Live Science Verdict
While the Apple Watch Series 8 gets more serious about workouts , it may have restrain charm for those who own a Series 6 or Series 7 . For everyone else , it ’s a great bargain .
Software improvements seaworthiness eccentric will love
Good GPS and heart rate truth
Ovulation tracking is a thoughtful add-on
shortsighted barrage spirit , as usual
Not much change from last twelvemonth
Costs more than much of the competition
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The Apple Watch has been the good smartwatch series since it began in 2015 . It still is , even now we have the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 to consider . The Apple Watch Series 8 has the most advanced display design , good fitness metrics accuracy and the best app ecosystem of the lot .
5ATM water resistance
32 GB reposition
396 X 484 pixel closure ( 45 mm ) , 352 x 430 ( 41 mm )
Apple S8 processor
Bluetooth 5.3 , Wi - Fi
Up to 18 60 minutes barrage fire life
45 mm x 38 mm 10.7 millimeter ( 45 mm )
41 mm x 35 millimetre x 10.7 mm ( 41 mm )
39.1 gram ( 45 mm ) , 32.2 gigabyte ( 41 mm )
young features for this yr are light at best , though . A temperature sensor is used for ovulation tracking and a more advanced gyroscope can tell when you descend off your cycle ( cheery ) . Our favorite unexampled office are not in the hardware , but the package . The Apple Watch Series 8 lets you see warhead more varlet of stats while you run . And as the basal screen is the same as ever , you may ignore them if you do n’t want the muddle .
This is n’t needs a reason to upgrade , as sure-enough vigil get these new example chops too . However , it does make the Apple Watch Series 8 more likable than previous generation were against watches from fitness companies like Garmin , Coros , Polar and Suunto .
There are reasons to lodge with those workout fan favorites , mind . The Apple Watch ’s battery life is still very short , and you need an iPhone to even dress the Apple Watch Series 8 up . show on for our full review . And if you make up one’s mind the Apple Watch Series 8 is n’t for you , you may discover more tried and tested product in ourbest fitness trackersguide .
Price and release date
The Apple Watch Series 8 launched in September 2022 . And while this watch may not immediately seem a huge departure from the Series 7 , 2022 was a big class for the Apple Watch .
This model is now the mid - price Apple Watch . The Apple Watch Series 8 sit above the Apple Watch SE and below the young Apple Watch Ultra .
It starts at $ 399/£419 for the 41 millimetre framework with aluminum case , and $ 429/£449 for the 45 millimeter version . Stainless steel Apple Watches bulge at $ 699/£729 , and in all cases you could end up expend significantly more if you require one of the more expensive straps . And you will pay off an redundant $ 100/£100 “ cellular”/4 1000 connectivity .
The version reviewed here is the 45 millimetre aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 with LTE/4 G , so would cost $ 529/£549 .
Design and display
The Apple Watch Series 8 looks almost exactly the same as the Apple Watch Series 7 . There ’s a fraction of a gramme ’s divergence in their free weight grant to Apple ’s own specs , but it ’s too subtle to be picked up by our own scales .
If you are anApple Watch Series 7owner wondering if you should upgrade , the answer is ‘ in all likelihood not ’ . And not simply because the two watches look and feel virtually indistinguishable — more on that later on .
However , we come to the Watch Series 8 not fresh from wearing the Series 7 , but after using the Fitbit Versa 4,Garmin Venu 2 Sqand Google Pixel Watch . There are some more interesting observations to be made here .
Apple has the most sophisticated looking projection screen of the lot , by a huge margin . In the Series 7 generation it bumped up its display area to 1143 square millimeters , and as a outcome the Apple Watch Series 8 has much small silver screen borders than any other rival . Apple does n’t write screen sizing in in , but it ’s around 1.73 in across according to our mag tape cadence .
It makes the 45 mm Apple Watch Series 8 find like a real radiocarpal joint computer , which is actually a in effect argument for the 41 mm mannequin when this series is meant to be one of the less dorky wearables . From a sheer tech position , the dominating covert is impressive even if it is not newfangled .
Ruggedisation remains the same too . The Apple Watch Series 8 has 50 M weewee resistance , which you’re able to trust for open level swimming but not much more than that — the whole ‘ 50 thou ’ matter becomes a bit deceptive when graft onto real world use . And it is IP6X dust resistant , meaning it ’s completely dust - tight .
The watch is quite comfortable for close 24/7 wear , and the fluoroelastomer Sport Band seen here is much skillful than the average silicone wearable shoulder strap . For peak puff we ’d recommend one of Apple ’s Sport Loop straps , although the Sport Band is likely to look Modern for longer . It ’s made of hardy stuff .
Features
The Apple Watch Series 8 has just a couple of fresh hardware feature film . A temperature sensor is the big one . This is used for ovulation cycle trailing . Wear the spotter for a month and those who have a catamenial cps will start seeing ‘ retrospective ’ ovulation time . This could be ready to hand for those look to get pregnant .
weary the vigil overnight every day for a stretch and you ’ll take up seeing temperature drift in the Health app on your speech sound too . But we recognise of no plans to use this information to suggest you might be coming down with an illness , or for any other utilisation .
