How to charge the Apple Watch 7/8

When the Apple Watch Series 8, we hoped Apple would finally budge from the 18-hour battery life it's promised since the original Watch. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, but there were some other improvements in the battery department.

If you've just bagged yourself a Series 8 and owned an older Watch, a lot of what you need to do on the charging front has largely remained unchanged. There are a few new things to learn as you start to get to grips with Apple's new smartwatch.

Essential reading: How to set up your Apple Watch | Best Apple Watch apps to download

We take you through all you need to know about charging the Apple Watch Series 8 and cover what your charging options are with the smartwatch great.

How to charge the Apple Watch Series 8

The process of charging the Apple Watch Series 8 hasn't changed from how it's done on older Watches. In the box, you'll find the charging cable with a sort of puck on the end that sits on the rear of the Watch case to power it up.

When the Watch has been correctly placed on the cradle, you'll hear a chime and see the charging symbol to indicate it's ready to start powering up again. If you see a red symbol, that means your Watch is in urgent need of power.

Along with Apple's charging cable, there are alternative ways to get your Watch powered up.

You can use one of Apple's MagSafe Duo chargers or magnetic charging docks, which can help to rid your setup of cables or at least hide them away.

Apple Watch Series 7/8 fast charging

While the charging cable that comes with Apple's latest looks similar to older ones, it is different.

This is Apple's new magnetic fast-charging cable that, unlike previous cables, swaps a USB end for a USB-C one. You can tell the difference by the silver band around the puck, which distinguishes between the new and old styles.

With that charger, you can charge the Series 7/8 from 0-80% charge in around 45 minutes (33% faster than earlier models). The Apple Watch Ultra will do the same in around 1 hour. 

It doesn't apply to older Apple Watch models, and crucially, fast charging does not work for the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen).

If you use the new cable for an older Apple Watch, it will just charge at normal speed.

Apple Watch chargers and stands

Belkin Magsafe 3-in-1

Wareable

The daddy of Apple charging stands, the BoostCharge Pro will power up the Holy Trinity of Apple devices: Apple Watch, AirPods and iPhone.

From the Apple Watch perspective, the Belkin MagSafe 3-in1 has fast charging for Apple Watch Series 7/8 – and MagSafe for iPhone too.

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Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock

Wareable

The official Apple stand for its smartwatches, this minimally designed stand helps you get your Apple Watch juiced up. You can opt to charge it flat, or have your Apple Watch propped in Nightstand mode. Series 7/8 and Ultra will fast charge too. 

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Spigen S350 Stand

Wareable

If you don’t fancy spending silly money on a stand, then this quick and easy solution lets you clip in your existing charger. Owners of the silver-clad new Series 7/8 chargers will still get the benefits of rapid charge, while having a neat place for their Apple smartwatch to juice up.

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