Apple Watch Series 8 review: Speedy and steady

We’ve all heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. One races out to an early lead earlier than coasting on its success, permitting the opposite again into the image. If we apply the metaphor to premium smartwatches, the roles are clear. The Apple Watch is our hare, counting on its premium {hardware} and fine-tuned software program however liable to complacency, whereas the herd of Put on OS tortoises seeks to make up gradual however regular floor.

The Sequence 8 is probably the lightest replace to Apple’s mainline wearable to this point, however is it near giving up its lead? Discover out in our Apple Watch Sequence 8 evaluation.

The Apple Watch Sequence 8 picks up proper the place the Apple Watch Sequence 7 left off, all the way down to the millimeter and the gram. It launched alongside the iPhone 14 collection in September 2022 and took its place as Apple’s flagship wearable, flanked by the extra inexpensive Watch SE 2 and the all-new, mega-premium Watch Extremely. Like its predecessor, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes and provides Wi-Fi or LTE connectivity. That’s, nevertheless, solely the tip of the iceberg in relation to similarities.

Apple’s Watch Sequence 8 sticks with a well-known always-on OLED panel, which is able to as much as 1,000 nits of peak brightness. You may select chrome steel or aluminum instances, although the chrome steel mannequin adopts a sapphire crystal show rather than the aluminum watch’s conventional glass. We examined the aluminum mannequin in Moonlight, but it surely’s additionally obtainable in Starlight, Silver, and Product Purple. The chrome steel case is available in gold or silver. All fashions carry an IP6X score for mud resistance and a WR50 water resistance score.

Below the hood, Apple’s newest smartwatch packs a brand new S8 chipset, although any enhancements over the Apple Watch Sequence 7’s S7 system-in-chip are nominal because it’s constructed on the identical 7nm course of and has the identical core structure. It additionally packs the identical U1 ultra-wideband chip and an equivalent 32GB of fastened onboard storage. Bluetooth 5.3 takes the place of the earlier watch’s Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity for some welcome future-proofing, and there’s an NFC chip for wi-fi funds.

The really significant updates are a temperature sensor that enables for superior menstrual cycle monitoring, and a brand new Crash Detection characteristic — the latter of which was additionally launched to the iPhone 14 collection. Apple’s Watch Sequence 8 nonetheless provides superior sensors for metrics like an electrocardiogram (ECG) and SpO2. One other change of observe is the improve to watchOS 9, which brings updates to the Exercise and Compass apps and a brand new Medicines app.

As with each different Apple Watch, the Sequence 8 will not be suitable with Android telephones. Fortunately, there’s a rising variety of wonderful options to select from for those who don’t like iOS.

Apple’s lengthy, slim packaging pairs your watch and band of alternative in two separate containers and a USB-C charging cable, however that’s all you get along with your buy. You should purchase the Apple Watch Sequence 8 from the Apple Retailer, Amazon, Finest Purchase, and different main retailers within the US and around the globe.

The Apple Watch Sequence 8 falls about as near the tree as doable, choosing up strengths from its predecessor — itself a minor iteration over the Watch Sequence 6 — alongside the best way. It doesn’t break any of the Watch Sequence 7’s defining options and brings a couple of welcome tweaks to the desk.

Apple’s construct high quality stays wonderful. The Watch Sequence 8’s show stretches throughout the 45mm case with minimal bezels, and brightness and readability are spot-on. It provides greater than sufficient actual property to faucet and swipe my approach via Watch OS 9, and the issues on every watch face are giant sufficient that they require little greater than a look. I can admire the always-on perform, too, which lets you shortly look on the time with out having to swing the watch up in entrance of your face to wake it. That is one space the place the Sequence 8 separates itself from the entry-tier Apple Watch SE.

Continuity within the Apple Watch Sequence 8’s design additionally means which you can persist with your present set of watch bands. There aren’t many thrilling new choices like the flamboyant ones which launched with the Apple Watch Extremely, however I’m relieved to not have to exchange bands which have served me nicely through the years.

The Watch Sequence 8 nonetheless lags behind on battery life (we’ll get to that), so it hasn’t discovered a approach out of normal charging appointments. On the intense aspect, you’ll solely must spend about 45 minutes tethered to a charger for a full cost (Apple says 80% on this timeframe however our unit was all the time full) — sufficient time for breakfast and a bathe. It nonetheless depends on Apple’s proprietary magnetic cradle, and also you’ll want a 20W adapter with Energy Supply for the quickest cost instances. Both approach, 45 minutes is lightning-fast for a smartwatch and is among the key benefits over the slower-charging Apple Watch SE 2.

