buying insurance for protection in the event of a car crash. However, its necessity is debatable as not everyone may see it as a compelling reason to upgrade. The feature is also available on the new iPhone 14 series, rendering it somewhat redundant on the Apple Watch.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8’s heart rate zone feature is greatly appreciated for its utility in optimizing workouts and monitoring calorie burn.
AppleInsider
WatchOS 9 on the Apple Watch 8 is highly impressive, offering a plethora of new features including the revamped notifications that are more space-efficient on the screen.
AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 now includes Nike watches across all versions, introducing three brand new watch faces for user enjoyment.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 is enhanced with automatic workout detection, even recognizing activities like bike rides. It includes car crash detection, making it a safer choice as it is more accessible than a phone post-crash. It also prioritizes health with features like hearing health tools to measure noise decibel levels, and heart rate zones to monitor workout intensity. The operating system provides customizable watch faces, such as the Infograph, which displays a wealth of information through complications, and color matching options for Apple Watch bands.
zollotech
The new features of the Apple Watch 8 include enhanced crash detection capabilities through updated sensors such as an improved accelerometer, barometer, and microphone that can sense impact noises. The major changes are largely attributed to the WatchOS 9, which introduces a range of features from sleep to different health and cycle tracking. The watch also benefits from new watch faces from WatchOS 9, with the option to edit and change to a preferred style, like the new metropolitan watch face.
r/apple
The Apple Watch 8’s assistive touch feature, which employs the accelerometer for hand movement measurement, could be a promising approach for introducing hand controls in AR/VR sets if further refined and precise.
Performance
- Battery
- Charging
- System
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
Normally, the watch’s battery life is rated for 18 hours, but with low power mode, it can last up to 36 hours.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 offers a robust battery life of 18 hours, with a Low Power mode that doubles this lifespan while retaining most app and performance capabilities, albeit losing the always-on display.
6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 impresses with its long battery life and rapid charging capabilities, allowing continuous wear throughout the day and night with only a brief charge required during morning routines.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 battery life remains unchanged from its predecessors, with enhancements seen only in low power mode, which unfortunately disables several features.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Series 8 offers efficient charging capabilities, able to reach full charge in roughly an hour with a fast charger. Additionally, a quick 8-minute charge can provide 8 hours of sleep tracking.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 boasts improved charging capabilities, particularly beneficial for night usage to optimize sleep tracking features. Notably, it charges from zero to 80% within an hour, significantly faster than the Watch SE’s 90-minute charge time.
@Lummy9134 – AppleInsider
The Apple Watch 8 has been found to be extremely useful in emergencies, with its crash detection feature alerting 911 services promptly, thereby potentially saving lives and reducing response time.
Inclusions & Packaging
- Inclusions
- Positive
- Negative
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 package includes a fast USB-C charger, similar to the previous model.
Comparison
- Alternatives
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 6
- Comparison vs. Previous Apple Watches
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch SE
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra & Comparison vs. Apple Watch SE
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch SE1
- Comparison vs. Fitbit Versa 3
- Comparison vs. Fitbit Watches
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 3 & Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 3
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 4
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch Ultra & Comparison vs. Apple Watch 7
- Comparison vs. Original Apple Watch
- Comparison vs. Apple Watch 5
- Comparison vs. Garmin Watches
- Positive
- Negative
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
Apple has effectively diversified its smartwatch offerings with the introduction of the affordable Apple Watch 8, while preserving the $399 base price similar to the Apple Watch SE (2022), resulting in a comprehensive and cost-effective lineup.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch 8 offers more usable screen space compared to the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 4, making it a viable upgrade option.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8 stands out compared to the Series 7 with its skin temperature sensor, crash detection feature, and low power mode. However, the overall experience is enhanced by its design and the watchOS 9, which are not exclusive features but contribute significantly to its appeal.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 is only recommended for an upgrade if you regularly track your sleep or require cycle tracking for ovulation using the temperature sensor. Otherwise, it may not offer significant improvements worth the upgrade from an Apple Watch 7.
@LibusAttila – AppleInsider
The significant upgrade to Bluetooth 5.3 in the Apple Watch 7, from the previous Bluetooth 5.0 version, is a notable difference.
@casualintrovert207 – AppleInsider
The S8 is preferred over the S7 due to the new temperature sensor that could be utilized more with future watchOS updates, potentially leaving S7 users without these features.
@blumchue – 6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 is considered not worth purchasing due to its outdated chipset, with no significant improvements from the Series 7 model. A more efficient chipset is desired for future models.
