Here’s What You Need To Know About The Apple Watch Series 8 And Apple Watch SE Sport

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch SE, both of which include an Always-On Retina display, a crack-resistant front crystal, and other features.

According to Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operations officer, the Apple Watch Series 8 expands on best-in-class health and safety features like the ECG app and fall detection with temperature sensing capabilities, retroactive ovulation estimations, Crash Detection, and international roaming.

The new Apple Watch SE includes the core Apple Watch experience, such as activity tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, and Emergency SOS, as well as a new Crash Detection function and a newly redesigned rear shell. Both models run watchOS 9, which introduces new and more configurable watch faces including Lunar and Metropolitan, as well as an improved Workout app, sleep phases, an AFib History function, and an all-new Medications app. Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE are available for pre-order now, with availability commencing on Friday, September 16.

TEMPERATURE SENSOR

The Apple Watch Series 8 features boasts a new temperature-sensing capabilities that provide ladies greater information into their health. Williams claims that their two-sensor design reduces bias from the outside world by placing one sensor on the back of the watch, closest to the skin, and another right under the display.

CRASH DETECTION

To enable Crash Detection, Apple created a sophisticated sensor-fusion algorithm that takes use of a new, more powerful gyroscope and accelerometer on the Apple Watch, which now has the largest dynamic range accelerometer in any wristwatch, according to Williams. Data from these new motion sensors was collected at professional crash test facilities with popular passenger vehicles in simulated real-world collisions, including head-on, rear-end, side-impact, and rollovers, to construct the algorithm. Aside from motion data,

Collision Detection employs the iPhone's barometer, GPS, and microphone as inputs to detect distinctive patterns that might indicate whether a serious crash has occurred. When the Apple Watch senses a serious vehicle accident, it will check in with the user and contact 911 if they are unresponsive after a 10-second countdown. The user's device location is sent to emergency responders and shared with the user's emergency contacts.

When a major automobile collision is detected, the emergency services call interface appears on Apple Watch since it is likely to be closer to the user, but the call is sent through iPhone if it is in range for the best possible connection.

WATCHOS 9 FEATURES

Apple says the latest software, watchOS 9, brings new features and enhanced experiences to the world’s leading wearable operating system:

• With international roaming coming later this fall, users can stay connected to a cellular network while traveling abroad. Plans can be extended to Apple Watch from iPhone for little or no additional fee and will be available with over 30 carriers worldwide.4
• Users who are diagnosed with AFib can turn on the FDA-cleared AFib Histor5feature and access important information, including an estimate of how frequently their heart rhythm shows signs of AFib.
• The completely redesigned Compass app in watchOS 9 surfaces more in-depth information and three distinct views. The app displays a new hybrid view that simultaneously shows both an analog compass dial and a digital view. Turning the Digital Crown reveals an additional view that includes latitude, longitude, elevation, and incline, as well as an orienteering view showing Compass Waypoints and Backtrack. 
• The Workout app in watchOS 9 includes new in-session views, such as Segments, Splits, and Elevation, that offer more precise workout data. Users can also improve their training with advanced workout experiences, including Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, Pacer, and, coming later this year,
• Sleep tracking in watchOS 9 provides even more insights with the introduction of sleep stages. Apple Watch uses signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor to estimate when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep. Sleep stage data can be viewed directly on Apple Watch in the Sleep app, and users can view more detailed information in the Health app on iPhone, including interactive sleep stages charts, as well as time asleep alongside heart rate or respiratory rate, in sleep comparison charts.
• The new Medications experience on Apple Watch and iPhone helps users manage and track their medications, vitamins, and supplements, allowing them to create a medications list, set up schedules and reminders, and view information on their medications in the Health app.

APPLE WATCH SERIES 8 LINEUP

Apple Watch Series 8 will be available across a range of case finishes, colors, and band types. The smartwatch comes in aluminum and stainless steel cases in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, and is compatible with all bands. 

Aluminum case colors for Apple Watch Series 8 include starlight, midnight, silver, and (PRODUCT)RED, while the stainless steel case offers silver, graphite, and gold. With Apple Watch Studio, Apple Watch Series 8 can be paired with any available band in the same collection. 

Apple Watch Nike and Apple Watch Hermès will also debut new bands and watch faces this fall. 

APPLE WATCH SE 

Upgrades in the new Apple Watch SE include the S8 SiP advanced dual-core processor, the same processor that is in Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, making it 20% faster than the previous generation, along with Crash Detection and international roaming.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

• Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more than 40 other countries and regions can order Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 16.
• Apple Watch Series 8 starts at US$399 and Apple Watch SE starts at $249.
• Apple Watch Nike bands and Apple Watch Hermès bands will be available to order today from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 16.
• watchOS 9 will be available for Apple Watch Series 4 and later on Monday, September 12, and requires iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later running iOS 16. Not all features are available on all devices and in all regions.
• Three months of Apple Fitness+ are included for customers who purchase Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, or Apple Watch Ultra, or new purchases of Apple Watch Series 4 or later.