​Apple Watch Series 8 first look: Changes under the hood

The Series 8 is still the flagship Apple Watch, despite the arrival of the all-new Apple Watch Ultra.

While the Ultra might be the shiny new thing, the Series 8 still represents the essence of the Apple Watch, and what’s led it to become the biggest-selling smartwatch in the world.

But while there are a couple of significant changes here – the Series 8 has let the Ultra take the limelight this time around. The Series 8 won’t be remembered as a big milestone in the history of the Apple Watch. But it’s still miles ahead of the competition.

We spent time with the Series 8 at Apple Park – here are our early thoughts.

Design unchanged

There are no outward changes – and although there’s a new S8 chip, there’s little in the way of headline performance improvements or battery life headlines.

The Series 8 retains the larger display introduced last year, with 41mm and 45mm case sizes.

Pricing also stays the same in the US at $399 for the 41mm GPS option. However, in the UK the price jumps to £419 for the same model – a big £40 increase thanks to the tanking economy.

There are four aluminum colors and three stainless steel options.

New temperature sensor

The legacy of the Series 8 will be the addition of the two temperature sensors, which are primarily aimed at cycle tracking is an important step forward for wearables. They can also be used by any user for tracking temperature baselines, which can be a sign of illness.

We’ve explained in more detail how the feature works – but it can’t be underestimated how important this step is for proper, smart fertility tracking. And we can see this being a focus for rivals, as Apple shines a light on women’s health tech.

Car crash detection

Car Crash detection furthers the Apple Watch’s credentials as a lifesaver.

It uses a new gyroscope and accelerometer to look for the g-forces of a car crash, and the company says it’s been tested across a range of vehicles.

It only turns on when it detects the motion of a car from your iPhone’s GPS, and can detect collisions up to 256G.

It’s not a feature that anyone wants to use – but will save lives. And it adds to the plethora of features (ECG, Fall detection, high/low heart rate) that you can’t afford to leave at home.

Battery life compromises

But with a new Apple Watch comes a new version of watchOS – and Apple revealed some extras that will cement the Apple Watch as a leader.

Sadly, there’s no improvement in headline battery numbers, and the Series 8 retains the same 18 hours of battery life that Apple has promised since Series 1.

Apple is rolling out three new modes, with Low Power Mode helping extend battery life from 18 to 36 hours.

That’s joined by a new low-power workout, and an economical GPS and heart rate mode, which will land later this year.

watchOS 9 also heralds the Afib history feature – which will constantly scan for Afib events, which is designed to help those with the condition track possible triggers for irregular heart rate.

Analysis

The Apple Watch Series 8 is one of the most minor updates to Apple’s flagship since it launched in 2014. As tech watchers, we’re addicted to getting shiny new features – but this time around it’s the Apple Watch Ultra grabbing the headlines.

The Series 8 is a better version of the Apple Watch, and one that’s more useful for 50% of the population – and could save lives.

It might not be revolutionary, but there aren’t many smartwatches that can claim that.