The Apple Watch Series 8 is an incremental update with a tiny I compared to the Series 7. Little has changed from the beginning. Nonetheless, those looking to upgrade from an older model like the Series 3 or Series 4 or those who are considering a new Apple Watch will find a lot to appreciate here.

A starting price of Rs 45,900 has been set for the Apple Watch Series 8 in India.

The Series 8 shares the same design as the Watch Series.

Even the feature set resembles the prior Apple Watch in most ways.

 

Apple appears to follow a fairly particular set of guidelines when it comes to new products, in contrast to other tech businesses. This is something that keeps happening. The corporation frequently follows the maxim “if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it” while updating its goods. It also appears to work under the premise that a product must be updated when the upgrade is significant and appropriate. This year’s Apple watch Series 8 appears to be following to this update-philosophy in earnest, whether consumers will like it or not is something that only the sales figures in the coming months will be able to determine. This is possibly the reason why it is so close to the Apple Watch Series 7, which in turn was very comparable to the Watch Series 6.

Yet that does not imply that it is not a good thing. for the simple reason that it is. Even with relatively minor updates, which I will go into more depth about later, the Apple Watch is still the best choice for any iPhone user seeking to purchase a smartwatch. Although if it has a design that is very familiar to the point of being dated, it nevertheless has one of the most complete sets of health tracking functions available that are unmatched in their accuracy.

 

If you want a wristwatch to go with your iPhone, the Watch Series 8 is the best option with a starting price of Rs 45,900 for the Wi-Fi variant and Rs 55,900 for the one with Wi-Fi plus Cellular connectivity. The Watch Series 7 held the same place last year, therefore it is likewise an obvious conclusion to draw.

I have a hunch that Apple has been using the same Watch design and feature set for the past few years as it waits for some sort of technological advancement. The Watch could certainly use greater battery life and more health tracking features (blood pressure, for example), but neither of these things are technically feasible at this time in a way that would make them useful.

The Watch Series 7 and Watch Series 8 are what we are receiving from Apple as a result; they are polished, finished devices with very little room for advancement. This year, there is also the Watch Ultra, although in my opinion, it is a specialty item made just for mountaineers, hikers, divers, and the like. Let’s chat about Season 8 of Watch.

 

Watch Series 8 design

The Watch Series 8 will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has recently seen an Apple Watch. Even in iterative designs, Apple frequently modifies one or more components to set new products apart from older ones, such as the vertical vs. diagonal camera lenses in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. But not in Season 8 of Watch. It has the same dimensions and contours as the Watch Series 7 and exactly the same appearance. The case’s aluminium and steel polish, square dial shape, and ringed edges are all identical, as is the glass covering. The crown is also identical and similarly embellished with a red ring.

The screen has the same 45mm width and the same brightness of up to 1000 nits.

It looks just as polished and sophisticated. I believe that of all smartwatches, the Apple Watch has the greatest overall design. It is the perfect size—neither huge nor small. It doesn’t look as durable and substantial as a Chronograph, nor is it small as smartwatches with a thinner profile, like the FitBit Versa or even Google’s Pixel Watch.

The Watch has a sturdy, expensive-feeling design that is typical of Apple products. Particularly on the Watch with the steel case, the jewel-like finish is outstanding and one-of-a-kind. The Watch Series 8 is compatible with the current Watch bands.

Apple Watch Series 8: Something new

This is a wonderful iterative upgrade, as I already stated. There are various fresh improvements on paper. The S8 processor powers the Watch Series 8. Nevertheless, when using it, I don’t see any performance advantages over the Watch Series 7, which employs the S7 chipset. Moreover, Series 8 has two features that are exclusive to it.

1. A temperature sensor is included with the Watch Series 8. But, rather than being an on-demand sensor, this one is embedded. This indicates that while the watch is capable of measuring body temperature, users cannot change it. This is most likely due to the fact that skin temperature is famously unpredictable and that a single reading may not be a reliable indicator of bodily health. I believe that either Apple is still perfecting the algorithms necessary to enable on-demand temperature measurement for Watch users, or the Watch needs additional hardware in order to support this feature—hardware that potential future Watch iterations may receive.

