Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 3: 20 amazing features upgrading users can get

The Apple Watch 3 will mark five years since hitting the store shelves in September. The outdated Watch 3 is the lowest-end smartwatch offering from Apple, with a price tag of $199. However, there's no dearth of consumers that aren't willing to get rid of the third edition of the Apple Watch. If you've been planning to upgrade to the Apple Watch 8 next month, you can access several new features.

Likewise, you can go for the current Apple Watch Series 7 and access a myriad of notable upgrades over the antiquated Watch 3. To simplify these changes, we've split them into various categories, including features, software updates, and more.

Hardware

An all-new display

The Apple Watch 3 sports a squarish display with huge bezels. The much-awaited Apple Watch 8 isn't likely to completely oust the Series 7 design. Nevertheless, Series 3 customers will have access to a 50 per cent larger display. Moreover, this new display will have thinner bezels and rounded corners.

More durable case

The Watch 3 comes only in aluminum case options. Also, it features an Ion-X front glass. The latest Apple Watches are housed in a more robust frame made using titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum materials. The titanium and stainless steel models have sapphire front crystals on top for additional protection.

Available in larger sizes

The Watch 3 is available only in 38mm and 42mm case sizes. The larger bezels occupy a considerable amount of this space. The Apple Watch 8 will reportedly offer larger case options than its predecessor. To recap, Series 7 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes. In other words, Watch 3 customers will enjoy a larger display and overall larger watch.

Digital Crown with haptic feedback

The Watch 3 has a Digital Crown for navigating the menu. The latest Apple Watch models feature an upgraded Digital Crown that supports haptic feedback. When a user explores the UI, there are subtle vibrations, and minor adjustments are automatically made.

Louder speakers and new speaker layout

The right edge of the Watch 3 houses tiny speakers placed on top of each other. The Series 7 debuted a redesigned speaker setup that occupied almost the entire right side. As a result, the new speaker setup delivers up to 50 per cent louder sound.

A brighter always-on display

Apple introduced an always-on display in Watch 5. So, Watch 3 customers will be able to check various information without even lifting their wrist. The always-on display on the latest models is 70 per cent brighter even outdoors.

Health & Fitness-Centric Features

Blood oxygen monitoring

The latest Apple Watch models can help you determine how much oxygen is in your blood. The Watch 6 was the first Apple Watch to come with a blood oxygen sensor in 2020. The wearer needs to stay still for about 15 seconds to allow the sensor to track the oxygen level in their blood.

Fall detection

New Apple Watch models can inform your family, friends, and local authorities in case you take a nasty fall to the ground. However, you can tell the watch that you're fine and do not need assistance. You must be 18 years old to use the Fall Detection feature.

Upgraded heart rate sensor

The latest Apple Watch models come with an improved heart rate sensor. Also, they feature a new electrical heart sensor. However, Watch 3 has an optical heart sensor. So, Watch 7 and Apple Watch 8 can deliver more reliable heart rate readings.

Fever detection

Past leaks suggest that the upcoming Apple Watch 8 will come with a body temperature sensor. This sensor will be capable of measuring the wearer's body temperature. It will be interesting to see if the body temperature sensor will work like normal thermometers.

Take an ECG

You'd normally visit a hospital to take an ECG (electrocardiogram). However, Apple enabled the Watch 4 and newer models to take an ECG directly on the wrist. All you need to do is to place your finger on the Digital Crown. The result will appear on the Health app on the user's paired iPhone.

Battery Life & Overall Performance

Powerful processor

The Watch 3 packs a dual-core S3 SiP, which offers laggy performance and poor animations. The Watch 7 gets a more powerful dual-core processor that delivers double the performance. Also, the Series 8 is tipped to come with the same dual-core processor as its predecessor,

Stable Bluetooth connectivity

The Watch 3 adopts an older Bluetooth technology, Bluetooth 4.2. The newer iPhones and Apple Watch models rely on Bluetooth 5.0 for a more reliable connection. Moreover, Bluetooth 5.0 technology delivers higher bandwidth to facilitate wireless transmission.

U1 chip

The outdated Watch 3 lacks the U1 Ultra Wideband chip. This chipset brings proximity features to several products, including the iPhone. The Apple Watch 6 debuted this chip.

Longer battery life with fast charging

Apple claims the Watch 3 delivers 18-hour all-day battery life just like the Apple Watch 7. The newer Apple Watch series models support fast charging. So, users can recharge their smartwatches faster if the battery doesn't last very long.

Software Updates

Apple will stop rolling out the latest watchOS version for the Apple Watch 3 later this fall. In other words, it will not receive newer features. However, Watch 3 will receive security updates for some time.

Other Notable Features

The Apple Watch 3 offers 8GB of internal storage, but the newer Apple Watch model has 32GB of built-in storage capacity. Hikers and athletes will get access to an always-on altimeter. Also, the latest Apple Watch supports Family Setup. Lastly, you can choose between Cellular, GPS +, and GPS-only models.