For those who’re eager to put money into the most recent smartwatch, there are a number of Apple Watch choices to contemplate, together with the Apple Watch Extremely, Apple Watch SE, and the Apple Watch Sequence 8. Right here we’ve taken a better take a look at the Apple Watch Sequence 8, which comes with a bunch of strap choices and a trendy All the time-On Retina show.
For those who’re already an iPhone consumer, combining your smartphone with one of many newest Apple watches is smart. From $399 or $16.62 monthly, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 is Apple’s mid-range smartwatch that comes full of a number of high-end options.
We used the Apple Watch Sequence 8 over the course of six months to see how effectively it may improve our each day routine, if it spurred us on to achieve our health targets, and discover out if it has any helpful options that guarantee its place among the many greatest health trackers.
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Key data
- Superior Well being Options – Blood Oxygen and ECG apps
- Temperature sensing for Cycle Monitoring
- Crash Detection for assist in an emergency
- Household Setup – pair a number of watches with one iPhone
- All the time-On Retina show as much as 1,000 nits brightness
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Design
Powered by watchOS 9, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 is a pleasure to have a look at with a design you’ll need to showcase. It is available in a alternative of seven case finishes, and you’ll personalize it with a strap kind and coloration to fit your fashion. For those who’re in a playful temper, chances are you’ll need to go for a Starlight Aluminium Case with Braided Solo Loop in an orange colorway, for instance, or for one thing extra fashionable but nonetheless sensible, attempt the Starlight Aluminium Case with Starlight Sport Band.
Whereas the watch designs go well with each day to nighttime apparel, for one thing that appears excellent for night put on, chances are you’ll need to go for a stainless-steel or brown leather-based strap, which seems to be beautiful towards the retina show. The watch is available in two sizes to suit totally different wrist sizes, and you’ll select from a 41mm or 45mm case. If, like us, you’re not used to sporting a watch and don’t need something in your wrist that feels too cumbersome, chances are you’ll need to select the 41mm design.
Whereas it’s not as rugged because the Apple Watch Extremely, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 is lighter in design, but each have been designed to be sturdy and stand up to a variety of conditions. The Apple Watch Sequence 8 is crack-resistant, mud and waterproof as much as 50 meters, for instance, whereas the Apple Watch Extremely will take you slightly deeper to 100m. Both manner, this implies you received’t must take off the watch while you’re washing up, within the bathe, or going for a swim.
We discovered the Apple Watch Sequence 8 All the time-On Retina show clear and brilliant with slender borders that curve fantastically proper to the sides, and this offers practically 20% extra display screen space than the Apple Watch SE. So if a crisp and easy-to-read display screen is especially essential to you, that is the design to contemplate.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Set-up
As with most units within the Apple household, we discovered it simple to begin utilizing the Apple Watch Sequence 8. To set it up, we wanted an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later. We would have liked to replace our iPhone to the most recent model of iOS earlier than we started to arrange, activate Bluetooth, and hook up with WiFi. We discovered pairing up the Apple Watch with our iPhone easy by holding the 2 close to to one another.
We waited for the ‘Use your iPhone to arrange this Apple Watch’ message to look and adopted the step-by-step directions to set it up. You’ll be able to choose your watch orientation inside the app so the display screen is optimized for left or right-hand use. Once we first wore the Apple Sequence 8 watch, it took some getting used to. Not one for sporting a watch all day lengthy, we discovered ourselves subconsciously eradicating it, particularly when washing up, because it felt slightly cumbersome and tight.
The watch is waterproof and might get moist up to some extent, nonetheless, which is a giant bonus as to get the most effective stats and knowledge from the watch, you’ll must hold it on as a lot as potential. We used the Water Lock mode when going close to water, which prevents the display screen from responding to the touch on its show and ejects any water in its speaker afterward – a conscious contact that can hopefully extend the lifetime of the machine. Throughout the testing interval, we went for a number of weeks with out utilizing it.