@thomastagle5551 – 6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 stands out with added features like a temperature sensor and crash detection, which are not available in Series 7.
r/apple
Despite the Series 7 Apple Watch’s impressive features, the lack of practical use for its supporting apps limits its standalone functionality, necessitating the continued need for a companion iPhone.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8, despite being less novel compared to the Apple Watch Ultra, presents beneficial upgrades in health tracking, safety, and connectivity. However, the Apple Watch Ultra, priced at $799, distinguishes itself as the most robust, largest, and longest-lasting Apple Watch ever seen, with noticeable differences in size, design, and features.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch Series 8 is the recommended choice for most users due to its affordability, versatility, suitability for smaller wrists, and adaptability to different occasions. Despite seeming less durable than the Ultra, it still offers substantial durability, making the Ultra’s extra durability unnecessary unless for hardcore sports or users prone to extreme clumsiness.
@michaelwiseman4334 – AppleInsider
A user appreciates the Ultra for its superior battery life and intends to keep the Series 7 for formal occasions. They plan to update their Apple Watches only when a significant feature like non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is introduced.
r/AppleWatch
The Ultra model has a larger screen size with a higher pixel count, but it also comes with broader bezels.
r/AppleWatch
The Apple Watch Ultra features a larger case, however, the screen size remains unchanged.
r/AppleWatch
The “st” display on the screen of the Ultra is larger and more visible compared to the S8, although the difference is only about 1mm.
r/AppleWatch
Both the Ultra and Series 8 feature almost identical screen sizes, with the Ultra having a marginally larger 1.92-inch screen compared to the 1.9-inch screen of the Series 8.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch Series 8, with its S8 chip, delivers similar performance and battery life as its predecessors, Series 7 and Series 6. It distinguishes itself by introducing new sensors, including two temperature sensors, a high-g accelerometer, and a gyroscope. These enhancements enable its signature features, Cycle Tracking and Crash Detection.
AppleInsider
WatchOS 9 introduces numerous new features, making older Apple Watch models still attractive. The Apple Watch Series 8 is a fantastic upgrade, although it might not offer significant improvements for those coming from Series 7 or Series 6.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch Series 8 is a fantastic smartwatch, but the upgrades from previous models are not substantial enough to necessitate a switch for current Apple Watch owners. Its standout features are mostly due to the watchOS 9 software update, available to Series 4 and later models. Furthermore, Series 5, 6, or 7 offer comparable processing power, hence an upgrade to Series 8 won’t significantly enhance performance or battery life.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch SE, the most affordable and smallest in the new lineup, follows the case design introduced in Series 4 and continued through to Series 8 and Watch Ultra. However, it lacks the always-on display feature, which can be a crucial factor for some users. The Series 8, on the other hand, offers several health and fitness tracking features. The SE has its own merits such as lighter weight and a new rear design using a nylon composite and sapphire crystal combination for enhanced durability. Despite the lack of always-on display, it maintains a reduced carbon footprint, making it an eco-friendly option.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch Series 8, while larger than the SE, is lighter in both weight and features than the Ultra, and is also a more budget-friendly option.
@casualintrovert207 – AppleInsider
The transition from SE1 to S8 offers a notable performance enhancement with a significant reduction in lag when switching watch faces. The interaction with homekit devices and cameras is faster, and the increased screen space, especially with the new swipe-type keyboard feature, enhances text recognition.
@Dansco195 – AppleInsider
The upgrade from S3 to SE provides a significant improvement, notably in battery life that lasts over a day. Despite missing a few features such as a temperature sensor and phone control through the watch, the user is satisfied and sees no need for further upgrade to S8.
@casualintrovert207 – AppleInsider
The S8 stands out with its fast charging feature, capable of gaining sufficient power in just 15 minutes, making it a notable upgrade from the SE1. Its smooth operation further enhances the user experience, making it a highly recommended choice for SE1 users considering an upgrade.
@tristank275 – 6 Months Later
The SE is sufficiently equipped for most users, except for those who specifically require advanced health features. However, these features often go unused after initial use as they are not typically necessary.
@tylerrodgers7910 – AppleInsider
The Series 8 Apple Watch, paired with Watch OS9, provides a comprehensive feature set, prompting a switch from Fitbit. Despite the desire for a longer battery life without disabling sensors, daily charging is sufficient for all-day and sleep tracking usage, maintaining at least 40% battery. However, additional battery capacity would provide peace of mind for instances when charging is forgotten or impossible.
@jacquemoiselle3529 – 6 Months Later
The Fitbit offers comprehensive health tracking including sleep, heart rate zones, steps, battery level, and calories burned, requiring a charge only every 5 days since 2014.
