We’ve all heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. One races out to an early lead before coasting on its success, allowing the other back into the picture. If we apply the metaphor to premium smartwatches, the roles are clear. The Apple Watch is our hare, relying on its premium hardware and fine-tuned software but prone to complacency, while the herd of Wear OS tortoises seeks to make up slow but steady ground.

The Series 8 is perhaps the lightest update to Apple’s mainline wearable so far, but is it close to giving up its lead? Find out in our Apple Watch Series 8 review.