The Apple Watch Series 8 is the best smartwatch to buy on Prime Day | Digital Trends

Have an iPhone and looking to get your first smartwatch? Or maybe you have an older model and are looking to replace it with something better.

Either way, if you use an iPhone, the Apple Watch is the way to go. And for Prime Day, you can get a great deal on the Apple Watch Series 8.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is now on sale

Typically, the Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399 for the smaller 41mm model or $429 for the larger 45mm model. But for Prime Day, you can pick up a 41mm version for just $299 or the 45mm size for $329. If you go for models that include a cellular connection, those will start at $429.

It’s pretty rare to see Apple products get significant discounts, especially on the latest models. So for the Apple Watch Series 8, which is the last of the major watches in the series, costing $100 less than normal is a great deal.

While you can get an Apple Watch SE 2 for just $199, which is great value for money, we highly recommend the Apple Watch Series 8 because it has so many more useful features.

Why choose the 8 Series over the SE 2?

For one thing, the Apple Watch SE 2 doesn’t have the always-on display that has existed since the Apple Watch Series 5. This feature made the Apple Watch more of a standard watch, so you can always see the time without having to lift your wrist. wrist. While this would consume more battery power than if the screen is off most of the time, it doesn’t eat up battery life like any other. The Apple Watch Series 8 will still get you through the day, even with the always-on display enabled.

The Apple Watch Series 8 also includes a number of health-promoting features that are absent in the budget Apple Watch SE 2. While both the 8 Series and SE 2 have 24/7 continuous heart rate monitoring with notifications for high and low heart rates, as well as fall detection, the 8 Series also has ECG monitoring. (which can be useful for detecting atrial fibrillation) and an SpO2 sensor, which helps detect blood oxygen levels. Apple also has a temperature sensor in the 8 Series, which can also be particularly useful for women as it can help estimate ovulation and menstrual cycles.

While all of these health sensors may not be necessary for everyone, it’s best to have them available as an option if you’re even remotely concerned about your health at any time. With the Apple Watch credited with saving many people from further health complications, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, another reason to prefer the Series 8 over the SE 2 is the fact that the display is a bit bigger. While there’s only a 1mm difference between the small and large sizes (40mm or 41mm, 44mm or 45mm), the extra screen real estate can really help. Whether you just prefer bigger text or see just a little more information at once, a bigger display can make all the difference.

But I don’t need all that fancy stuff

While we’d recommend the Apple Watch Series 8 to anyone who wants to have the best Apple Watch experience with their iPhone, it’s not for everyone. While the extra features are certainly nice to have, maybe you don’t really need them or just want the basics. Or maybe you prefer to have a good experience while spending as little as possible.

If so, the Apple Watch SE 2 is still a good deal for Prime Day. You can get a 40mm Apple Watch SE 2 for just $199, which is $50 off the regular $249 price tag. The 44mm Apple Watch SE 2 is $229, also $50 off the regular $279 price. Don’t expect all the extras like an always-on display, ECG, SpO2 monitoring, and temperature sensors.

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