Photo: iGeeksBlog / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
Apple Watch Series 8
A temperature sensor and crash detection join the health toolkit.
Overview
Series 8 looked exactly like Series 7, but two new sensors changed what it could do. A pair of temperature sensors measured wrist temperature overnight, and watchOS 9 used the trend to estimate ovulation and give retrospective insights on cycles.
Crash detection relied on a higher-range accelerometer and gyroscope, plus barometer and microphone data, to recognise severe car impacts and contact emergency services if the wearer did not respond. The watch also gained a Low Power Mode that disabled some background features to reach about 36 hours.
The S8 processor matched the speed of earlier chips, so performance was unchanged. Series 8 shipped on the same day as the new SE and just a week before the rugged Ultra, which made the range feel broader than ever.
Why it mattered
Added crash detection and temperature sensing, expanding the watch into women's health and car safety.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 7, 2022
- Released
- September 16, 2022
- Discontinued
- September 12, 2023
- Launch price
- $399
- Chip / processor
- Apple S8
- Display
- 1.69" / 1.9"
- Storage
- 32GB
- Status
- Discontinued
Highlights
- Skin temperature sensing
- Crash detection
- Low Power Mode up to 36 hours
- Cycle tracking insights
- Same 41/45 mm design as Series 7
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Case sizes
- 41 mm and 45 mm
- Type
- Always-On LTPO OLED Retina
- Brightness
- 1,000 nits peak
- Resolution
- 352 x 430 (41 mm), 396 x 484 (45 mm)
Chip
- Chip
- Apple S8 64-bit dual-core, U1 Ultra Wideband chip
Memory
- Storage
- 32GB
Health
- Sensors
- Temperature sensors, blood oxygen sensor, electrical heart sensor (ECG), optical heart sensor, high-g accelerometer, high-dynamic-range gyroscope, compass, always-on altimeter
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 18 hours (36 hours in Low Power Mode)
Connectivity
- Cellular
- Optional LTE and UMTS with eSIM
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3
- GPS
- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
Design
- Materials
- Aluminium, stainless steel
- Water resistance
- 50 metres, IP6X dust resistant
- Dimensions
- 41 x 35 x 10.7 mm (41 mm); 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm (45 mm)
Software
- Launch OS
- watchOS 9
