Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)

Excellent tracking features ; Plenty of sensors, including clever use of temperature sensor ; Charges quickly ; Additional low power modes

No big battery upgrade ; Minimal additions over the last model

The Apple Watch 8 is the best smartwatch around – although this is a minor year for updates.

New workout modes and metrics are helpful ; Improved sleep-tracking capabilities ; Premium smartwatch experience through and through ; Inherited all the features and physical design ; of the Apple Watch Series 7

Almost no changes in physical design compared to predecessor ; Some new features are like insurance – you hope you won't have to use them (e.g. crash detection) ; Most fitness feature updates mainly benefit runners

The Apple Watch Series 8 further refines the formula that made the Apple Watch Series 7 great to offer the best smartwatch experience known to man. However, some new features, such as crash detection, medication logging, Afib history, etc., are either...

Familiar design ; Comfortable ; Great display ; Good sleep tracking ; Some new features like Car Crash Detection ; Solid performance ; Fast charging

No huge changes from Series 7 ; Action button from Ultra would have been nice

While the Apple Watch Series 8 doesn't offer huge changes compared to the Watch Series 7, there's still a lot to be said for this smartwatch. If you're considering upgrading from the Series 7, then no, it's possibly not worth it this time around unless...

Premium design & build ; Temperature sensor for cycle tracking ; Car crash detection

Near-identical to Series 7 ; More expensive in many regions ; No battery life improvements

New features including cycle tracking and car crash detection make the Apple Watch Series 8 a tempting upgrade and is great for newbies, but with an identical design to the Series 7, there’s not enough here to upgrade from last year’s wearable. It’s...

Large and bright display ; Iconic case design ; Great build quality ; Improved health tracking (esp. for females) ; Improved fitness tracking ; Lots of strap options

No significant new features ; Needs to be recharged daily ; Charging requires specialised puck ; Only works with iPhone

Sleek, comfortable design Display is big and gorgeous Excellent health features Fast charge speeds watchOS 9 is better than ever Car crash detection

Temperature sensors are limited Almost identical to the Series 7

“Powerful, comfortable, and familiar. The Apple Watch Series 8 isn't a revolution in Apple's portfolio, but it's still the best smartwatch you can buy.”

Overnight temperature sensing ; Car crash detection ; Improved battery life ; More accurate period predictions

Same design as previous model ; Limited usefulness for retrospective ovulation estimates

With new features such as body temperature sensing and car crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the right choice for most smartwatch buyers.

Gorgeous display ; Stylish new colors ; New menstrual and ovulation tracking ; Superior UI to the competition ; Enhanced sleep tracking

Identical design to the Series 7 ; Improvements only minor ; Still weak battery life ; Many folks can get away with cheaper SE

The Apple Watch Series 8 is, objectively, a fantastic smartwatch for iPhone users — growing into one of the best wearables over years of iterative updates. But with the SE offering a similar experience at a lower price and the Ultra giving more...