This communicative is portion of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET's postulation of news, tips and proposal astir Apple's astir fashionable product.

Apple's caller smartwatches person arrived, which means you're astir apt wondering: Should you upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 8? 

As is typically the lawsuit erstwhile deciding to upgrade, the reply volition beryllium connected which Apple Watch you presently own. The Series 8 introduces somesthesia sensing and car-crash detection, on with a refreshed processor. But adjacent with those improvements, the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 6 still person plentifulness of beingness near successful them, meaning you don't person to upgrade conscionable yet if you person either of these watches. 

That's particularly existent since Apple typically introduces galore caller features successful bundle updates similar WatchOS 9, which is compatible with watches that are up to 4 years old. But if you person an aging Apple Watch Series 3 oregon earlier, you're decidedly owed for an upgrade. 

Apple Watches released implicit the past 5 years person galore of Apple's halfway wellness and information features successful common, specified arsenic irregular bosom bushed notifications, precocious and debased bosom complaint notifications, h2o resistance, workout tracking, exigency SOS and autumn detection (Series 4 and later). The biggest differences travel down to wellness tracking, considering Apple has added caller sensors for somesthesia sensing and blood oxygen measurements successful caller years. 

However, it's important to retrieve that Apple Watches aren't aesculapian devices, which tin marque it hard to measure however invaluable these deeper wellness metrics genuinely are. My wide instrumentality is that these other features could beryllium utile for those who privation entree to much cardiac and respiratory wellness information to stock with their physician. 

This usher compares the Apple Watch Series 8 to Apple Watch models released implicit the past 5 years. Prior Apple Watches aren't included, due to the fact that we urge upgrading if you person a Series 3 oregon older. The Apple Watch Ultra besides isn't covered successful this guide, due to the fact that it's a wholly caller merchandise with much pronounced differences than Apple's different watches. You tin larn much astir the Apple Watch Ultra successful our in-depth review.  

Read more: Apple Watch Series 8 vs. SE: Biggest Differences After Using Both Watches

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7

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If you person an Apple Watch Series 7, there's nary crushed to upgrade close now. The Series 7 and 8 person a batch successful common, similar their larger screen, QWERTY keyboard, accelerated charging and astir identical suite of wellness and wellness features. The large upgrades successful this year's Apple Watch see a somesthesia sensor, an updated processor (although show is the aforesaid arsenic the Series 7) and caller gyroscopes and accelerometers susceptible of detecting car crashes. Such changes are bound to marque the Apple Watch much utile successful the agelong term, but they don't merit an upgrade if you're already utilizing a Series 7. 

It's besides excessively soon to archer what the somesthesia sensor brings to the wide experience, truthful I can't urge upgrading for that crushed alone. Apple is positioning it arsenic being astir adjuvant for providing retrospective ovulation estimates and much close play predictions. Since it takes 2 menstrual cycles for ovulation estimates to go disposable and the ticker has lone been disposable for astir 2 weeks, it's inactive a spot early. 

The institution besides says shifts successful baseline somesthesia tin bespeak whether you're jet-lagged oregon nether the weather. Apple charts deviations successful your baseline wrist somesthesia successful a graph wrong the Health app, but close present it's mostly up to the idiosyncratic to construe what this means. I'm hoping Apple finds a mode to necktie this information into different metrics successful the future, similar immoderate benignant of wellness oregon readiness score. 

The bottommost line: All told, the Apple Watch Series 7 tin bash astir everything the Apple Watch Series 8 can. Don't upgrade conscionable yet. 

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 6

The Apple Watch Series 6

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The Apple Watch Series 6 is 2 years old, but it's inactive much than capable to conscionable the needs of astir people. Compared to the Series 6, the Series 8 has somesthesia sensing, car clang detection and a caller processor. (However, that processor astir apt offers astir the aforesaid show arsenic the Series 6's spot anyway.) The Series 8 besides has the upgrades Apple introduced with the Series 7, specified arsenic a much durable plan that's particulate resistant, a somewhat larger surface with a QWERTY keyboard for typing substance replies and faster charging.

Aside from somesthesia sensing and car clang detection, the Series 8's other features are much astir refining the Apple Watch than bringing thing wholly caller to Apple's smartwatch. The Series 6 is inactive caller capable to person Apple's much noteworthy upgrades from caller years, similar an always-on show and humor oxygen saturation measurements. It's besides compatible with Apple's caller Compass app, which includes caller features for retracing your steps and mounting customized waypoints. That's thing you can't accidental for the Series 5 and earlier. 

The bottommost line: The Apple Watch Series 6 is inactive caller capable for astir people. The upgrades successful the Series 8 are refinements for the astir part, alternatively than holistically caller features, with the 1 objection being somesthesia tracking. 

Read more: Stressed Out? Wearable Gadgets From Fitbit, Apple and Others Want to Help

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. SE (first generation)

The first-generation Apple Watch SE

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The question of whether it's worthy upgrading from the Apple Watch SE is simply a small little straightforward and depends connected what you privation successful a smartwatch. If you person the SE and find yourself wanting much successful presumption of wellness tracking, there's a lawsuit to beryllium made for splurging connected the Series 8. Both the first- and second-generation SE deficiency the quality to instrumentality an ECG from your wrist, humor oxygen saturation measurements, somesthesia sensing and an always-on display. 

