Apple Watch 8 and Apple Watch SE 2022, all the news and prices. Apple finally presented the Apple Watch Series 8. The debut took place on 7 September during the Far Out event during which the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro were also announced in addition to the Airpods Pro 2.
What’s new: looking for differences between iPhone 14 and iPhone 13
The rumors hit almost everything that marks the new edition of the Apple smartwatch, including the fact that the news would be very few and that the real news would be the new Apple Watch Ultra, the first important stylistic and functional evolution of its watch since moment of launch.
The name
As always, let’s start with the name. Apple has never changed the naming of its smartwatch since it was released, launching a new Apple Watch every year adding only a sequential number to the naming.
The first of the series simply took the name of Apple Watch, followed by Apple Watch Series 1 to Apple Watch 7. It happens this year too: Apple Watch 2022 edition is Apple Watch 8 or Apple Watch Series 8.
The Apple Watch 2022
But how many Apple Watch 2022 are there? The question in the past would have been pleonastic. Each year only one Apple Watch was launched in two sizes with differences only in materials and connectivity (only Wifi or even cellular) But recently things have changed. In 2020, Apple launched Apple Watch SE together with Apple Watch 7 and this year presented Apple Watch Ultra as mentioned. So in 2022 we have three new Apple Watches;
- Apple Watch Pro
- Apple Watch 8
- Apple Watch SE 2022
Apple Watch 8, same design, no color of the year
Last year, a drastic change was expected, with a flat design, which would have recalled the edges of the iPhone 12 and 13. This was not the case: in the Series 7 Apple has increased the size of the display, but not the general profile of the smartwatch.
Over the past few months, someone has cultivated there was a (very faint) hope that the square Apple Watch was not only in the imagination of the “deep throats”, based on the predictions of the respected analyst Ming Chi Kuo who said he was certain of the plan. edit to change the design. But dreams were shattered when it was learned that only the Apple Watch Ultra would have the new style.
In the end, Apple Watch 8 does not change at all from Apple Watch 7. The only notable thing from a style point of view is that the color of the year disappears. If in the iPhones we have purple, for Apple Watch 8 there are only the more traditional colors of the case even with different variations on the theme: silver, galaxy, midnight, Red; or for the version in steel, graphite, silver and gold. Recall that two years ago Apple Watch was launched in blue, last year in green, colors that had a corresponding in the iPhone world.
For the materials remain aluminum and steel. Say goodbye to Apple Watch Edition Titanium, the material from which Apple Watch Ultra is made.
New features
If the design does not change, the new functions as mentioned are very few compared to Apple Watch 7. In reality, there are also those that distinguish Apple Watch 8 from Apple Watch 7 on the fingertips of one hand. shape and with the current technological evolution Apple is finding it difficult to present something truly innovative? We will see next year …
Temperature sensor
An indiscretion revolved around a new sensor capable of detecting the user’s body temperature. Market analyst Kuo first launched the idea of this technology on Apple Watch, according to which it has been under study by Apple for some time, at least since 2019.
In practice, the sensor would have had the task of keeping a new vital parameter under control after the heart is functioning with an electrocardiogram (demonstration below) that has already contributed to saving lives and the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Apple Watch 8 materializes this prediction and does so respecting even the forecasts that seemed prudential: Apple Watch does not measure fever, as someone dared to hypothesize. At the moment it is used only to keep the ovulation cycle of the female public under control, a function that has been talked about for some time. In practice, it is a system for recording the basal temperature in an innovative way using night measurements.
After all, measuring the actual body temperature using a contact sensor would have been decidedly unreliable. The material Apple Watch is made of, the ambient temperature, the way the device is worn, the type of bracelet are all factors that would reduce the measurement to something just a little more scientific than putting your hand on your forehead to understand if you have a fever.
In the future, the temperature measurement could also be used for other purposes, for example to check performance in sportswear, by crossing the data collected with those coming from different sensors such as measuring oxygen in the blood and heart rate. But this is not the case this year.
