Apple Watch Series 8 Vs Series 7: This year’s Apple Watch Series 8 and last year’s Apple Watch Series 7 are strikingly similar, with both offering a vast array of fitness and functionality that far outperforms any competing smartwatch brand currently on the market. The main differences between the Watch 7 and Watch 8 are some high-end health and safety features added to the newest model by Apple.
Rather than dumping a slew of special features and updates on its general audience of iPhone users, Apple chose to stand out and target high-end sports enthusiasts with a brand new Apple Watch Ultra designed specifically for the adventurous crowd. For the rest of us who are debating whether or not to replace an older civilian model, Apple’s mid-tier Apple Watch 8 has made the decision much easier. We contrast the new Apple Watch Series 8 with the Apple Watch Series 7 to see what has changed and what hasn’t.
Design
It’s difficult to tell the difference between the 2021 Apple Watch Series 7 and the new Apple Watch Series 8 at first glance. They share the same signature square Apple Watch design, dimensions, and weight, as well as 41mm and 45mm case sizes. There are a few subtle colors and finish differences. The Apple Watch Series 8 is only available in aluminum and stainless steel, whereas the Series 7 offered titanium, which now appears to be reserved exclusively for the hard-core, adventure-centric Apple Watch Ultra.
The stainless steel models in both versions have the same color options — silver, gold, Graphite, and Space Black — but the aluminum models in Series 7 have more color options, including blue, green, red, Starlight, and Midnight. Series 8 dropped the green and blue colors in favor of silver while keeping the red, Starlight, and Midnight.
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Display
The 41mm Apple Watch Series 8 has an always-on LTPO Retina OLED display with a resolution of 352 x 430 pixels, while the 45mm model has the same resolution as the previous models (396 x 484 pixels). The screen on the aluminum model is protected by Ion-X front glass, whereas the premium stainless steel model is protected by sapphire crystal. The screen has a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits and a storage capacity of 32GB, both of which are identical to the Apple Watch Series 7. Series 8 watch faces include Lunar, Astronomy, Modular, and Metropolitan.
Special features
The Apple Watch Series 8, like the Series 7, has an Always-On display, fall detection, and all of your favorite watch faces. Two new and improved sensors that advance family safety and peace of mind are a significant difference between Apple Watch 8 and its predecessors. When you are in a vehicle crash, a three-axis gyroscope and a G-Force accelerometer that records 3,000 samples per second can detect it. Crash detection uses sensors and features on your new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, such as the barometer, GPS, and microphone, to determine the severity of the accident.
If the Apple Watch 8 detects a severe crash, it automatically calls 911 for assistance, provides your location, and notifies your emergency contacts if you do not respond to an on-screen notification within 10 seconds. Both watch versions have a water resistance rating of up to 50 meters and IP6X dust resistance, but the Series 8 takes the win here thanks to the crash detection.
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Fitness and health-tracking features
Apple introduced two new temperature sensors for the Apple Watch 8: a new skin temperature sensor designed to detect a 0.1 degree Celsius temperature change in your body and a sensor beneath the screen to measure temperature fluctuations while sleeping. The Watch 8 takes your wrist temperature every five seconds while you sleep, which Apple claims can help you detect illnesses earlier and aid in ovulation tracking. It can also help to improve menstrual predictions by alerting wearers to unusual cycle deviations. Irregular menstrual cycles can indicate health problems, and this is where temperature-sensing data can help women and families.
A blood oxygen sensor to measure SpO2 levels, an electric heart sensor to measure electrocardiogram (ECG), a third-generation optical heart rate sensor for pulse tracking, an ambient light sensor, an updated high-G accelerometer, and a gyroscope is also included with the Series 8 watch. These sensors are not new; rather, they are fine-tuned and updated versions of features found in the Apple Watch Series 7.
Software and updates
The latest operating system, WatchOS 9, will be pre-installed on the Apple Watch Series 8, and it will be available for older Apple Watch models beginning September 12. Some of the more recent features will be available only to connected iPhones running iOS 16 or later. The Series 8 is an improvement over the Series 7, so expect to get more done faster on the new model, but the speed bump will likely be noticeable only to those who rely heavily on their Apple Watch for communication, music, and fitness tracking.
The updated operating system carries the majority of the weight, and WatchOS 9 will be available to all Apple Watch models except the oldest. The new WatchOS will include four new watch faces, updates to the Workout app, improved sleep tracking, AFib history, and a new Medications app.
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Performance, Battery Life, and Charging
The Apple Watch Series 8 includes a new dual-core S8 system-in-chip that is said to be 20% faster than the previous generation’s S7 chip. The new series’ connectivity includes LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless pairing with other devices, just like its predecessor. The new watch’s battery should last approximately 18 hours on a single charge, which is the same as the previous watch series.
The new Low Power mode on the Apple Watch Series 8 allows you to use your watch for up to 36 hours on a single charge. This is more than double the rated battery life of 18 hours. That’s because Low Power mode disables some services and features, such as the always-on Retina display, workout autostart, and heart health notifications while keeping most operations running normally. Both watches support magnetic wireless charging, and a full charge takes about an hour to complete.
Apple Watch Series 8 vs Series 7: Price and availability
The Apple Watch Series 8 is now available for pre-order in the United States and over 40 other countries, with shipping beginning on September 16. The entry-level model with GPS connectivity and a 41mm case costs $399, while models with cellular connectivity begin at $499. The 45mm model costs $429, while the cellular model costs $529.
Apple is including a free three-month subscription to Apple Fitness+ with the purchase of an Apple Watch Series 8 — a savings of $10 per month or $80 per year. Best Buy is also taking pre-orders for US customers, and select models come with four months of free Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+ subscriptions, as well as a six-month subscription to Apple Music.
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Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 is a worthy successor to the Apple Watch Series 7 due to significant and non-cosmetic upgrades. Nonetheless, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a minor upgrade over the Series 7, with the only significant differences being body temperature sensors and Crash Detection. For Apple Watch Series 7 owners, Series 8 is objectively a superior wrist computer; however, unless you genuinely require the specific new features introduced in Series 8, consider yourself fortunate to already own such a useful and beautiful device with most major specs remaining unchanged.
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