Apple Watch Series 8: The Goldilocks Option

The best Apple Watch for most people

- ANGELA MOSCARITOLO

The Apple Watch Series 8 looks exactly like its predecessor, but it offers some notable health and safety improvements that weren’t available on last year’s model. Its biggest upgrade is the ability to measure and track changes in your body temperature while you sleep, with a dual-sensor design for more accurate readings. If you have a menstrual cycle, the Series 8 can use your body temperature data to estimate the date of your last ovulation. And on the safety front, the watch can detect whether you’ve been in a car crash and automatically call for help. With these upgrades, plus an already unrivaled user experience and app selection that’s further enhanced by watchOS 9, the Apple Watch Series 8 is still the best iPhone-compatible smartwatch for most buyers and remains our reigning Editors’ Choice.

PROS

• Overnight temperature sensing

• Car-crash detection

• Improved battery life • More accurate period predictions

CONS

• Same design as previous model

• Limited usefulness for retrospective ovulation estimates

THE BOTTOM LINE With new features such as body temperature sensing and car-crash detection, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the right choice for most smartwatch buyers.

APPLE WATCH SERIES 8 VS. ULTRA VS. SE

Starting at $399, the Series 8 sits in the middle of Apple’s smartwatch lineup, in between the rugged Apple Watch Ultra ($799) and the refreshed Apple Watch SE ($249).