The new Apple Watch Series 8 is here, the new version of Apple’s smartwatches that come with the same design as last year in its standard variants – we also have the new Apple Watch SE and the eye-catching Apple Watch Ultra – but which offer new features both in tracking physical activity and in the field of health.
One of the novelties of this new model is the temperature sensor, which comes with features very oriented to the menstrual cycle of women. To that novelty are added others such as the new accident detection, but there are other improvements for this version of the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Series 8 technical specifications
| Apple Watch Series 8 | |
|---|---|
| Case | 41 or 45mm |
| Dimensions and Weight | 41 x 35 x 10.7mm (41mm), 32g 45 x 38 x 10.7mm (45mm), 38.8g |
| Screen | Retina LTPO OLED Up to 1,000 nits of brightness Always on display |
| Processor | Apple So SiP (dual core 64 bit) Wireless W3 chip U1 chip (Ultra Wideband) |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Sensors | SpO2 Heart rate ECG Accelerometer (forces up to 256g with fall and accident detection) High dynamic range gyroscope Altimeter GPS/GNSS Compass Ambient light sensor VO2max Accident detection Temperature sensor |
| Waterproof | 50 meters |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours of autonomy Up to 36 hours of autonomy in low consumption mode Fast charge |
| Others | Emergency call function UWB Dust resistant IP6X |
| Price | GPS, 41 mm: from $399 GPS+Cellular, 41 mm: from $499 |
Temperatures under control
Although the design does not change essentially in the chassis, it does in terms of screen utilization, which is now larger thanks to smaller bezels.
The design is enriched with new dials and straps – Apple also mentioned the new Nike and Hermés straps, and even a custom dial from Hermés – but as we said, the design hardly changes. The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in four colors: black, silver, red, and gold.
What changes is the interior, which comes with two new and eye-catching novelties. The first is the temperature sensor, which in the presentation was not oriented to detect if, for example, we had a fever: Apple focused it almost entirely to help monitor women’s menstruation cycles.
The temperature sensor is twofold: one is on the back of the watch (the bottom), and the other is under the screen, and according to Apple allows women to have a record of when they had their last ovulations in the past.
The Apple Watch Series 8 records temperature every half-second and also detects nightly changes in baseline temperature. Those cyclical patterns can reveal the biphasic change, and that in turn can indicate ovulation.
The second new feature is accident detection which is specially oriented to detect traffic accidents and that allows that if we have suffered one, the watch can notify the emergency services and also our nearby contacts.
To implement this function Apple integrates a three-axis gyroscope and also a special accelerometer that can sample the movement four times faster than the previous component of this type that was integrated into these watches.
The battery can offer up to 18 hours of autonomy, but it also offers a low-power mode that allows doubling that autonomy: it maintains the activity tracking and accident detection but disables the always-on display and the automatic tracking of physical activities.
This new low-power mode will also be available on Apple Watches from the Series 4, and to use it we will need to update these watches to watchOS 9.
Another new feature is the support for international roaming. By linking it with the roaming contract of our iPhone, we will be able to enjoy this capability in the versions of the Apple Watch with cellular connectivity.
All these capabilities are in addition to those already presented in the past: we still have blood oxygen monitoring, ECGs, and support for various kinds of physical activities.
Pricing and Versions of the Apple Watch Series 8
The new Apple Watch Series 8 are now available for pre-order, where it will reach users and stores on September 16. Prices are as follows:
- Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS, 41 mm): from $399
- Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS+Cellular, 41 mm): from $499
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