Apple introduces the Apple Watch Series 8 with a temperature sensor, crash detection and more

Apple today introduced a new version of its Apple Watch, the anticipated Apple Watch Series 8, which replaces the prior Series 7 model. The big additions to this upgraded version include a new temperature sensor focused on women’s health, a crash detection feature, a new low-power mode option, and international roaming.

The temperature sensor is a timely arrival given the overturning of Roe v. Wade. With this feature, women can track their ovulation as a retrospective estimate, Apple says. This feature takes advantage of the Series 8’s new two-sensor design. The watch includes one temperature sensor on the back crystal near your skin and another just under the display. This design is meant to minimize bias from the outside environment, the company noted.

Overnight, the Series 8 Watch will monitor body temperate every 5 seconds and can detect changes as small as one degree Celcius. These temperature recordings are saved in the Health app, where users can view their nighttime baseline shifts in body temperatures, which can help to predict ovulation. The data is also encrypted on-device for privacy and can’t be accessed without a user’s passcode, Touch ID, or face ID.

Another new addition to this updated wearable is the Crash Detection feature, which will be able to identify when users are in a severe crash crash. Similar to a service like OnStar, the feature can automatically connect you with emergency services, provide your location, and notify your Emergency Contacts.

The temperature sensing app on Apple WatchOS

The company says this feature relies on two new motion sensors and an improved three-axis gyroscope as well as the high G-force accelerometer. Apple claims the accelerometer is capable of measuring up to 256 G’s allowing the device to detect the extreme impacts of a crash. And it samples motion four times faster at over 3000 times a second, so it can sense the precise moment of impact. The feature’s algorithm, meanwhile, was trained on over 1 million hours of real-world driving and crash data.

Other new features coming to the Series 8 include support for international roaming, all-day 18-hour battery life, and a new low-power mode that gives you up to 36 hours of battery life on a full charge. But the low power mode doesn’t fully limit the watch’s usability — you’ll still be able to use features like activity tracking and fault detection, while temporarily disabling other features like the always-on display and auto workout detection.

This mode will also be made available to Apple Watch Series 4 and later, running watchOS 9.

The Series 8 is available starting today in two finishes, aluminum and stainless steel. Colors available include Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Product Red in aluminum and silver, gold and graphite in stainless steel. It will come in the same sizes as the Series 7 (41mm and 54mm).

It will start at $399 for the GPS version and $499 for cellular.

An SE model, with the same chip as the Series 8 was also announced. The device, the Apple Watch SE 2, is available in Silver, Midnight, and Starlight starting at $249 or $299 for cellular.

And an even bigger reveal is the Apple Watch Ultra, an entirely new model designed for intense sports tracking.