© Jon Prosser
The Apple Watch Series 8 will be official soon. As the September keynote is fast approaching, we summarize all the information available on Apple’s new connected watches.
True to form, Apple is preparing to announce a new generation of connected watches, the Apple Watch Series 8. This year, the Cupertino giant must make visible changes to its offer. On previous iterations, Apple has indeed been content with minor novelties.
For example, the Apple Watch Series 7 only stands out thanks to a larger screen, a thinner design, faster charging and a more robust shell. The connected watch did not augur any new functionality dedicated to health. Similarly, the Series 6 used the same recipe as the Series 5. On the aesthetic side, the design has changed little since the first generation, launched in 2015. In 2022, it is therefore high time for Apple to renew its connected watches. to keep up with the competition.
Three editions on the program for 2022
For the first time, the Californian brand would offer three different models. According to rumors, Apple would market a standard Apple Watch, a more affordable Apple Watch SE, and a Watch Pro, more resistant to the vagaries of everyday life.
Note that this is not the first time that the brand has launched an SE stamped watch. Announced in autumn 2020 alongside the Series 6, the SE is distinguished by a reduced price (299 euros) and the absence of the most sophisticated features. The watch is content with the most essential options, such as the heart monitor.
The big news this year comes mainly from the Apple Watch Series 8 Pro, sometimes referred to as the Apple Watch Explorer Edition. According to rumors, this version would be primarily intended for athletes. Thanks to a stronger shell, it would be able to survive drops and scratches better than other editions.
An angular design inspired by iPhones?
Apple could inaugurate a new design on its Apple Watch. After several generations of status quo, the brand would bring the aesthetics of its watches closer to that of iPhones and iPads. Instead of the curved edges of previous smartwatches, Apple would bet on an angular look. The slices around the touch screen would now be flat, like on the iPhone. Appearing on iPhones and iPads in 2020, this visual language is inspired by old iPhones, such as the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4.
At the moment, the leaks still tend to contradict each other. While some insiders expect an all-new aesthetic, others think Apple should stick with the same design as last year. Things should gradually clear up as we approach the September keynote.
Anyway, the digital crown, the selection wheel, would be back. It has been present since the first Apple Watch. The operation of the watch should therefore not change this year. There would be no Touch ID sensor or camera, two additions often represented in the renderings.
As in previous years, Apple is expected to cover the Apple Watch Series 8 with aluminum or stainless steel. The steel models are obviously more expensive than the aluminum versions. Except surprise, the steel would this time be reserved for the Pro version. Apple would no longer use titanium to manufacture its connected watches.
Among the changes to the program, the leakers also expect a larger screen. A slab of up to 1.99 inches would cover the Pro version. For its part, the case would climb around 50 mm, against 45 mm or 41 mm for the Series 7.
Seven colors would be on the program of the Series 8: midnight, starlight, red and silver. The stainless steel model would be entitled to silver, graphite and gold.
New sensors dedicated to health
Health has become Apple’s spearhead. With the Apple Watch, the brand boasts of providing a tool that saves lives. The latest generations include a host of sensors intended to monitor the state of health of the wearer, such as an oximeter, an electrocardiogram (ECG) or even a fall detector.
With the Series 8, Apple could usher in the arrival of a temperature sensor. Mirroring certain connected watches, such as the Galaxy Watch 5 from Samsung, the Apple Watch could carry a thermometer. This tool would warn the user if he has a fever. On the other hand, the sensor would not be able to accurately know the temperature of the wearer’s body.
Small disappointment, the blood pressure sensor, expected for several years, would again be absent subscribers. Apple would have encountered difficulties in integrating the blood pressure monitor. According to the leaks, the sensor would not meet Apple’s requirements. It would lack precision. It would take a few more years for the Apple Watch to get a blood pressure monitor.
Better autonomy?
It is rumored that the Apple Watch Series 8 will offer better autonomy than their predecessors. If the standard version should offer similar endurance to the Series 7, the Pro version could do well with a range of several days. Apple would integrate an imposing battery, which partly explains the alleged thickness of this edition.
The Cupertino giant would also have developed a low consumption mode for WatchOS 9. Exclusive to the future range, it would reduce the energy consumption of the watch by disabling certain options. The mode is intended to be different from the Reserve option. Present on Apple Watch since 2015, this feature deactivates all options (applications, messages, etc.) to display only the essentials: the time. The new low-power mode is different. It would be possible to use the apps when it is activated.
Within the Apple Watch Series 8, we should find the SoC Apple S8. This news would be present in the three models of this end of the year, including the SE version. The SoC should offer increased performance and help reduce energy consumption. We should find this same chip at the heart of the future HomePod 2, whose development is underway.
What prices for the Apple Watch Series 8?
Determined to seduce a wide range of consumers, Apple will decline its offer in three price strata. The standard Apple Watch Series 8 should be marketed at a price close to that of the previous models.
More basic, the Apple Watch SE 2 should be offered at a starting price of around 300 euros. For its part, the Pro version promises to be more expensive than the other references. Rumors speak of a price of around 900 euros. The price list would therefore vary between 300 and 900 euros.
Keynote in September 2022
Except surprise, Apple will present the new Apple Watch in September 2022. Like every year, the brand should organize a keynote at the beginning of the month. In the process, Tim Cook and his teams will present the iPhone 14, his new high-end smartphones. It is rumored that the AirPods Pro 2, new headphones with active noise reduction, would also be in the game.
The presentation would take place on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. The keynote would start at 7 p.m. Paris time. If Apple stays true to its habits, pre-orders will open on Friday, September 9, 2022, at 2 p.m. The connected watches should then arrive in stores on Friday, September 16, 2022. Please note that Apple may change its schedule, for example if the production of certain editions is delayed. This year, Apple’s factories have suffered many disruptions, in particular because of the confinements in China and the crisis in Taiwan. A delay is therefore not impossible.