If you're funny astir these features and privation much information connected your cardiac and respiratory wellness to stock with your doctor, the Apple Watch Series 8 has capable other functionality to warrant an upgrade. The wellness sensors are the biggest crushed to upgrade to the Series 8, but you'll besides get different perks similar a larger surface with a QWERTY keyboard, faster charging and astir importantly, a show that tin inactive amusement the clip and different accusation adjacent erstwhile it's idle.

If you're not funny successful these other wellness metrics, you mightiness beryllium considering upgrading from the archetypal SE to the caller one. However, I wouldn't urge doing truthful unless your existent ticker is feeling noticeably slow. Aside from car clang detection and a faster processor, determination isn't overmuch that's caller betwixt the archetypal and second-generation SE.

The bottommost line: It's worthy hanging onto your Apple Watch SE if it's inactive successful bully condition. But if you privation deeper wellness tracking and your SE is starting to consciousness slow, there's capable that's caller successful the Series 8 to marque it worthy considering. 

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5

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The Apple Watch Series 5 whitethorn dependable past compared to the Series 8, but I'd inactive urge reasoning doubly earlier spending $400 connected Apple's newest flagship watch. Since it's 3 years old, it doesn't person each of Apple's much caller wellness features, similar humor oxygen measurements and somesthesia sensing. But it tin inactive instrumentality an ECG and has an always-on display, 2 features that adjacent the marque caller second-generation Apple Watch SE lack. The processor is simply a spot old, but that shouldn't substance arsenic agelong arsenic your ticker inactive feels similar it's moving smoothly. 

Once again, the biggest crushed to upgrade to the Series 8 is for its humor oxygen saturation and somesthesia readings. Those features mightiness not substance for everyone, but they could beryllium important to those specifically funny successful rhythm tracking and respiratory health. As mentioned previously, you'll besides get different plan refinements similar a much durable build, speedier charging and a larger show -- elements that marque the Apple Watch consciousness much businesslike erstwhile factored together, but apt don't warrant an upgrade connected their own. 

The bottommost line: If you person a Series 5, you tin astir apt spend to clasp onto it for a spot longer unless you truly privation the quality to spot humor oxygen levels and the Series 8's caller somesthesia sensor. With an always-on show and ECG measurements, the Series 5 inactive packs a astonishing magnitude of worth for a smartwatch that's 3 years old. 

Read more: Should You Upgrade to the iPhone 14? See How It Compares to Older Models

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 4

The Apple Watch Series 4

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You don't need to upgrade if you're inactive blessed with your Series 4, but determination are plentifulness of reasons to bash so. While the Series 4 has galore of the Apple Watch's halfway features, similar workout tracking, irregular bosom complaint notifications and Apple Pay support, there's a batch to summation from upgrading. 

In summation to the Series 8's caller somesthesia sensor and car clang detection, you're besides getting an always-on display, faster charging, a larger surface with a QWERTY keyboard, the quality to instrumentality an ECG from your wrist, humor oxygen saturation measurements, and a compass. Not to mention, the Series 4's 4-year-old processor is apt starting to consciousness a spot old. All of these changes travel unneurotic to marque the Series 8 consciousness importantly caller and antithetic compared to the Series 4. The Series 4 besides lone has 16GB of retention portion Apple's newer watches person 32GB, which means it could beryllium hard to instal bundle updates successful the future. 

If you conscionable attraction astir having a basal Apple Watch that volition consciousness accelerated and past for years to come, the $250 Apple Watch SE is besides worthy considering. You'll get Apple's newest smartwatch processor, car clang detection and a compass app, but you'll beryllium missing retired connected each the different features mentioned supra by choosing the caller SE implicit the Series 8.

The bottommost line: In the 4 years since Apple launched the Series 4, it's made plentifulness of improvements that marque the Series 8 consciousness similar a notable leap forward. If your Series 4 is starting to consciousness sluggish and you're successful a presumption to bargain a caller watch, it's worthy the upgrade.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Series 3

The Apple Watch Series 3

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If you person an Apple Watch Series 3, it's clip to upgrade. The Series 3 is present 5 years aged and nary longer supports bundle updates, which should beryllium the biggest information for upgrading. Not lone volition you beryllium missing retired connected caller features, but bundle updates mostly see important information fixes, too.

The Series 3 feels dated successful astir each mode compared to the Series 8 and second-generation SE. Its processor is besides 5 years old, which means you're astir apt dealing with immoderate lag. The surface is smaller than Apple's newer watches since Apple implemented a redesign starting with the Series 4. And it lacks modern features similar a compass, autumn detection, and the galore wellness features Apple has added implicit the past 5 years. Not to notation the artillery beingness is astir apt starting to consciousness short. 

If you don't privation to walk $400 connected the Series 8, the $250 Apple Watch SE is simply a large enactment for those upgrading from a Series 3 oregon older. It has each of the basics, including car clang detection, a larger surface than the Series 3, autumn detection, precocious and debased bosom complaint notifications, irregular bosom bushed notifications, the caller compass app and Apple Pay support.

The bottommost line: If you person the Series 3, it's clip to upgrade. Period.

Looking for much Apple Watch advice? Check retired the settings you whitethorn privation to change and our favorite features successful WatchOS 9.