The Apple Watch will be a well-known product in 2022. The Apple Watch Series 8 gives you a good idea of what you can expect. It will be comfortable to wear, offer a lot of health features and have the best software that you can find on any smartwatch.
After using the Apple Watch Series 8 for some time, I an confirm that all of these statements are true. The Series 8 reminds me of the Apple Watch Series 7 that I wore for the past year. It is almost identical to that watch. In that regard, it’s very similar the iPhone 14. Apple did not reinvent the wheel with its Apple Watch Series 8. This is because it is so far ahead of others that it doesn’t have to.
You can call it boring or bland, but the Apple Watch Series 8 is still the most expensive smartwatch you can buy.
Apple Watch Series 8 design
What is the Apple Watch Series 8’s design like? It looks just like an Apple Watch. Since the launch of the original Apple Watch in 2014, Apple has maintained a clear and focused design philosophy. While new models have made things more efficient over the years, the overall aesthetics have not changed much. It’s easy to see why you can have such a solid design foundation.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in two trims: the 41mm and 45mm versions (which I own), and both are great to wear throughout the day. The watch fits comfortably on my wrist. I love the squircle shape. A WR50 rating ensures waterproofing up to 50m.
Apple’s implementation of the Apple Watch’s design has been as flawless as ever. The Digital Crown is a joy to use when scrolling through menus and notifications. The side button to the left allows you to switch apps and open Apple Wallet. Apple’s band system makes it easy to change your watch band.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is not for you if you don’t like the Apple Watch’s design. The Series 8 will be more your style if you like the Apple Watch’s design and feel.
Apple Watch Series 8 display
The Apple Watch Series 7’s standout feature was its larger screen, slimmer bezels, and ability to view more content on its tiny display. The Apple Watch Series 8 re-uses the same design and creates an amazing viewing experience. The Apple Watch Series 8 has room for watch faces, notifications extend to the edges of the screen and navigation apps/menus don’t feel restrictive, especially the larger 45mm model.
It’s not only the screen’s size that is impressive. The colors are vibrant and text is easy to read.
The Apple Watch Series 8 features an always-on display that displays a dimmed version at all times of the watch face, even when you aren’t interacting with notifications or apps. It’s been a feature of the Apple Watch since Series 5. It’s extremely convenient to be able to glance down to see the weather and time without having to raise my wrist. This is also a major feature missing from the Apple Watch SE2.
Apple Watch Series 8 activity and health
Activity tracking on the Apple Watch Series 8 is based around your activity rings. More specifically, your Move and Exercise rings. Each one encourages you burn calories, to exercise for X number of minutes, and to get up and move throughout the day. It is one of the most well-known activity metrics and has become a cultural phenomenon.
You’ll understand why if you have ever used an Apple Watch. It’s fun, challenging and an easy goal to reach your daily closing of the rings. While is still not great at encouraging recovery days third-party apps, such as Gentler Streak, can help fill in that void.
The Apple Watch Series 8 tracks a wide range of health metrics to track your ring progress over the day. The Apple Watch Series 8 tracks your steps, distance, active and resting energy, as well as your heart rate 24/7. You can also use the ECG app to obtain on-demand ECG readings. There is also a SpO2 sensor to track your blood-oxygen levels manually and automatically. Sleep tracking allows you to determine how well you sleep at night. All of these features can be used if you wish. You can pick and choose which ones you like or you can ignore them all.
The Apple Watch Series 8’s health tracking is almost identical to the previous models. However, Apple WatchOS 9 software has some neat additions. It is now possible to see heart rate zones as you exercise, which makes it easier to gauge how intense your workouts are. WatchOS 9 lets you create your own workouts. You can adjust the time, distance, calories, pacer goals, and pacer settings. WatchOS 9 also adds sleep stages that show how long you spent in REM and Core sleep, which is critical data that was missing in WatchOS 8.
Apple Watch Series 8 temperature sensor
The Apple Watch Series 8 has a new hardware addition: a pair temperature sensors. The Apple Watch Series 8 uses two sensors to monitor your wrist temperature. One sensor is located on the back, and one underneath the display. After enabling sleep tracking, wear the Series 8 for approximately five nights to establish a baseline. Once that’s done you will see a new section called Wrist Temperature in the Health App.
Apple’s website states that wrist temperature can be affected by your diet, exercise, alcohol intake, sleep environment or other physiological factors like menstrual cycles, illness, and so it’s an interesting metric. However, I don’t know how to use it . My wrist temperature is displayed in the Health app. However, there’s no explanation. My September 19 temperature was 1.05 degrees warmer than September 26, but it was 0.59 degrees cooler on September 26. It could have some meaning, but I don’t know what it is. Apple will get credit for doing somethingoutside the box using its temperature sensors (unlike Galaxy Watch5), but it’s more important to me to see what third-party applications do with this data.