Apple’s new temperature sensor — technically two, one on the again and one underneath the show — is the primary {hardware} replace of observe, which may provide wrist temperature information for all customers. It’s not a dependable metric to find out for those who’re getting sick (a very good reminder that the Apple Watch will not be a medical machine), however the wrist temperature data does play into Apple’s sleep monitoring. The entire course of is simple to arrange, requiring your bedtime and wake-up time, together with carrying the watch in a single day for 5 days to construct a baseline. When you miss an evening (or your battery dies when you sleep), you gained’t have to begin again over from zero.

One of many different foremost promoting factors of the Watch Sequence 8’s new temperature sensor is superior menstrual cycle monitoring. You’ll have so as to add a couple of fundamental particulars via the Cycle Monitoring app, however then the Watch Sequence 8 can take over. It displays your wrist temperature whereas sleeping to construct predictions in your interval and retrospective ovulation estimates. In fact, the extra signs and data you enter, the higher your total monitoring information will probably be. I lack the requisite organic {hardware} to check Apple’s cycle monitoring, however you may learn extra about it in our information right here. We’ll even be digging deeper into the characteristic in our Apple Watch Extremely evaluation coming quickly.

Although it’s not unique to the Watch Sequence 8, watchOS 9 is the driving pressure behind many of the new options on Apple’s newest wearable.

Your choices for enjoyable watch faces stay fairly nicely locked down, however Apple has no less than launched a couple of new ones for those who fancy a change. I’ve been shifting between Lunar and Metropolitan, which you’ll see above. Lunar provides as a lot data on the section of the moon as you could possibly ask for, whereas Metropolitan is principally a traditional, stylish face. There’s additionally a Playtime face, which turns the time right into a set of cartoon characters.

A couple of different faces acquired updates — Astronomy, Modular, and Portrait. Modular merely provides extra colour choices, however the Portrait face now permits for a similar depth results as Apple added to the iPhone lock display in iOS 16. Lastly, the Astronomy face can present your present location and cloud protection for those who set Earth as your background, or you may scroll forwards and backward to see the moon’s phases play out.

New watch faces are enjoyable, however there’s much more to watchOS 9. The Exercises app picked up quite a lot of new show choices, which suggests you may test on metrics like Exercise rings, coronary heart charge zones, and your present exercise energy. You may find yourself proper again on the default show — as I did — but it surely’s good to have options for various exercises. Later this yr, you’ll even have the choice to just about race your self to set your greatest time on a favourite route.

I took the Apple Watch Sequence 8 out on a couple of runs, hoping to see the way it in comparison with the Sequence 7. Primarily, the outcomes are equivalent. GPS accuracy on each watches was spot on and solely deviated barely from my Coros Tempo 2. You may see the course comparability above, although it’s price noting that among the variations may have come from carrying one watch on every wrist. The center charge data has additionally been barely extra correct on the Watch Sequence 8 in comparison with our hit-and-miss experiences with the Sequence 7 — my common and peak coronary heart charges have been inside one beat per minute of my Coros, which was paired to a Polar H10 chest strap.

watchOS 9 brings a couple of health-based enhancements with a brand new Medicines app and up to date sleep monitoring. It’s possible you’ll or might not want the treatment reminders, however the brand new sleep monitoring information with sleep levels is efficacious to anybody. The Apple Watch Sequence 8 calculates your time spent in every stage of sleep, from REM to deep sleep, and slowly builds up a file over time. You continue to don’t get any recommendation or teaching to assist enhance your sleep patterns, but it surely’s good to see Apple making small steps to meet up with the likes of Garmin and Fitbit right here.

Like with most Apple {hardware}, the general integration with the remainder of the Apple ecosystem can also be second to none. Sporting the Watch Sequence 8 appears like an extension of the iPhone, with thorough integrations for many first-party apps. Although not a brand new characteristic, the turn-by-turn instructions via Apple Maps are invaluable when making an attempt to maintain your eyes on the street, and I had no second ideas about taking a telephone name proper from my wrist throughout testing. It nonetheless makes me really feel just a bit bit like James Bond, and who doesn’t need that?

Just like the iPhone 14 and its siblings, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 picks up a brand new Crash Detection perform. It really works the identical approach, kicking in robotically when your watch detects a severe accident. Your watch will robotically contact emergency responders after 20 seconds of inactivity, offering them along with your final recognized coordinates and an approximate search radius. I clearly didn’t put Crash Detection to the check, however I believe we are able to all be grateful it’s there.