Once we got here to sporting the watch once more, we discovered it wasn’t monitoring actively and precisely and wanted an replace to repair any glitches. The Watch app in your smartphone ought to robotically recommend updates, but when you should do it manually, you’ll be able to replace the Apple Watch at any time when you should. Merely open the Apple Watch app in your iPhone and faucet the ‘My Watch’ tab, then go to ‘Basic’ and ‘Software program Replace.’
(Picture credit score: Apple)
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Efficiency
As soon as we’d paired the cellphone to the Watch app on our iPhone, it mirrored nearly all of apps on our smartphone. For instance, we may entry apps corresponding to Pockets for Apple Pay, Amazon Music, and Podcasts, however we couldn’t see WhatsApp or the Ring doorbell app, nonetheless. We did obtain notifications from the Ring doorbell on the smartwatch through our smartphone every time somebody rang the doorbell, however the slight delay did make it exhausting for us to reply from our iPhone in time.
Throughout the Watch app, you’ll be able to select to have your appropriate apps listed on the Sequence 8 in alphabetical order or positioned in a grid view on the watch face. We discovered the listing view a lot simpler to navigate and scroll by way of over the relatively complicated grid view. Utilizing the Watch app, we may set the Apple Watch Sequence 8 to have a number of face choices and use our personal pictures as a watch face.
We additionally added the delicate ‘Metropolitan’ design and the sporty ‘Exercise’ design into the combo – the latter of which makes it simple to see how far you’ve progressed along with your each day health targets (extra on that under). We additionally loved utilizing the ‘Breathe’ face, which guides you thru a brief deep respiration sequence every time you elevate your wrist.
With health monitoring at its coronary heart, the Apple Watch Sequence 8 is designed to get you to often transfer, stand and train and observe all of the methods you’re lively. It’s similar to the Apple Watch Sequence 7 however does have a number of new options value shouting about. It has a two-sensor design, so you should use it in your wrist to take an ECG, measure your blood oxygen and coronary heart price, and observe nightly temperature adjustments.
It really works effectively for anybody wanting to trace their ovulation cycle or plan for a household, as you should use it alongside the Cycle Monitoring app on the Apple Watch Sequence 8 to realize perception into your menstrual cycle. Like most health-tracking wearables, you’ll want a great month of sporting it to get the most effective information.
(Picture credit score: Apple)
Whereas all this well being monitoring might sound intense, we discovered it surprisingly insightful, and the data slightly bit addictive. We discovered ourselves randomly monitoring our blood oxygen ranges intermittently by way of the day and going exterior for a breath of recent air if it was barely decrease than the final studying, for instance. The Apple Watch Sequence 8 is designed to inspire you to get shifting extra and labored effectively for us once we’d been sitting watching TV for too lengthy too.
For those who subscribe to the Health+ app (free for the primary three months on eligible units), you’ll be able to take heed to exercises in your watch through your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV too. You’ll be able to then see private metrics in your Apple Watch Sequence 8 – corresponding to coronary heart price and energy burned – whilst you’re figuring out. For those who’d relatively not signal as much as Health+, you should use the Exercise App in your watch each time you’re employed out, the place you’ll be able to set a customized exercise or set targets.
We discovered this a terrific motivator when working, spinning, and strolling. We additionally loved checking in on the Exercise app on the Apple Watch Sequence 8 that shows three rings that shut while you meet your personal set targets. The crimson ring confirmed us how a lot we’d moved and what number of energy we’d burned that day, whereas the inexperienced ring confirmed us what number of minutes of brisk exercise we’d performed. So at any time when we had been at a spin class or out strolling, we may observe this on the app to progress and shut the ring.
The blue ring confirmed us what number of hours within the day we had stood and moved per hour, and at any time when we had been sat typing away for slightly too lengthy, we had been helpfully nudged to maneuver or stand. That mentioned, the watch additionally does an excellent job of attempting to get you to decelerate. You should utilize it to entry a sleep tracker and mindfulness app that reminds you that it’s essential additionally to be nonetheless and produce your consideration to your breath.