Although there is an additional feature to the Series 8’s temperature sensors that I have not been able test, it is something that I am aware of. Apple Watch Series 8 users who use Apple’s Cycle Tracking app to see retrospective estimates of when they last ovulated will be able to view these estimates after wearing it for five nights. This could prove very useful for family planning.
Apple Watch Series 8 car crash detection
Another Apple Watch Series 8 feature that I have yet to try is the one I hope I never get to. The Apple Watch Series 8 also offers car accident detection, just like the iPhone 14. The Series 8 will prompt you to dial emergency services if you are ever involved in a serious accident. If you do not respond within 10 seconds to the prompt, the call will be automatically placed for your.
This feature seems to work well on the iPhones this year, so we can assume that it will be just as effective on the Series 8. Although I hope that the feature doesn’t ever need to be used, I find it comforting to know it exists on Series 8.
Apple Watch Series 8 WatchOS9
WatchOS 9 is the software that powers your Apple Watch Series 8 right out of the box. WatchOS 9 enhances your health/fitness experience by providing better sleep tracking and workout metrics. This is not all.
WatchOS 9 adds a few new watch faces in Apple’s typical Apple style. My personal favorite is Metropolitan, an analog clock that can be customized with numerals and allows for many complications. Playtime is a digital face with a playful face.
The Lunar face contains a breakdown of the current lunar calendar for those who are astronomy enthusiasts. Apple has also updated the Astronomy watchface to make the most of the Series 8’s large screen. Modular, Modular Compact and X-Large faces are now customizable with full-color backgrounds.
WatchOS 9’s Compass app is fun to use. I have enjoyed checking out the new watch faces and having a lot of fun with it. The default Compass app displays the direction and degree that you are facing. There is also a permanent marker for North at the top. To see more information about your elevation, incline and latitude, you can turn the Digital Crown upwards.
The Backtrack feature is where the Compass app really shines. Tap the footprint icon in the lower right corner of the Compass app and begin walking. The app tracks your movements and displays a visual map of your route in real-time. To go back to the beginning, tap the pause button and then Retrace steps. You can also create custom waypoints to assist you in remembering where a lake or hill is.
While out walking in a local nature preserve, I used the Compass app’s Backtrack feature and it proved to be very useful. I tried a different route than usual, was a little confused, but I was able to see my starting point and walk back towards it. Although it’s not something I will use every day, it was very handy to have.
WatchOS 9 has many more features to explore. Users with atrial fibrillation will be able to keep track of the medication and vitamins they take. The Medications app allows them to keep track of their AFib history. Finally, the Calendar app lets you create events on your wrist.
WatchOS has been an excellent wearable software platform. WatchOS 9 doesn’t replace it, but it improves it in many key ways. These features work flawlessly on the Apple Watch Series 8 . If you own an Apple Watch Series 4 and newer you can get a free software upgrade to enable them.
Apple Watch Series 8 Battery and Charging
The Apple Watch is a reliable, one-day smartwatch that has been around for years. Although you won’t get the Apple Watch U’s next-level endurance, you’ll still have enough power to last the day without worrying about battery drain.
I have been able to keep the Apple Watch Series 8 running for around 40% to 30% of the time. I wore the Series 8 around 6:00 AM and found myself at 9:15 PM with 48% battery remaining. After doing a core workout of 20 minutes on Apple Fitness+, I was able to receive constant notifications throughout my day.
After a long day of work, I switched off the Series 8 at 9:00 am and continued my day with notifications and the always on screen. I also tracked my 1.8-mile walk outside and used the Backtrack feature of the Compass app for 40 minute. At 2:03 a.m., I had 33% battery left and woke up at 8 a.m. with 23% after having tracked my short sleep.
The Apple Watch Series 8 supports fast charging speeds, just like last year. The Apple Watch Series 8 can charge from 0 to over 80 percent in just 45 minutes, and then it charges up to full capacity in about an hour. It’s quick enough to charge the Series 8 after a good night’s sleep, then get ready for the next day by removing the battery from the charger.
Apple Watch Series 8 Price and availability
The Apple Watch Series 8 can be purchased now. The 41mm aluminum case comes with GPS and starts at $399. The 45mm aluminum case will cost $429. The price for LTE cellular connectivity goes up $100 to $429 and $529 respectively.
The Apple Watch Series 8 can also be ordered with a premium stainless steel case. The 41mm GPS/LTE model is available for $749 and the 45mm version costs $799.
