Design and Build

The Apple Watch Series 8 comes with either a 41mm or 45mm case and is made of aluminum or stainless steel. The thickness is also 10.7mm. The 41mm model weighs 31.9g (aluminum, GPS) or 42.3g (stainless steel), while the 45mm model weighs 38.8g (aluminum, GPS) or 51.5g (stainless steel). The colors are Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (PRODUCT)RED (aluminum), and Silver, Graphite (stainless steel). The watch will be best suitable for wrists that have dimensions between 130mm and 200mm (41mm) or 140mm and 245mm (45mm) and can be used with a Digital Crown, side button, and band release. The sapphire crystal front and ceramic back offer 50m water resistance and IP6X dust resistance. It is thicker than the Series 10, but its luxurious feel has been widely acclaimed, although a few users have experienced a new feature wristband.

• Aluminum or stainless steel chassis, 10.7mm depth
• Digital Crown, side button, band release
• Sapphire crystal front, ceramic back
• 50m water resistance, IP6X dust resistance
• No titanium option

Apple Watch Series 8 Display

The Series 8 comes with an LTPO OLED Retina display with 352 x 430 pixels (41mm, 904 sq mm) or 396 x 484 pixels (45mm, 1143 sq mm), both at ~326 PPI. This one has 1000 nits brightness and 1Hz–60Hz variable refresh rate for always-on functionality. The screen is vivid but not as big as the Ultra models. Even the clarity is great for everyone, still, the majority of people are eager to have a larger, brighter Series 10’s screen.

• LTPO OLED Retina, always-on, 1Hz–60Hz
• 41mm: 352 x 430, 45mm: 396 x 484, ~326 PPI
• Up to 1000 nits
• Sapphire crystal protection
• Smaller than Ultra

Performance and Software

The Series 8, which is run by the S8 SiP with a 64-bit dual-core processor, is equipped with 32GB of storage and has watchOS 9 pre-installed, which is upgradable to watchOS 11. The S8 SoC can handle the performance of the Ultra option by enabling features like Crash Detection and allowing temperature-based Cycle Tracking but does not have some of the characteristics of the Double Tap like the Neural Engine. The watch is in fact not faster than the S9 from the 9th generation. Most users say that it is very convenient when it comes to its smooth operation; however it is their phone that is mainly relied on.

• S8 SiP, 64-bit dual-core
• 32GB storage
• watchOS 9 (up to watchOS 11)
• Crash Detection, Cycle Tracking
• No Neural Engine or Double Tap

The S8 ensures reliable performance, with watchOS 11 adding sleep apnea detection, but it’s less advanced than Series 9.

Sensors and Health

The Series 8 features a blood oxygen sensor (which is no longer in US models post-Jan 18, 2024), a third-generation optical heart sensor, an electrical heart sensor (ECG), a temperature sensor, a high-g accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, and an always-on altimeter. It is capable of detecting sleep apnea, performing Cycle Tracking, and Crash Detection. The majority of people acknowledge that the Series 8’s health features are plentiful and helpful, but it is also noted that it does not support measuring blood oxygen in the U.S.

• Blood oxygen (limited regions), ECG, heart rate
• Temperature sensor
• Sleep apnea detection, Cycle Tracking
• High-g accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
• Always-on altimeter

Battery and Charging

The Series 8 will give you around 18 hours of battery life with a 308mAh battery. It is also compatible with fast charging that can be done according to the CSIPS 2.0 standard (0–80% in ~45min) via a Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable. It has been found out that the actual usage is only 14–16 hours which are the same as the Series 9. The charging speed of the Series 8 has proved much faster than that of the SE models but still slower than that of the Ultra models. Users state that since the charging rate is consistent, daily charging is not problematic.

• 308mAh battery
• ~18h (normal), ~36h (Low Power)
• Fast charging: 0–80% in ~45min
• Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C
• No wireless power sharing

Connectivity

The Series 8 supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.3, L1 GPS, LTE (cellular models, $499+), second-generation Ultra Wideband, and Apple Pay. It lacks Series 10’s voice isolation. Connectivity is reliable, with GPS for fitness tracking, but it misses Wi-Fi 6. Users report stable LTE and Bluetooth, similar to Series 9.

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.3
• L1 GPS, LTE (cellular models)
• Second-generation Ultra Wideband
• Apple Pay, GymKit
• No voice isolation

Pricing and Availability

Launched at $399 (41mm, GPS, aluminum), the Series 8 hit the shelves on September 16, 2022, through Apple, network providers, and stores. Cellular models increase to $100, and stainless steel models from $699. The line was terminated in September 2023, and you can buy a refurbished one from $300 to $500. People perceive it as a moderate choice for health tracking while also indicating the new chip of Series 9.