Apple Watch Series 8 Features Same CPU as Predecessors: Report

Apple Watch Series 8 was recently launched alongside the Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation) and the Apple Watch Ultra. All the wearables are powered by the dual-core S8 system in a package (SiP). Now, as per identifier codes, the S8 chip in the latest smartwatch by Apple is said to feature the same CPU as the S6 and S7 chips. However, there may have been some changes to include more features such as Emergency SOS and crash detection features. Apple’s recently launched smartwatch models will be available for purchase starting September 16.

As per the identifier codes shared on Twitter, the CPU of Apple’s S8 SiP, which powers the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation), and the Apple Watch Ultra, carries T8301 identifier. This is the same as the CPU in the S6 and S7 chips that debuted in the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch Series 7 models.

However, it is likely that Apple may have tinkered with the S8 SiP to support new features such as Emergency SOS and crash-detection as well as sensors including an accelerometer and a gyroscope. In fact, the Apple Watch Ultra model comes equipped with a depth gauge and water temperature sensor.

In the case of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus, both of the company’s new handsets are powered by the same Apple Bionic A15 SoC that also powered last year’s models. However, Apple boasts improved performance in the newest models as compared to last year’s offering. The SoCs in iPhone 14 models have a 5-core GPU as compared to 4-core GPU in last year’s offering.

The Apple Watch Series 8 are the ninth iteration in the company’s smartwatch lineup and will be available in GPS and cellular models. Apple also launched the second generation of the Apple Watch SE as a successor to the affordable model that launched in 2020. The company also launched the Apple Watch Ultra that is claimed to offer up to 36 hours on a single charge, features an aerospace-grade titanium body, offer dual-frequency support for GPS algorithms, and comes with a new Action button that can be programmed to perform various functions, according to the company.