Comment: 4 reasons to go for Apple Watch Series 8 or earlier

December 19, 2023

3 min read

With a US ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 starting this week, availability of the latest wearables from the company could dry up. But amid the uncertainty is an opportunity to consider the benefits of picking up an Apple Watch Series 8 or earlier. Here are four reasons to go for a previous-generation Apple Watch.

It can always be tempting to buy the latest and greatest tech. And with the potential scarcity created by a looming Apple Watch ban in the US, demand for the new wearables could rise even further amid the holidays.

But whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, there are several reasons to consider why an Apple Watch Series 8 is a great pick. Here are my top four…

Unique Series 9 features aren’t enticing

I’ve covered this in our complete Apple Watch Series 9 vs. 8 comparison – the new features that arrived with the latest model aren’t that compelling.

The primary new capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 9 are:

On-device Siri with access to Health data
Double tap gesture control
Brighter screen

On-device Siri is faster and a nice touch, but it’s not likely to be a deal-breaker. Siri+Health is, again, a nicety, but it’s easy enough to use your iPhone to check on those details.

Double tap gesture control can be convenient, but you can enable a very similar feature on any Apple Watch.

watchOS 10.1 beta enables new Double Tap gesture for Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2

The new screen does offer up to 2,000 nits brightness. That is a 100% jump up from 1,000, but you’re probably already used to 1,000 nits from all the previous models.

Another signal that Series 9 vs. 8 isn’t that different performance-wise – Apple didn’t share a specific measure for how much faster the S9 SoC is compared to the S8.

Major Apple Watch features included

When looking at the major features of Apple’s wearables, you get everything but the above three with the Apple Watch Series 8.

And Series 7 only offers two fewer than Series 8.

Apple Watch model/features	Series 9	8	7	6	SE 2
ECG app	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Blood Oxygen app	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
High/low heart rate notifications	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
New Compass app w/ waypoints + backtrack	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
IP6X dust resistant	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Water resistant to 50m	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Sleep tracking	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Crash detection	✅	✅	❌	❌	✅
Fall detection	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Advanced cycle tracking with temp sensing	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Cycle tracking without temp sensing	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Emergency SOS	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
On-device Siri	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Double tap gesture control	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Siri+Health	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

Finishes

Depending on how long the US Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 ban lasts, availability for the different finishes could dwindle.

Opting for a Series 8 or earlier could mean not having to compromise on the style you’d like.

And, of course, the actual design of the Apple Watch Series 9 hardware remains identical to Series 8 and earlier, so you’re not missing out on anything there.