@Dustin5654 – zollotech
The upgrade from a series 3 to an 8 45mm has been greatly appreciated for its noticeable increase in screen size and improved responsiveness. The additional cost for the ultra version was deemed unnecessary given the lack of use for its scuba diving feature.
@mawukoaddae1026 – zollotech
The transition from the Series 3 44mm to the Series 8 45mm has proven to be a significant upgrade, largely due to the enhanced features, particularly the ‘Always On’ display.
@tuka5871 – zollotech
A user highly rates the Series 4 for its longevity and flawless operation since its launch, maintaining 89% battery health. They find it efficient for exercise tracking and see no need for an upgrade.
r/apple
A user is satisfied with their 4-year-old S4 watch and sees no compelling reason to upgrade due to the minimal changes in the form factor and chip in newer models.
r/apple
A user currently using Series 4 decided against upgrading to Series 8 due to lack of CPU updates since the S6 model. However, the battery life issue, previously lasting only 10-12 hours, has been resolved with the watchOS 9 update.
r/apple
A user is satisfied with the S4’s performance for their needs, but misses the always-on display feature.
r/apple
The upgrade to a newer series from Series 4 or later isn’t highly beneficial unless the user has specific health conditions that the new sensors can assist with or desires an Ultra.
r/apple
The S4 watch is highly appreciated for its effective notification and fitness tracking features, which works perfectly, reducing the need for an update.
@Kuromi4553 – zollotech
A user finds the Apple Watch Ultra bulky and rugged, and the Apple Watch 8 to be similar to the series 7, therefore seeing an upgrade as unnecessary for their use case, being primarily for quick notifications, time-checking, song control, and timer setting.
@mikeske9777 – zollotech
A user upgraded from the original Apple Watch to the 41 MM base series 8 GPS, praising its enhanced speed and features. The new watch’s ability to track ECG and blood oxygen levels was beneficial due to the user’s heart condition. Despite the original watch enduring well beyond expectations, it was replaced due to battery failure and wear from heavy use. The user anticipates a lifespan of around 4 years for these watches, although their previous one lasted for 7.
r/apple
Some users retain the Series 5 since has been functioning well since 2019, with the only potential issue being the battery health at 78%.
r/apple
Despite the appealing feature of quick text responses, some users remain loyal to Garmin due to its superior fitness tracking and data capabilities, even on older models, and urge for improvement in fitness and battery aspects.
Price & Availability
- Price
- Price - Availability
- Price - Variants
- Positive
- Negative
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 is available for purchase from Apple at a price of $399.
Kate Kozuch – tom’s guide
The Apple Watch Series 8, launched on September 16, 2022, starts at $399 for the 41mm GPS-only model, and $499 for the GPS + cellular version. The larger 45mm version ranges from $429 to $529 for the cellular support model.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch Series 8 is priced at $399 for the GPS-only model and $499 for the version with cellular capabilities.
zollotech
The Apple Watch 8 maintains the previous pricing starting at $399, with the high-end Hermes version exceeding a thousand dollars.
Miscellaneous
- Drawbacks - Performance
- Issue - Features
- Issue - Performance
- Limitations
- Reputation
- Positive
- Negative
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8, despite having a low-power mode introduced in watchOS 9, still requires daily charging. The promised 36-hour battery life in low-power mode is not consistently achieved, with regular usage often necessitating a recharge after approximately 24 hours.
r/apple
The Always-On Display (AOD) feature significantly drains the battery life of the Apple Watch, reducing it by approximately 20-30%. Given the yearly battery degradation of around 7-8%, the AOD feature may not yet offer sufficient value to offset its impact on battery life.
r/apple
The upcoming Apple Watch 8 is perceived as mundane, with the emphasis on performance upgrades being overlooked due to the lack of usable apps compared to iPhone. The color options for aluminum models are also anticipated to improve. There is speculation that Apple’s entry into VR/AR technology might eventually render the watch obsolete.
@Heretic_Wolf – 6 Months Later
The Apple Watch 8 suffers from poor battery life and lengthy recharge times, pushing potential buyers to explore other options.
Victoria Song – The Verge
The Apple Watch 8’s temperature monitoring requires Sleep Focus and sleep tracking to be enabled and needs five nights to establish a baseline.
David Phelan – Forbes
The Apple Watch 8 sleep tracking requires a minimum of 30% battery life, and will prompt for a recharge if needed before activating the feature.
r/apple
Apple’s marketing strategy for the Series 8 primarily targets owners of Series 3/4/5/SE and non-watch owners, offering them substantial cumulative updates that make the upgrade worthwhile. The company does not anticipate yearly upgrades from consumers, hence not every new model features a significant enhancement over its predecessor.
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