What time is it? Time to learn about the Apple Watch.

It really is the best time to look into the device. Why? If last year’s Prime Day is any indication, this year we should expect to see the Apple Watch Series 8 at one of the best prices to date. We also think Black Friday is a perfect time to buy, should you need a little more time to consider this timepiece.

Unless you’ve been off the grid, you’ve seen Apple Watches all over, paired with athletic outfits at the gym, at the workplace taking calls and even at formal events, to the joy and also displeasure of many.

Since the Apple Watch has really become an extension of one’s limb over the years, we wanted to test one for ourselves, not only to see what the hype was about but also to see how it compared to the Google Pixel Watch we tested in the first part of 2023, as well as its capabilities for tracking sleep, activity and more.

You know us — we love a good deal and helping you shop with ease. That’s why we are kicking this off with all the retailers that sell the Apple Watch 8, as well as some that sell other models. Click the retailer in red below to be taken to the site to shop ASAP, and then come back for the full review.

When looking at the Apple Watch Series 8, or really any series, there are a few variables at play. First, you must decide if you want the GPS version or the GPS + Cellular. Both versions allow you to make calls and send messages over your phones cellular network, but the GPS only device requires your phone to also be present or a WiFi network to connect to, while the + Cellular version can operate anywhere, without your phone or a network.

Once you’ve chosen a version, then you need to think about the watch face size and the band. The watch faces come in a 41 millimeter size and a 45, while band options are varied. Typically the sport bands (the silicone ones) cost a bit less, while the stainless steel bands cost more and look more like a luxury watch.

Other specs include:

The main reason why many jumped on the Apple Watch bandwagon is for the fitness tracking capabilities. If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I closed all my rings today,” and been confused, we got you.

The Activity app on the apple watch is broken down into three rings — move, exercise and stand. Move is all about calories, and it measures your active calories burned through movement throughout the day. Exercise measures any activity at a brisk walk or above that gets your heart rate up. This ring is closed after 30 minutes, or you can change that goal. Lastly, stand is very simple, as it measures if you’ve gotten up and moved for at least a minute each hour of a 12 hour day. Work-from-home people, this is great!

After the rings, there is also other fitness tracking available to log your exact workout. The watch can sense if you are walking briskly, on a bike or on a run with ease, and it may pop up on your wrist, asking if you’d like to log that workout. You can also set this up manually as you start your workout by tapping the Workout app and selecting what you plan to do. There are a ton of options from an indoor or outdoor run to rowing, swimming, hiking, kickboxing, yoga, pilates and even dance.

More fitness tracking includes a heart rate monitor, temperature sensing, ovulation and mensuration tracking and Fitness+ subscriptions available for even more.

Our review: I tried the Apple Watch 8 for about two months ahead of this review (at time of initial publication) and was curious to see how sensitive it was to my movements. To my delight, it picked up on my brisk walks through the subway stations to and from work, in addition to my workouts, making it also pretty easy and fun to close my rings.

Aside from fitness, sleep tracking is a huge reason why people have been incorporating smart watches and trackers into their daily (and nightly) lives.

The sleep tracking on the Apple Watch 8 is pretty comprehensive and includes the time you fall asleep and wake up, but also breaks down those hours and minutes into time spent awake in the night, REM sleep, core sleep and deep sleep. It then takes that data and converts it into a chart, so you can see your sleep pattern over the week.

Speaking of patterns, you can also set a bedtime and a wake-up time that will then connect to your cellphone. The bedtime is extremely helpful for those that want to learn how to wind down at night without their phones, as the watch will buzz ahead of your set bedtime to warn you and then again when your bedtime begins and your phone automatically shifts into Do Not Disturb.

Our review: As a night owl, I was worried. As someone who loves data and accountability, I was impressed. Wearing the Apple Watch at night was a bit of a challenge at times, as I like to be free of jewelry as I sleep, but I quickly got used to it. Also, finding time to charge the watch was tricky, as I wore it all day and then needed to have a charge on it to last the rest of the night, too. I eventually started carrying the charger in my work bag and would do a quick charge while sitting at my desk so no data was lost, and a pro is that the watch only needs about 30 minutes to charge back up.

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