So what does the Apple Watch Series 8’s temperature sensor do? It is a sensor that the Watch uses to automatically gather data and provide you with updates on certain things. Apple is utilising the sensor in Watch Series 8 to assess a user’s body temperature when they are sleeping. The Watch creates a user-specific baseline temperature profile using the sensor’s data. The user alone can do this. The Watch notifies the user of their overnight temperature after the baseline has been established. Also, the temperature data is used in the case of female users to estimate ovulation and verify their menstrual cycle.

In other words, the temperature sensor on the Apple Watch Series 8 will be useful for some users, especially female users, but it can’t currently be used to check for “fever” due to the way it has been implemented.

2.Crash detection is the second significant new feature. The iPhone 14 series has also gotten this capability. Apple will have the ability to automatically determine whether a user is involved in a car accident using the sensors inside the Watch. Moreover, the Watch will attempt to dial an emergency number automatically in the event of an accident.

The Watch Series 8 is identical to the Watch Series 7 save from these two new capabilities. It is therefore equally valuable, as a result.

Once synchronised with an iPhone, I find the Watch experience to be smooth, effective, and hassle-free. It may seem like an old wine in an old bottle, but the Watch Series 8 is a superb wine. The Watch Series 8 offers the best health tracking features available. The data it can provide on numerous health factors is of real value, and its fitness tracking is the best in the industry. I find Watch Series 8’s heart health monitoring in particular to be very amazing. One aspect that still seems amazing is the ability to take an ECG and share it with a doctor in a matter of minutes. And so does heart health surveillance with features like resting heart rate and real-time monitoring for abnormal heart rhythm.

As the Series 7 before it, the Watch Series 8 is a superb tool for communication. The cellular model allows you to make or receive calls through the Watch even when your phone isn’t nearby because it uses the same number that is already associated with your phone thanks to e-SIM capability. Similar to that, with the Watch, alerts can be viewed, handled, and in certain situations, even replied to. The Watch’s Siri feature is adequate and seamlessly incorporated.

Overall, Series 8 was good, but I wish there were more episodes. I would have preferred to at least see blood pressure monitoring, which has begun to appear on certain smartwatches. Moreover, I would have appreciated an on-demand temperature sensor. Nevertheless, as I already mentioned, it’s likely that the technology and algorithms for these technologies aren’t yet up to Apple’s standards.

Also, I wish the battery life had been longer. The battery life of the Watch Series 8 is just about 20 hours, which is insufficient if Apple wants us to wear it while we sleep. The instrument is most effective when used throughout the day and needs to be charged every night so that it may be used the following day. Fast charging is supposedly a feature of the Watch Series 8, although it’s not offered in India.

What about the Watch Ultra?

Thus, the question is: Is the Apple Watch Series worthwhile? Not if you’re a Series 6 or 7 subscriber to Watch. Go for it, however, if you have an earlier Apple Watch or are considering purchasing your first Apple Watch.

What about the Watch Ultra, is the second query. A few excellent extras are available with the Apple Watch Ultra. It includes a slightly modified design, a larger size and larger 49mm screen, a brighter screen with a peak brightness of 2000 nits, a few additional sensors, and some special features including a more accurate GPS, the ability to sound an alarm, and a longer battery life of 48 hours. Nonetheless, the Ultra and the ordinary Watch have identical fundamental features. Nonetheless, the extra features of Ultra do have advantages for some people, such as athletes, mountaineers, those who operate in harsh environments, divers, etc.

However, the Ultra’s price and size make them unsuitable for regular users. Get the Watch Series 8 if all you want to do is monitor your daily physical activity and fitness, or if you want a wristwatch that can complement your phone’s communication features. The Watch Ultra is not necessary for you, and you won’t find that its extra capabilities are helpful in your regular activities.