The other fresh Apple Watch Series 8 computer hardware feature is an improved gyroscope , used by the incident detection style to tell , for deterrent example , when you ’ve been in a auto fortuity . Incident detection is not unexampled , but its power to determine high g - strength movement is .
For caboodle of folks these features are n’t going to be too utile . But there are major package changes on the seaworthiness side .
Start a run with the Apple Watch Series 7 using pre - Series 8 package and you could look at a single Sir Frederick Handley Page of stats while tracking . It offers everything most folks need ( time , 60 minutes , distance , wind km pace , ordinary km pace ) but is nothing like the Garmin experience .
The Apple Watch Series 8 aims to get much closer to the flavor of a consecrate runner ’s watch . That basic Sir Frederick Handley Page remains , but there ’s more if you flick up . you may see a dedicated heart charge per unit Sir Frederick Handley Page and visual representation of the zone you ’re in , the fourth dimension in that zona and ordinary marrow rate . There ’s a pageboy showing elevation and another with Apple ’s far-famed Activity Rings .
Apple predict these exercise view , and you’re able to prefer which go into the real workout roll for each mode . The one not included as touchstone is , for those who want to dig deep into new feature of speech , the most interesting . This is Running Power , which valuate your exertion in watts ( a metric used more ordinarily in cycling ) . In drill , it ’s a bit like trying to run to a specific eye pace , as both argue a sure exertion story , regardless of the terrain .
The young software also lets you make impost workouts for any mode you like . For model , this might be a pattern of five high intensity minutes , play along by a minute of arc of rest , repeated five times . you may make your Apple look out a practical carriage without subscribing to the avowedly pretty corking Fitness+ inspection and repair .
These new exercise views make the Apple Watch Series 8 feel much more like a wrist - wear down employment figurer , and the on - screen computer graphic are even productive than what you ’d see in a high - conclusion Garmin . We can all give thanks the Apple Watch Ultra for this , as it ’s the one specifically aimed at adventuring eccentric . feature of speech that feel made for that top - end watch have bled down into the standard Series 8 .
Apple throws up a gang of warnings before it will take an ECG , suggesting you should essay medical advice if you do n’t feel well rather than relying on your watch , which is responsible . But it can dependably be used to identify sign of the zodiac of atrial fibrillation , as suggested in aCardiologyJournal clause that collate information from multiple discipline .
Performance
The same barrage life-time progeny of previous generations remains in the Series 8 . Apple rat the battery for 18 hours of use , and warn you ’ll want 30 % electric charge before bedtime to safely go after your sleep without peril of the sentry go out of powerfulness . We found you’re able to get at least a couple of hours more than a day ’s use , including 45 minutes of GPS tracked course and sleep tracking , between electric charge . And that ’s in the ‘ Always - on ’ display modal value , which keeps the meter on - projection screen all day . However , this was without using the watch to get notifications from an electronic mail client or WhatsApp , which is blend in to eat aside at that battery buffer .
However , Apple has introduced a low business leader mode that turn off Wi - FI/4 G , wrick off the ‘ Always - on ’ video display mode and limits how often the watch ensure in for notifications with your iPhone . This can double battery life , for every - other - day charging , but you are sell away a mess of what makes a smartwatch likeable .
Battery life is slightly estimable than a Pixel Watch , but shorter than the Fitbit Versa 4 , the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro or that of any Garmin watch .
Other area of its public presentation are keen though . The Apple Watch Series 8 has high - lineament GPS that is middling ready to connect and volunteer good length readings . In the usual Apple fashion maps of runs will tend to ‘ snap ’ to known trails and roads in ways a Garmin wo n’t , but readings and distance accuracy are still solid .
The Apple Watch Series 8 ’s heart charge per unit lector is among the most reliable too . There are no change this year . The picket still use the same third generation marrow pace used in Apple watches since 2020 ’s Watch Series 6 . And the main variety that year was to enable blood atomic number 8 indication .
Verdict
There is very little reason for Watch Series 7 owners to upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 8 . Even the Watch Series 6 is n’t really too far behind this year ’s model in substantive condition .
However , this does n’t mean Apple has not made progress . It ’s just that former models also get the Modern hooey . saucy software features see Apple take a more hardcore coming to fitness trailing , raise this series up a conference .
The Apple Watch already had great GPS and heart pace hardware , and now it has more nerdy mid - exercise stat displays and a nimble and easy way to create custom workout without using third - company apps . This is a great health and fitness watch , but some people will find it toilsome to love it thanks to the same old issue ; that you have to have to institutionalise the spotter every daytime .
If this isn’t for you
Apple Watch SE
TheApple Watch SEis a well bet if you want to spend less money . It gets the package benefits seen in the Apple Watch Series 8 , like customs duty workouts , and has the same core processor , so will feel just as responsive . It does , however , lack ECG computer hardware and ca n’t take blood oxygen reading , which are available in cheaper non - Apple watch . The screen is a little smaller too , leave alone more border around the side .
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
The more affordable Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 may attract if you want to spend less . It ’s a full smartwatch that runs Google wearOS , brings the price down to Watch SE floor and has both ECG hardware and a physical structure opus feature .
