Here's What The Apple Watch 8 Has That The Series 7 Doesn't

Apple’s Series 8 Watch debuted on Sept. 16, and it comes with a few new features you won’t find in the Apple Watch 7. Check out the new ways you can use Apple Watch with Series 8 to see if an upgrade is in the cards this year.

Same Price

In this case, newer doesn’t mean more expensive. The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at the same $399 price tag the Series 7 debuted with.

Fewer Colors

Series 8 comes in four aluminum colors: silver, midnight, starlight, and Product Red. (It dropped Series 7’s green and blue.) Stainless steel options are the same at 7: silver, graphite, and gold. And the Series 8 doesn’t feature a titanium option as Series 7 did.

Same Battery Life

You want a watch that can last you all-day. The Series 8 has the same 18 hour battery life as Series 7 and a new Low Power Mode in Watch OS 9 can extend your watch’s battery up to 36 hours.

New Crash Detection

It uses a high-g accelerometer (ups 256g) to detect if you’ve been in a car crash. It’ll automatically connect you to emergency services and provide your location if you’re unable to respond the to Crash prompt. Previous Watch models only had Fall Detection (up to 36g).

New Temperature Sensor

The two-sensor design has one near your skin on the back of the Watch and a sensor right under the display to reduce outside environment bias. It works while you sleep and will show any changes from your baseline temp, which can help track and predict ovulation cycles.

Same Water Resistance

Both S8 and S7 watches have water resistance of up to 50 meters for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. For extreme water sports or scuba dive, the new Apple Watch Ultra has a WR100 certification.

Same Display

Sizes and display specs are staying the same on the S8 with a 41mm or 45mm case, Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display up to 1000 nits, Ion-X glass for aluminum cases, and sapphire crystal display for stainless steel cases.

New Bands

A watch is an accessory after all. That’s why Apple partners Nike and Hermès designed new bands and watch faces for S8. Nike is releasing new Sport Band colors and loop. Hermès has two new bands — H Diagonal and Gourmette Metal.

Overall

There new Crash Detection and the temperature sensor could make the Apple Watch Series 8 a must-buy, and it includes upgrades that came with Series 7, like more durability and a larger screen size. But there aren’t as many big changes as you saw with Series 7.

Overall (cont.)

So if you have a Series 7 and like it, you might be fine holding out for the Apple Watch Ultra on Sept. 23 or next year’s version. But if you want the latest tech (and Crash Detection is nothing to sneeze at) and have an older model, the Series 8 will give you everything from 7 and more.