Apple Watch 8: what we want to see

Date:
Sat, 16 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Apple Watch 8 is already being leaked, and we know what we want from it too.

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With the Apple Watch 7 now available were already turning our attention to
the Apple Watch 8, and were not alone there are several rumors about Apples next wearable already, even though it probably wont land before September 2022.

Below then youll find everything that weve heard so far about the Apple Watch 8, including information on the likely release date and price.

Then, further down youll find our wish list for what we want from this upgrade, because as good as the latest model is, our four-star Apple Watch 7 review shows that theres room for improvement.

Well also be updating this article whenever we hear anything new about the Apple Watch 8, so head back here often if you want to stay in the loop. Cut
to the chase What is it? The next numbered Apple Watch When is it out? Probably not until September 2022 How much will it cost? Likely around $399 / 369 / AU$599 Apple Watch 8 release date and price

Theres no news yet on when the Apple Watch 8 might be announced, but this is one thing that we can take a good guess at, as other than the original model theyve all been announced in September of their release years, and in most cases have gone on sale in the same month.

More specifically, based on past form wed expect Apple will unveil the Apple Watch 8 on either the first or second Tuesday in September, so September 6 or September 13. Theres a good chance that youll then be able to pre-order it on the Friday of that week (September 9 or 16) and that it will ship the following Friday (September 16 or 23).

Theres no guarantee of this, especially as the Apple Watch 7 didnt ship until October 15 of 2021, but that tends to be Apples pattern if nothing holds the company up.

We dont know what the Apple Watch 8 will cost either, but theres a good
chance it will have a similar price tag to the Apple Watch 7, meaning a starting price of around $399 / 369 / AU$599. A similar price to the Apple Watch 7 is likely (Image credit: TechRadar) News and rumors

There are already a few Apple Watch 8 rumors, including a suggestion that it might be bigger than the Apple Watch 7 .

This comes from a leaker whos been right about Apple things in the past, saying that there could be three - rather than two sizes for the Apple Watch 8, with the new one being a larger option. They dont say how big it would be, but wed take this with a pinch of salt given that the screen on the 45mm
Apple Watch 7 is already pretty big by smartwatch standards.

Next up, theres a claim that the Apple Watch 8 could include a body temperature sensor . This claim comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a great
track record for Apple leaks.

We know from patent applications that this is something Apple has been
working on, and it could be a useful feature to help you judge whether youre in a fit state to work out, as an elevated temperature could mean youre not
at your best or are even in the early stages of developing the flu or
another illness.

On a similar front, the Apple Watch 8 might be able to track some combination of blood pressure, blood sugar, and alcohol levels . That theory is based on Apple having become the biggest customer of a company that focuses on sensors to track those things.

However, while this suggests that Apple is seriously working on at least some of that, it doesnt guarantee that this will be ready for the Apple Watch 8.
We also wouldnt expect to see all of those sensors, with blood sugar tracking probably being the most likely, as that was previously rumored for inclusion in the Apple Watch 7. What we want to see

The Apple Watch 7 is in most ways a small upgrade on the Apple Watch 6 , so
we want more substantial changes for the Apple Watch 8, including the following things. 1. Better battery life (Image credit: TechRadar)

In our review we found that the Apple Watch 7 would tend to last over 24 hours, which is more than Apple claims and yet still not really enough, especially if you want to track your sleep, as that leaves you with no convenient time to juice it up.

When compared to some of the competition it looks even worse, with many wearables lasting days or even weeks though the longest-lasting ones dont tend to have as many features as Apples.

So for the Apple Watch 8 we want to see battery life substantially improved. Ideally it should be at least double what were getting with the Apple Watch
7, but thats probably not going to happen. 2. Improved workouts and sleep tracking

The Apple Watch 7 can track a sizable number of workouts, but it lacks some fairly core features when doing so. For example, when tracking a run, you
dont get heart rate alerts or interval sessions.

Similarly, while sleep tracking is present, it fails to provide much in the way of deep insights into either how you slept or how you could improve your sleep.

So wed like to see both of these things developed further for the Apple Watch 8. If Apple can do this as a software update for all the previous models too then all the better. 3. More health features (Image credit: TechRadar)

The Apple Watch 7 was quite light on new features, so we really feel like the Apple Watch 8 needs some bigger additions, and the obvious ones are health focused.

Weve heard rumors that it could have a body temperature sensor, a blood pressure monitor, a blood sugar monitor, or even the ability to track your alcohol levels, any or all of which would be nice to see. 4. A new look

Ahead of the Apple Watch 7s launch there were rumors that it could undergo a significant redesign, with flat edges in place of the rounded ones weve
become used to. And while the wearable did have some changes, all they really amounted to was a bigger screen and smaller bezels.

So for the Apple Watch 8 wed love to see the look substantially refreshed, be it with those flatter edges or some other changes. Because like the iPhone, the Apple Watch design is starting to feel a bit stale. 5. A better chipset

The Apple Watch 7 technically has a new chipset, but its basically the same
as the chipset in the Apple Watch 6, just redesigned to fit into the new chassis.

While this doesnt feel especially lacking for power, its a bit disappointing that Apple didnt continue to push things forward on this front, especially when other products like the iPhone 13 and iPad Pro 11 (2021) have had big chipset upgrades.

So were hopeful that the Apple Watch 8 will have a meaningfully new and
better chipset than the current model. Stock up on the best Apple Watch apps



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/apple-watch-8/


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