Will there be Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro differences to consider this year? Some rumors suggest a “rugged” or premium smartwatch is launching alongside the Apple Watch Series 8, and it’s possibly called the Apple Watch 8 Pro.
Now, for all we know, the Apple Watch 8 Pro won’t share the stage at the next Apple event, confirmed to be taking place on September 7. But if it does, there will be plenty of questions about how the Apple Watch 8 Pro compares to the flagship Series 8. It could have a distinct design, special features and even better battery life. All these perks would, presumably, have a high price tag to match.
This is mostly speculation, as we won’t know how the Apple Watch lineup looks until Apple makes it official. But based purely off of rumors (albeit, most of them from a source with a solid track record), here’s what could be different between the Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro.
Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro possible price and release date
The Apple Watch 8 price isn’t expected to break a years-long tradition, from what we know. Even if there are significant changes between the Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 7, the starting price of $399 should remain the same.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch 8 Pro could deliver serious sticker-shock. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the source of most of the rumors we’ll mention in this preliminary face-off, said the Apple Watch 8 Pro price could be as high as $999. That would be more than double the starting price of the Apple Watch 8, and just $100 shy of the rumored starting price as the iPhone 14 Pro.
The Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch 8 Pro could be announced at the next Apple event, which will take place September 7 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro design
If there’s one thing you can expect from the new Apple Watch devices, it’s that they’ll both look like an Apple Watch. No matter the differences between the Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro, the squircle design of past models should persist.
That said, there could be ways the Apple Watch 8 Pro design is more premium, even if you can’t see them at a glance.
For one thing, there might be several durability features reserved for the Apple Watch 8 Pro. According to Gurman, the display could be more shatter-resistant, and the whole watch might be wrapped in a more rugged casing. To that end, Apple could turn to stronger material like Titanium, assuming it ditches the usual aluminum we’ll see in the Series 8. Such a move would help the Pro-level watch to withstand outdoor sports.
The Apple Watch 8 Pro could also offer the company’s largest wearable display yet, even larger than the Apple Watch 7 sizes (41mm, 45mm) we expect to see matched on the standard Series 8. The Pro display might span nearly full 2-inches diagonally, with display analyst Ross Young (opens in new tab) reporting that at least one new Apple Watch this year will measure 1.99 inches.
Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro features
Thanks to the upcoming watchOS 9 update, the general user experience of the Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro should be similar. As a reminder, Apple’s latest wearable software version introduces some new watchOS 9 watch faces, updates to the workout app, more advanced sleep tracking, a medication tracking app and more.
Still, there could be unique Apple Watch 8 Pro features that cater to outdoor sports enthusiasts. As a possible rival to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the Apple Watch 8 Pro might be marketed to those who would normally shop for the best Garmin watches. With that, we might see enhanced hiking and swim tracking capabilities, for example.
As for the rumored Apple Watch 8 body temperature sensor, both the flagship Series 8 and the Apple Watch 8 Pro should get this new capability — if it’s coming at all. In other words, if skin temperature readings happen for the Apple Watch 8, the Apple Watch 8 Pro would get the feature, too. It’s unlikely the rumored Apple Watch SE 2 will offer such a feature, though.
Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro battery life
Battery life might be the most substantial difference between Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro. The Apple Watch’s 18-hour (or “all day”) battery life is perhaps one of the only gripes we have with Apple’s smartwatch each year. We deal with daily charges, but the Apple Watch 8 Pro might change the standard.
According to Gurman, the larger Apple Watch size will allow for a larger battery cell. A bigger battery, along with better battery management tools, could give the Apple Watch 8 Pro a multi-day battery life.
When you track long workouts with GPS to close your Apple Watch rings, it cuts into your watch’s stamina. Perhaps the Apple Watch 8 Pro will be able to track long hikes or even multi-day adventures.
Apple Watch 8 vs. Apple Watch 8 Pro outlook
There’s a lot of hype around the Apple Watch 8 Pro. As an all-new Apple Watch model, it could give us a glimpse at where Apple’s wearable product line is heading. Even if it’s inaccessible to most customers, could a Pro-level watch be positioned as a remote for the rumored Apple VR/AR headset? Again, we’re thinking ahead.
Our guess is that the Apple Watch Series 8 will remain the best Apple Watch for most people, if not the best smartwatch this year overall. It’ll be exciting to see if the Apple Watch 8 is joined by the Apple Watch 8 Pro, and whether the Apple Watch 8 Pro feels as premium as Apple’s other “Pro” devices. We won’t be waiting long to find out, as September 7 is just around the corner.
