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Can only be distinguished from its predecessor by the color of the case: Apple Watch Series 8
Photo: Matthias Kremp / DER SPIEGEL
The least important news first: The new Apple Watch Series 8 also packs a new chip, the S8.
According to Apple, it is 20 percent faster than its predecessor.
In daily use of the new model, I didn't feel any of this, even the S7 in the Apple Watch 7 - I leave out the addition "Series" in the rest of this text for the sake of simplicity - leaves nothing to be desired.
It ensures that everything you do on Apple's smartwatch is implemented almost immediately.
So the upgraded chip is nice, but not essential.
The now possible measurement of skin temperature is more interesting.
This is initially used primarily to subsequently assess when users of the Watch 8 ovulated.
This in turn should help to estimate fertile phases.
However, Apple insists that this technology is not a contraceptive aid.
The sensors should also not be confused with a thermometer, because the body temperature cannot be measured with it at the push of a button.
Instead, the watch only measures the temperature on the wrist during sleep and does not give any absolute values in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Instead, it sets an "initial state" and shows deviations from this average, which is calculated for the first time after five nights.
It takes even longer before you get the first indication of a possible ovulation, namely two menstrual cycles.
The fact that all of this only works if you wear the watch to sleep every night also shows how long the company is preparing for new functions.
Nighttime temperature tracking wouldn't be possible without the sleep tracking that was introduced with watchOS 7 and the fast charge feature that came with the Watch 7.
It remains to be seen whether the measurements can be used for other evaluations with future software updates.
Apple itself already notes that changes in body temperature at night can also be caused by intensive training or jet lag, for example.
Crash, boom, bang
The second innovation that you can only use with an Apple Watch 8 but do not want to use is accident detection.
Just like the new iPhones, the Apple Watch 8 should be able to detect when you have been in a car accident by measuring various parameters.
And just like Apple's smartphones, it can also make an emergency call in such a case, unless you confirm within ten seconds that you are still able to do so yourself.
Since I mostly travel by bike and would not have liked to sacrifice my car for a crash test, I did not try out whether and how well it works to be on the safe side.
Hold on a little longer
What I did try, however, is the battery life, which Apple conservatively states as "up to 18 hours."
How far you actually get depends massively on how intensively you use the watch.
After a lazy day and night, my test device showed 42 percent remaining capacity the following morning.
On the other hand, after hours of bike training, I had to recharge it before bed to keep it going through the night.
What I wasn't able to test sufficiently in the few days with the new Watch 8 was the new power-saving mode, in which the watch should last up to 36 hours.
To achieve this, the always-on display and heart rate measurement are switched off in the background.
I could have really used that on my bike tour lasting several weeks in the summer.
Like most of the other features the Watch 8 is advertised with, however, the power saving mode is not exclusive to the new model.
Rather, older Apple smartwatches from Series 4 onwards also benefit from this after they have installed the update to watchOS 9.
As if that weren't enough, this update also brings new watch faces, a new compass app, new training features, international roaming and the ability to get directions if you get lost on a trip.
I'll take a look at all of this with the Apple Watch Ultra, which will be available a little later than the Watch 8 and its cheaper offshoot, the Apple Watch SE.
Conclusion
Why reinvent the wheel when things are already running smoothly anyway?
This is how you could describe Apple's Watch 8 in short.
It continues the successful concept of the Series 7 with just two additional functions, looks good, has a great display and can be equipped with a number of apps.
Just like its predecessors, it has to be charged every day if you don't use the power saving mode.
And, just like the iPhones, it has unfortunately become more expensive, even the cheapest version costs 499 euros, which is 70 euros more than its predecessor a year ago.
If you have an Apple Watch but don't want to spend that much, you have to go for the Watch SE.
It has a smaller display, no temperature measurement and fewer other functions, but the same chip and the same watchOS 9 as the Watch 8. Above all, it has the same price as 2021: at 299 euros, it is significantly cheaper than the larger models.
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