Traffic accident detection
For years, Apple Watch has been able to detect when the wearer falls badly. In this situation, make an emergency call. Apple Watch 8 does the same thing by alerting you when a traffic accident occurs.
The function, also present in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, is based on the analysis of public domain data relating to real incidents that are compared with what the sensors perceive.
Apple Watch 8 understands when an accident occurs thanks to a new high-g accelerometer is able to record strong accelerations or decelerations up to 256 g, reads sudden changes of direction thanks to a high dynamic range gyroscope and detects pressure changes in the passenger compartment due to pressure changes caused by the deployment of the airbags. Finally, the microphone is able to identify the sound levels resulting from a collision.
In cases like these Apple Watch, the phone asks the user for confirmation of the event. If there is no response to the requests, an emergency call is automatically initiated. Operators will receive the location of the device, which is also shared with the user’s emergency contacts.
When a major car accident is detected, the emergency services call interface appears on Apple Watch as it is probably the closest device to you, while the call is forwarded via iPhone if it is within range. coverage to ensure the best possible connection.
Energy saving mode
One of the announced features of the Apple Watch 8 was low power consumption. Mark Gurman, the main source of rumors about Apple Watch, spoke about it, according to which it would be announced with the definitive launch of watchOS 9 and the arrival of the new Apple Watch Series 8. The confirmation comes from a precise track in the beta of watchOS 9 This mode, which is called Energy Saving, arrives in Apple Watch 8 of which, however, it is not an exclusive.
Once activated, the battery can last, at least on the Apple Watch 8, up to 36 hours in Power Saver mode.
It must be said that Apple Watch already integrates the Low consumption option which is called power reserve thanks to which it is possible to view the time without reducing the battery life but with this mode Apple Watch and iPhone do not communicate and it is not possible to access the others watch functions. The improved new Power Saving Mode allows the use of apps and other features in power saving mode, with little impact on battery life.
The new S8 processor
A novelty… halfway up for Apple Watch 8 is processor. The integrated package that includes all the calculation functions called S7, has been replaced by S8. Apple did not say anything specific about it at the event, but mention can be found in the specifications published on the Apple website
Apple did not speak explicitly because evolution is probably so minimal that it does not deserve mention. After all, previously rumors on this topic when it came to saying what differences there were between S7 and S8 oscillated between very few and “nothing”
It is possible that the main function of the new SIP S8 is to manage new functions including new sensors such as temperature sensors and those for detecting accidents. But as there are no other news, Apple preferred not to say anything
Apple Watch SE 2
Apple has also updated the Apple Watch SE by replacing it with an Apple Watch SE 2, a product that was quite successful when it launched two years ago.
What’s new in Apple watch SE 2022
Apple Watch Se 2022 edition paradoxically has more influential news than the previous 2020 edition for most people than Apple Watch 8 does compared to Apple Watch 8.
The new model has the same processor as Apple Watch Series 8. It previously used SIP5, so here Apple can let us know that the processor is 20% faster.
Apple Watch SE has a small stylistic variation on the back which is nylon composite material, which makes it even lighter, coordinated with the color of the case.
For the rest, nothing new capable of bringing it closer to Apple Watch Series 8. No O₂ Level Sensor, no electric heart rate monitor, no display is always active and not even larger dimensions.
Apple Watch prices
Apple Watch Series 8 is priced from € 509 for the 41mm version to € 549 for the 45mm version. Previously these two versions of Apple Watch 7 cost 435 and 469 mm; there is therefore a more tangible increase than what is perceived in the iPhone price lists, of 17%. To get the version with cellular network you spend € 50 more
Apple Watch 8 with steel case and cellular network costs 909 euros against 789 euros (+ 15%) of Apple Watch 7 not too far from Apple Watch Ultra (1009 €)
Apple Watch SE in the 40mm version instead has a price starting from € 309, the same as the previous model. The 44mm version costs 349 euros instead of 339 euros.
