On September 7th, at the ‘Fall Out’ event, the Apple Watch Series 8 was launched alongside iPhone 14 series, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, Watch SE 2nd Gen, and a new Watch Ultra edition. This overview highlights the Apple Watch Series 8 specifications from the Far Out event.
In this article:
Apple Watch Series 8 Specifications & Overview
As with the iPhone 14 lineup, Watch Series 8 is more of an “under the hood tune-up” of its predecessor rather than something genuinely brand new.
There’s a good chance any Series 6 & 7 owners will happily skip this version if their devices are still working well; however, Watch 5 and earlier, other than it being time for an upgrade, will surely see some significant changes.
If you want a new Apple Watch and are uninspired by Series 8, then the new Ultra might be what you’re looking for.
Features //Apple Watch Series 8
Health and wellbeing were the blueprints Apple followed for Series 8, and Women’s health was at the front of that list. One new feature provides retrospective ovulation estimates.
The menstrual cycle is an important marker of health, and many physicians consider it a vital sign. Apple Watch Series 8 features innovative new temperature-sensing capabilities that give women further insights into their health, designed with the same privacy protections as with all other health data.
Apple
A new two sensor configuration, one on the back of the Watch and another under the display, will monitor and log nighttime body temperatures every 5 seconds. This process delivers more accurate readings and provides retrospective ovulation estimates.
Apple says for couples trying to plan a family, knowing the retrospective ovulation pattern can assist with future planning and improved period predictions in the health app.
And, with WacthOS 9 installed, Series 8 will offer better sleep tracking capabilities, keep track of your medication schedule and once again help you take an ECG or read your Blood Oxygen levels.
There will be a choice of 41mm or 45mm models, each with narrower borders for an edge-to-edge displays and will now be protected by a strong crack-resistant front crystal making this Series crack and dust-proof along with water-resistant up to 50m.
Crash Detection arrives on Series 8 along with iPhone 14 and Watch Ultra. Apple has given Series 8 an improved 3-axis gyroscope and a new, high g-force accelerometer.
Combined, these sensors can detect when you have been in a crash, notify emergency services, and share your information and location.
Power
Apple says Watch 8 will deliver up to 18 hours of battery life, the same as Watch 7, albeit powering more sensors for the same period of time.
Switching to Low Power Mode, however, turns off many of those and keeps just the core functionality of Watch running for up to 36 hours. This new feature will come as part of WatchOS 9 and be made available on previous Apple Watches running the latest OS.
Specifications //Apple Watch Series 8
| Watch SE (2022) | Series 8 | Ultra | |
| Dimensions | 40 x 34 x 11mm 44 x 38 x 11mm | 41 x 35 x 11mm 45 x 38 x 11mm | 49 x 44 x 14mm |
| Weight | from 26g | from 32g | 61g |
| Colour Options | Midnight Starlight Silver | Midnight Starlight Silver Graphite Gold Product (RED) | Natural Titanium |
| Display | 40mm 44mm Retina OLED | 41mm 45mm Always-On Retina OLED | 49mm Always-On Retina OLED |
| Chip | W3 Apple | W3 Apple U1 ultra wideband | W3 Apple U1 ultra wideband |
| Capacity | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Charging | USB‑C magnetic | USB‑C magnetic fast charging | USB‑C magnetic fast-charging |
| Power | up to 18 hours | up to 18 hours | up to 36 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi GPS only 4G LTE GPS + Cell Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi GPS only 4G LTE GPS + Cell Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi + 4G LTE Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Control | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen Customizable Action Button |
| Sensors | Optical Heart 2nd Gen | Blood oxygen Electrical heart Optical Heart 3rd Gen Temperature | Blood oxygen Electrical heart Optical Heart 3rd Gen Temperature |
| Microphone | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Speaker | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Waterproof | to 50m | to 50m | to 100m Dive Ready to 40m |
| In the Box | Watch SE USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals | Watch Series 8 USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals | Watch Ultra USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals |
| Website | apple.com | apple.com | apple.com |
Pricing //Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399/£419 for the 41mm GPS only model and up to $749/£829 for the Graphite Stainless Steel 45mm GPS + Cell Watch. Both with standard loop options.
Pre-order is open now on apple.com, with deliveries due to start in October.