The new Apple Watch Series 8 has key improvements for health and safety — here are its best new features
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Apple
- On Wednesday, Apple debuted the Apple Watch Series 8, which will release on September 16th.
- New features in the Apple Watch Series 8 include a temperature sensor and car crash detection.
- The Series 8 isn't a big upgrade compared to the Series 7, so it might not be worth the price for existing Watch owners.
This is shaping up to be a big year for the Apple Watch. At their "Far Out" event on Wednesday, Apple announced three new versions of the wildly popular smartwatch, including the Apple Watch Series 8.
The Series 8 is the latest model in the mainline Apple Watch series, and Apple is giving it a lot of fanfare. But compared to previous versions, we're not convinced that the Series 8 is a considerable enough update to be worth upgrading to.
Here's a quick guide to the Apple Watch Series 8's best new features, so you can decide for yourself whether it's worth the money.
A built-in temperature sensor
The Series 8 has two temperature trackers built into its frame: One on the bottom touching your skin, and another right below the screen.
These sensors will track your body temperature over time. Apple notes that at night, your Watch will record your temperature every five seconds.
It'll use this data to alert you if your temperature rises or falls to dangerous levels, like if you have a fever.
New period-tracking tools
The Apple Watch has had cycle tracking features for a few years, but the new temperature sensor brings it to a new level.
Your Watch will use the overnight temperature data to detect biphasic shifts. It'll also notify you if it finds an irregularity in your menstrual cycles.
All this data is end-to-end encrypted, meaning that Apple can't see any of it — you're the only one who has access. And you can choose what data gets synced to iCloud, and what stays only on your device.
Car crash detection
A new force sensor lets the Apple Watch Series 8 detect when you've been in a car crash.
When the Series 8 senses that you've come to a sudden stop, there's been a change in air pressure (from an air bag expanding), and the microphone hears a crash, your Watch will ask if you want to call emergency services and contacts. If you don't or can't respond, it'll call automatically after a few moments.
Car crash detection only turns on while you're driving, and the Watch can withstand forces upwards of 200 g.
A low-power mode that can run your Watch for 36 hours
Low Power Mode, a key feature on iPhones, is coming to the Apple Watch. And it's not exclusive to the Series 8: Low Power Mode will soon be available on every Watch since the Series 4.
Apple claims that a Series 8 Watch running on Low Power Mode can last for up to 36 hours from a full charge, up from the standard 18. It'll likely do this by dimming the screen and stopping apps from running in the background.
How much does the Apple Watch Series 8 cost?
The Apple Watch Series 8 will cost $399 for the standard GPS version, and $499 for the GPS + Cellular version. It'll be available on September 16th.
Is the Apple Watch Series 8 worth buying?
If you don't already own an Apple Watch, the Series 8 is worth the purchase for the everyday user looking for a powerful smartwatch that offers dynamic health and safety features.
If you already own a Series 7, however, the Series 8 is not a considerable upgrade from the preexisting features of the previous model.