The article “Apple reveals Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch SE” (Apple, 2022) introduces new features, which includes integrated systems, and fitness sensors used in the Apple Watch Series 8 that was released in September 2022. Among its fitness sensor functions, the watch is able to track heart rate, detect crashes, track oxygen levels, analyze users’ body temperatures and distance traveled. The watch has several health and fitness sensor features, namely a blood oxygen sensor, an electrical heart sensor, a third-generation optical heart sensor, a high-g accelerometer, a high dynamic range gyroscope, and temperature sensors. Among the various sensors, Series 8 introduces new temperature sensors and improved accelerometer and gyroscope. The watch currently uses watchOS 9, with the latest watchOS 10 being available from 18 September 2023. Apple mentions in their article “Track your nightly wrist temperature changes with Apple Watch” (Apple, 2023) that collects data of user’s body temperature with two temperature sensors, after which an average reading would be used to detect temperature fluctuations that can help forecast one’s menstrual cycle. Other than the temperature sensor, according to the article “Apple introduces the Apple Watch Series 8 with a temperature sensor, crash detection and more” (Perez, 2022), the improved accelerometer can detect up to 256 g-forces, thus detecting if the user has been involved in an accident and is unresponsive. The accelerometer is an upgrade from the previous product, the Series 7, whose accelerometer only allows for up to 32-g forces. With its wide array of features and the latest sensors, the Apple Watch Series 8 provides a more versatile user experience when it comes to tracking health and fitness as compared to the Fitbit Versa 4.
One such feature of the apple watch series 8, is the blood oxygen application. The first mode allows users to initiate on-demand spot checks manually, second mode would be periodic background measurements that are taken when there is minimal movement without any required action from the user (Apple, 2022). In contrast, the Fitbit Versa 4 utilizes Fitbit SpO2 software which measures blood oxygen concentration during periods of sleep (Fitbit, n.d.). Upon waking up, it may take approximately an hour for oxygen saturation to show.
Another feature of the Apple Watch Series 8 has, is the sensor-fusion algorithm to help detect crash, which is not present in the Fitbit Versa 4. This algorithm enhances the capabilities of the upgraded gyroscope and accelerometer found in the Apple Watch. To develop the algorithm, data was gathered by conducting a professional crash test. Apart from this data, crash detection relies on the barometer, GPS, and the Iphone’s microphone as inputs to identify distinctive patterns that may indicate the occurrence of a serious accident (Apple, 2022). Without this algorithm, Fitbit Versa 4’s gyroscope and accelerometer are primarily used to track the workouts.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is integrated with L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou GPS, enabling (Apple, 2023) users to obtain more precise distance and speed data. In comparison to the Fitbit versa 4 that consist of a GPS receiver and GLONASS (Fitbit, n.d.).
However Apple Watch Series 8, in comparison to the Fitbit versa 4, falls short in terms of its battery life. The Apple Watch series 8 offers a maximum battery life of approximately 18 hours. This limitation can pose as an inconvenience for users who uses the watch frequently, as they need to charge their watch often to keep it functional. Conversely, the Fitbit Versa 4 boasts an impressive battery life that can last up to three days on a single charge. This extended battery life enhances the overall user experience, as users can rely one their device for and extended duration before needing to recharge it.
In conclusion the additional features like the blood oxygen application, crash detection and more precise GPS provides a more versatile user experience for users as compared to the FItbit Versa.
References
Apple. (2022, September 8). Apple reveals Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch SE. Apple. https://www.apple.com/sg/newsroom/2022/09/apple-reveals-apple-watch-series-8-and-the-new-apple-watch-se/
Apple. (2023, January 6). Track your nightly wrist temperature changes with Apple Watch. Apple Support.
https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT213275
Apple. (2023, March 31). Apple Watch Series 8 - Technical Specifications. Apple Support. https://support.apple.com/kb/SP878?locale=en_US
Fitbit. (n.d.). How do I track blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) with my Fitbit device? Fitbit Help. https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2459.htm
Perez, S. (2022, September 7). Apple introduces the Apple Watch Series 8 with a temperature sensor, crash detection and more. TechCrunch.
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/07/apple-introduces-the-apple-watch-series-8-with-a-temperature-sensor-crash-detection-and-more/
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