Apple raises the (fitness) bar with the Watch Series 8 – Triathlon Magazine Canada

While much of the buzz at last week’s Apple event in Cupertino revolved around the new Apple Watch Ultra, the company also announced a new Apple Watch Series 8. While it hasn’t received nearly as much attention as its beefed up counterpart in the new Apple Watch line-up, this new watch has a lot going for it, including a number of software and hardware upgrades that make it a valuable training and health tool for people do triathletes. Last week’s event showed that Apple is serious about hardcore workouts with its watches these days, and the Apple Watch Series 8 demonstrates that new commitment.

We can’t wait to try the Ultra when it’s available, but ahead of this launch we’ve had a few days to test the new Apple Watch Series 8 and get a look at some of the new features. We’ll take a closer look at the watch once we’ve really had a chance to put it through its paces.

A first look at the Apple Watch Series 8 makes it clear that for those not looking for extreme endurance capabilities (ultra effort or full-distance tris), the Series 8 will likely be a viable training companion for your fitness and health pursuits. You get many of the features we’re likely to see in the Ultra in a watch that’s about half the price.

what’s new

While the new Series 8 doesn’t look any different than its predecessor, the sleek looking watch packs some new sensors and an improved watchOS 9 that offers some dramatic improvements to your workout experience.

Related: Apple Watch OS is getting serious about triathlon-specific features

Advanced workouts

For triathletes, the big step forward comes with the Apple Watch Series 8 through a combination of the new sensors and the new operating system that the watch is equipped with. Triathletes will be interested in the new running form metrics, which include vertical oscillation, stride length and ground contact time. You can now create custom workouts, choose workouts based on heart rate zones, set yourself to a time, or even compete against a previous performance. There’s a new Multisport Workout feature that automatically switches between swimming, cycling and running to keep track of your next workout or brick workout. All of this is easy to see in the new training views that are easy to customize.

As you’d expect from Apple, the customization process for all of this is incredibly simple and intuitive. Training views are now even more detailed and can include activity rings, elevation, mileage and split times.

Extended battery life

Anyone who has read my Apple Watch reviews in the past will know that my biggest criticism of the watch was the battery life. It makes sense that a watch this powerful, doing as much as they do, would be a battery hog. What to note about the Apple Watch is that it does so much for your day-to-day activities, plus the workout features you’ll want to take on.

While it still won’t compete with some of the Garmin watches that can literally charge for almost a month, the Series 8 now offers longer battery life. In power saving mode, you can use up to 36 hours continuously. You still get features like activity tracking and fall detection in this mode.

Temperature sensing and advanced cycle tracking

The new Series 8 features a couple of new sensors that allow women to track their temperature while they sleep to see changes in their baseline. The cycle tracking app then uses this data to estimate when you’re likely to ovulate, which can help with family planning.

AFib story

Those diagnosed with atrial fibrillation can use the watch to assess their condition via the Atrial Fibrillation History feature, which provides a detailed history of their heart rhythm.

crash detection

We’re big fans of the Apple Watch’s fall detection capabilities, but more new sensors in the Apple Watch Series 8 allow it to detect server car crashes. The watch will then automatically connect you to emergency services.

Redesigned compass app

The redesign of the compass app provides significantly more information and also allows you to add customizable waypoints and the ability to retrace your route if you get lost.

Also see: Fitness meets health on the Apple Watch

All Other Features We Know (and Love)

All of these advances come on a watch that still does everything we’ve come to love about the Apple Watch. There’s a reason it’s the most popular smartwatch in the world, and now this smartwatch can track even more of your fitness and health activity.

We’ll continue to play with the Apple Watch Series 8 – a more detailed review of it and the new Ultra can be found in our November issue and online here.

availability and price

The Apple Watch Series 8 is available to order now, with availability beginning Friday, September 16. Prices start at $529. The clock is there