[Experience] Apple Watch 8 Truly Committed to Health... Women's Specialized 'Body Temperature Detection' Feature Disappointing

Apple Watch Series 8 Silver 41mm Review
'Body Temperature Detection' Feature Cannot Measure Temperature Instantly
Detects Changes After Accumulating Data for 5 Days

Also Used to Help Calculate Female Ovulation Days
Crash Detection Feature Expected to Be Useful Like iPhone 14

On the night of the 22nd, wearing an Apple Watch Series 8 while filming at Hangang Park. From the left, the screens when the Astronomy face, YouTube Music, and workout tracking functions were activated.

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Apple’s new growth engine, the Apple Watch, has returned this year with various models including the 'Apple Watch Series 8,' SE, and Ultra. Similar to the iPhone 14 series, the crash detection feature is expected to be useful for incidents such as car accidents, but the temperature sensing function, which is specialized for women of childbearing age, is unlikely to attract much interest from general male consumers.

The product I tested for three days starting on the 23rd was the 'Apple Watch Series 8 Silver 41mm Aluminum' model. At first glance, it looks similar to the previous Apple Watch Series 7, but it features reduced bezels and a larger screen. The simple and clean charm unique to Silver also stood out. The Luna face, which includes Chinese, Jewish, and Islamic lunar calendars, and the beautiful Celestial face featuring Earth, also captured Apple’s distinctive sensibility.

Front view of Apple Watch Series 8 Silver 41mm Aluminum model

The most curious feature was the newly introduced temperature sensing function. Since it is not a 'thermometer' capable of measuring body temperature directly, I was very interested in how it would work. When IT tipsters initially predicted last year that the new Apple Watch would include a temperature measurement function, it attracted significant attention because measuring temperature is technically very difficult due to the heat emitted by electronic devices. However, at the first unveiling of the Apple Watch Series 8 last September, Apple clarified, "It samples wrist temperature every 5 seconds during sleep and detects subtle changes based on recent averages with a precision of 0.1 degrees Celsius," drawing a line under such speculation.

For testing, I wore the Apple Watch Series 8 to bed for two nights. The dual sensors on the back of the watch body measure the temperature. The problem was that only one day’s worth of body temperature data was recorded for unknown reasons. The sleep function within the Health app worked normally on both nights, recording sleep patterns, heart rate, and respiratory rate for two days. Even so, temperature data can only be used after accumulating five days of records, so the app only displayed a message saying 'available after 4 nights,' and did not show the previous day’s measurement, which was somewhat disappointing.

Side view of the Apple Watch Series 8 Silver 41mm aluminum model. The Digital Crown and the dual sensors on the back for body temperature detection stand out.

Apple included the temperature sensing function because temperature is important for women to measure ovulation days. The ‘retrospective ovulation estimation’ feature, which automatically senses temperature and predicts ovulation days, is available on iPhones running iOS 16 and Apple Watch Series 8 or later running watchOS 9. However, since ovulation calculation is especially important for women of childbearing age preparing for pregnancy, it is somewhat disappointing in terms of universal convenience. Although it can be used for contraception, the calendar method based on ovulation calculation is only an auxiliary method for contraception. Male consumers may find it useful when temperature changes rapidly due to flu or other reasons, but a regular thermometer is expected to be faster and cheaper.

Although I did not experience the crash detection feature firsthand, it is a highly anticipated function. According to Apple, it uses an advanced sensor fusion algorithm that combines a gyroscope and accelerometer to detect impact during a car accident and automatically makes an emergency call after 10 seconds. Like the iPhone 14 series, it was designed and tested for regular passenger cars, but it also activates if the Apple Watch judges that a similar impact has been applied to the body while using public transportation. Overseas, there have been cases where people riding the iPhone 14 on a roller coaster at an amusement park triggered a 911 call.

Sleep-related data in the iPhone 14 'Health' app

Other health-related functions, which were also included in previous models, all performed their roles well. The electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement function, exercise features, and blood oxygen saturation sensor were all useful based on my experience. The emergency SOS and fall detection functions, activated by pressing the side button, have been recognized for their practical effectiveness, with cases reported in foreign media where they saved lives. On the other hand, menstrual cycle tracking did not feel much different from apps available on the market, except that it is now a built-in app. Particularly, the fact that all data recorded on the Apple Watch is linked in real time with notifications on the iPhone highlights Apple’s strength in 'connectivity.' The always-on display (AOD) was also convenient because it eliminated the need to deliberately raise the wrist to see the screen during exercise.

The battery life remains the same as the previous model at 18 hours. In low power mode, it can last up to 36 hours. Fast charging is also supported. The processor is a 64-bit dual-core processor.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. The aluminum case comes in four colors: Starlight, Midnight, Silver, and Red, while the stainless steel case is available in Silver, Graphite, and Gold. You can choose between GPS-only and GPS + Cellular models. The price starts at 599,000 KRW for the 41mm aluminum GPS model, which is 100,000 KRW higher than the previous model. Due to the sharp rise in the won-dollar exchange rate, the Korean retail price has increased, with stainless steel models now exceeding 1 million KRW.