Apple Watch Sequence 8 additionally comes with a brand new Crash Detection function that is ready to detect whether or not you’re in a automotive crash and robotically connects you to emergency providers. Luckily, we didn’t get a chance to check this function, however we are able to think about it could are available very helpful ought to the unthinkable occur. One other function value noting is how handy we discovered the look ahead to receiving notifications, calls, and messages once we’d misplaced our iPhones.
Each time our iPhone rang, we may reply it on the watch, and though the notifications coming by way of had been slightly hit or miss relying on our location, it was good to have the watch as an iPhone backup for hands-free use. It’s also possible to use the watch to seek out units corresponding to your keys or smartphone and vice versa, and this got here in helpful once we had been in a rush to go away the home.
We additionally loved utilizing the watch as an iPhone digicam distant to take pictures on the iPhone from a distance – this labored significantly effectively once we had the entire household over and wished to take a gaggle shot with out somebody having to stretch out their arm to take action.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Sustainability & longevity
You’ll must cost the Apple Watch Sequence 8 each day, very like you’d your smartphone. Not like a Fitbit battery life – which, when new, can final between 5 and 7 days – the Apple Watch Sequence 8 will final for as much as 18 hours. This all is determined by how a lot you utilize it, nonetheless.
It took us some time to get into the behavior of charging up the watch each evening, however as soon as we received right into a routine of charging it alongside our iPhone, it appeared to work effectively for us. One factor to recollect is that if you wish to take advantage of sleep information and temperature sensing to trace your cycle, you’ll must put on the watch at evening. This implies you’ll must attempt to discover a handy time to cost the watch that works round this.
(Picture credit score: Apple Watch SE)
Apple Watch Sequence 8 vs Apple Watch SE
A step up from the Apple Watch Sequence 7, the most recent Apple Watch Sequence 8 comes with improved options corresponding to temperature sensing and superior Cycle Monitoring, as we’ve touched on above. Each the Apple Watch Sequence 8 and Apple Watch SE had been launched across the identical time and include sensors to watch your well being, health, and security. The Apple Watch Sequence 8 has 20% extra display screen space than the Apple Watch SE and, in contrast to the SE, features a Blood Oxygen and ECG app as commonplace.
Whereas the Apple Watch SE might not supply as many high-tech show, battery, or sensor options because the Apple Watch Sequence 8, it’s the extra inexpensive of the 2 choices and has all of the fundamentals you should hold observe of your health. Each telephones supply Household Setup, which implies you’ll be able to pair watches to your youngsters and older adults to your iPhone while not having a further smartphone.
Apple Watch Sequence 8: Our verdict
We discovered the Apple Watch Sequence 8 enjoyable to make use of and suppose it presents a lot greater than a typical health tracker. For those who’re already an iPhone 8 or later consumer, we predict you’ll discover the Apple Watch Sequence 8 full of helpful and informative options. And for those who’re new to the Apple ecosystem, there are many benefits to investing on this smartwatch, however you will have to put money into an appropriate wi-fi service plan for mobile service.
In brief, we discovered the Apple Sequence 8 helpful as a pure extension of our iPhone, so we may make and obtain calls, verify messages, and electronic mail on the go with out reaching for our iPhone. We discovered the on-board sensors on the Apple Watch Sequence 8 that monitor your well being, health, and security reassuring, and the data empowered us to make constructive adjustments – be it to maneuver extra, stand once we’d been sitting at our desk for too lengthy or go to mattress earlier and get extra sleep.
It took us some time to get used to sporting the watch, cost it often, and ensure its software program was often up to date, however we loved its health and well-being advantages, and it undoubtedly made us extra conscious of the must be extra lively. That mentioned, on the times once we obtained a notification to inform us that we’d ‘had a laid-back day yesterday’ and that we wanted to ‘make it occur right this moment,’ we had been in a position to merely flip off the machine and get again to stress-free. And, fortunately for now, being the boss of your expertise and making it give you the results you want as and while you need is the most effective bit.