There’s solely so lengthy you may keep the course earlier than it comes again to chunk you — simply ask the crew of the Titanic. I’m not saying there’s an iceberg looming in entrance of the Apple Watch Sequence 8, however the wearable is unquestionably due for a extra sizable improve after a number of generations of minor adjustments. The Watch Sequence 8 doesn’t repair what wasn’t damaged, but it surely doesn’t make significant efforts to deal with some current flaws, both.

For starters, the battery life. Apple described the Watch Sequence 8 as lasting “all day,” with as much as 18 hours of juice outdoors Low Energy mode. Final I checked, 18 hours is lower than a full day and fewer than many different smartwatches can provide. That mentioned, I typically discovered myself reaching past the marketed battery life, getting nearer to 24 hours with out Low Energy mode. Oh, and it took Apple till watchOS 9 to introduce a Low Energy mode — actually? Fortunately, it’s a very good addition no less than. Activating Low Energy mode will disable background monitoring for coronary heart charge and the like, however for those who begin a exercise it’ll sit back in together with GPS and the whole lot else you want.

When you’ve used an Apple Watch earlier than, you may keep in mind that it sends a pleasant reminder for those who’re about to go to mattress with out sufficient battery remaining. The standard advice is about 30% — lots to lose in a single day — although I discovered that the Watch Sequence 8 struggled with reminding me. I went to mattress greater than as soon as with not fairly sufficient juice and woke as much as a lifeless watch. It’s considerably my fault, however I’m additionally used to carrying GPS watches the place the battery lasts for days and, in some instances, weeks, sleep monitoring and all.

watchOS 9 is a delight for essentially the most half, however I’m nonetheless ready on the power so as to add third-party watch faces. It’s a minor grievance, however one that also bears mentioning. Apple makes some spectacular first-party choices, however they solely go to this point. You even have to attend, typically months at a time, earlier than you get a brand new face to check out. I swap faces commonly on different wearables just like the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional, so it’s unlucky to have this characteristic locked behind the partitions of the Cupertino Preserve.

The hare nonetheless has its lead. Apple’s Watch Sequence 8 stays the most effective smartwatches round, and it does so by staying the course. Its {hardware} adjustments are minimal — simply the brand new temperature sensor and processor — however they make sufficient affect to maintain forward of the pack. Apple nonetheless provides one of the best integration all through its ecosystem, permitting the Watch Sequence 8 to really feel like an extension of your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook with out a second thought. watchOS 9 brings significant adjustments to exercise monitoring and well being administration, even when your choices for brand new watch faces stay disappointingly restricted.

For the whole lot the Apple Watch Sequence 8 improves, it ignores among the wearable’s most vital flaws, nevertheless. Its claims of all-day battery life nonetheless cease at nearly 18 hours, with Low Energy mode — a brand new characteristic in spite of everything these years — extending the juice to 36 hours. We discovered it carried out higher than that, although the Apple Watch’s battery endurance stays a sore spot.

If you end up within the Android crowd, there are many different choices to consider. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 ($279.99 at Samsung) stays one of the best Put on OS choice round, pairing helpful smartwatch options from the Google Play Retailer with a premium, round construct. Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch is a little bit of a wild card, as we don’t but know the way it’ll stack as much as the Apple Watch. We do, nevertheless, know that it integrates Fitbit’s well being monitoring strengths, and it appears to be like rather more like a conventional watch. Talking of Fitbit, the Sense 2 ($299.95 at Finest Purchase) is an inexpensive purchase, although it’s not as good because it was once. Lastly, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus ($449.99 at Amazon) is one among our favourite all-around smartwatches, providing Android and iOS flexibility with as much as 9 days of battery life.

Contained in the iOS ecosystem, the selection to improve your Apple Watch is now more durable than ever. There’s no want to select up a Watch Sequence 8 if in case you have a Watch Sequence 7 ($399 at Verizon), however upgrading from a good older mannequin opens the door to extra prospects. A brand new Watch SE 2 ($249 at Finest Purchase) occupies the low floor, giving up a couple of superior metrics however staying dedicated to immediate updates and correct GPS monitoring. Try our article right here for a extra in-depth comparability.

After which there’s the Apple Watch Extremely ($799 at Finest Purchase). Apple’s super-durable, behemoth watch with a smorgasbord of area of interest options and modes meets the wants of adrenaline junkies with cash to burn however can also be excess of most individuals might ever want. Sure, it’s technically Apple’s greatest smartwatch on specs alone, however at double the value we’re moving into luxurious territory. At a extra affordable ~$400 beginning worth, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 continues to be very a lot the normal flagship wearable and, as anticipated, is a superb companion for the iOS crowd.