Malcolm Owen
The Apple Watch Series 8's S8 chip probably won't be any faster than the S&, it is rumored, with three inbound Apple Watch models expected to use the same chip across the board.
Alongside the usual update to the Apple Watch Series 8, the company's wearable line is thought to consist of three distinct models. While there will be some variation on the outside and in key specifications, the trio may all use the same largely-unchanged chip.
Apple is reportedly working on the standard Series 8, an updated Apple Watch SE, and a rugged model for extreme sports, Mark Gurman's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg reads. However, all three are believed to be using identical S8 chips.
The S8 won't necessarily be faster than the S7 found in the Apple Watch Series 7, it is reckoned, as it will apparently have the same specifications as both the S7 and S6 before it. However, the 2023 models are reportedly going to get an "all-new processor."
On model-specific changes, the value-focused Apple Watch SE will retain the same screen size as its current iteration. The update to the S8 will be a big jump from the S5 currently used by it.
With the dropping of support for the Apple Watch Series 3 in watchOS 9, it is suspected that Apple could drop the current SE down to the Series 3 price point, turning a new SE into a mid-tier alternative.
Previous rumors include the Series 8 gaining an extra screen size, as well as a new flatter design philosophy.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
29 Comments
Every article I’ve read here and elsewhere predict that the iPhones 14 models and Apple Watch 8 will be minimum upgrades, and the 2023 versions will be significant upgrades. We’ll see.
Well now I’m glad I just bought my S7 green Apple Watch. Doesn’t sound like the S8 is going to be much of an upgrade and I won’t be missing out on much.
Correct me if my memory is wrong, but wasn’t the S7 a negligible update over the S6? And wasn’t the S5 almost the same as the S4? Apple hasn’t exactly made all that much progress with the S-series System-in-Packages for the Apple Watch in quite a while. Not faulting them, as I am almost totally ignorant of this stuff, but … yeah, it’s not a big surprise that the S8 isn’t going to be much of an improvement, but it also is a little disappointing.
I expect the S8 will support new "features" or "programs" that will NOT work on prior models due to minor tweaks. One might expect more memory for data and a "new" shape case that would be incompatible will the prior watch bands due to a connector change.
My S7 does everything I want it to as a watch, alarm clock, timer, and even cell phone will all kinds of controls for other bluetooth devices and has lots of battery remaining even though I seem to get 20 hours of standing credit most days. I got the larger screen model to be able to read it without glasses.