Apple has stretched the screen, minimising the bezel to just 1.7mm. The last time we saw a screen expansion was back in 2018 when the Apple Watch 4 expanded the screen size to 40mm and 44mm . The Series 7 features a display that's 20 per cent larger than last year's Apple Watch 6.
It has added a new on-screen keyboard (I'm still not sure if I'll type texts on my watch) and a couple of exclusive watch faces that play up the expanded screen real estate. It's now a USB-C-based cable that charges 33 per cent faster than its predecessor. This translates to 0 to 80 per cent in 45 minutes, compared to an hour for the Watch 6. The manufacturer has also made the new watch more durable with improvisations in the crack-resistant crystal and it is also IPX6-certified for dust resistance. Additional features include a new S6 processor that is up to 20% faster than the S4 and S5, a 2.5× brighter always-on display, and an always-on altimeter.
The Series 6 watch was updated with faster charging hardware such that it completes charging in ~1.5 hours. Force Touch hardware was removed, consistent with the removal of all Force Touch functionality from watchOS 7. The ECG system has received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration, a first ever for a consumer device, and is supported by the American Heart Association.
This device can also detect falls and will automatically contact emergency services unless the user cancels the outgoing call. The microphone was moved to the opposite side between the side button and the digital crown to improve call quality. Other changes include the digital crown incorporating haptic feedback with the Apple Haptic Engine and includes the new Apple-designed W3 wireless chip. The Series 7 is also equipped with new hardware that enables ultra-rapid, short-range wireless data transfer at 60.5 GHz, though Apple has not fully explained this new functionality. Battery life on both is a full day's usage, so overnight charges are required, but you won't be buying the series 6 for extra battery life.
Although the SE doesn't have ECG or blood oxygen monitoring, it has the same heart rate capabilities and neat features like Breathe, a one-minute mindfulness app, as the series 6. TechRadar gave it a score of 4.5/5, calling it one of the top smartwatches, while criticizing the short battery life. Digital Trends gave it a score of 5/5, calling it Apple's best product and praising the design, build quality, and software, among others, while criticizing the battery life.
CNET gave it a score of 8.2/10, calling it the "best overall smartwatch around", while criticizing the battery life and lack of watch face options. T3 gave it a score of 5/5, calling it a "truly next-gen smartwatch" due to its thinner body and bigger screen compared to the Series 3, and health features. The S7 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor is up to 20% faster than the S5 in Apple Watch SE.12 The always-on altimeter detects your elevation in real time. It's also important to remember that iterative upgrades aren't a new concept for the Apple Watch.
In fact, the entire legacy of the Apple Watch has been established around small year-over-year changes. It added cellular and water resistance for the first time, but it also had the exact same health sensors and design as the Series 2. They added new health features like ECG and SpO2 tracking, yet the design didn't budge from the Series 4 case introduced in 2018. The Apple Watch Series 7 is no different from its predecessors in this regard.
There may not be new health sensors or an upgraded chip this year, but Apple has delivered a more impressive display, quicker charging, and enhanced durability . The Apple Watch Series 7 is powered by an S7 SiP , which is a rebranded S6 SiP from Series 6; watchOS 8 performance is identical on Series 6 and 7. It does everything the Series 6 did only slightly better, with a larger screen, a sleeker look, better durability and faster charging. I'm not happy that Apple hasn't upgraded the battery life at all but it seems, until something drastic happens, that Apple Watch users are stuck with one to two days between charges. Initial reviews for the device have been generally positive with some caveats.
Reviewers praised the watch's potential ability to integrate into everyday life and the overall design of the product, but noted issues of speed and price. Many reviewers described the watch as functional and convenient, while also noting failure to offer as much potential functionality as preceding smartphones. Farhad Manjoo of The New York Times mentioned the device's steep learning curve, stating it took him "three long, often confusing and frustrating days" to become accustomed to watchOS 1, but loved it thereafter. Some reviewers also compared it to competing products, such as Android Wear devices, and claimed "The Smartwatch Finally Makes Sense". He concluded that there is no "killer application" so far besides telling the time, which is the basic function of a wristwatch anyhow.
While you shouldn't expect a bump in battery life for the Series 7, it does juice up faster than earlier models thanks to a new charging architecture and a Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable. Apple says it charges 33% faster than the Series 6—just 45 minutes of charging will take the watch from dead to 80% battery life. And eight minutes on the charger offers eight hours of juice for overnight sleep tracking.
It also features an always-on display and QWERTY keyboard, and the blood-oxygen and electrocardiogram sensors are welcome additions. On top of that, Apple claims that it's making sustainability a key element of the Series 7, having used a variety of recyclable materials—such as tungsten, tin, and aluminum—in the watch's design. Force touch technology has been removed in Watch Series 6 and Watch SE. The watch also has a side button which can be used to display recently used apps and access Apple Pay, which is used for contactless payment. The watch then reverts to its original mode when recharged or after holding down the side button.
So, the difference between the two generations of Apple's smartwatches boils down to the importance placed on the larger display, the reduced charging time, water-and-dust resistance, and color options. If one has already made up one's mind, there is no persuading otherwise. The Apple Watch Series 7 doesn't have an official release date yet, and by all indications, it's pretty similar to last year's model. The most significant difference is the Apple Watch Series 7 has a bigger screen and thinner bezels, making the Apple Watch Series 6 screen look smaller side-by-side.
Not to mention that the Series 7 comes in two slightly bigger case sizes — 41mm and 45mm — making the device just a bit bigger than the Series 6. However, there are no new sensors on the latest Apple Watch that improve fitness tracking or other health data like we've seen Apple include in newer models in the past, meaning the Series 6 still has all the features you want. It's worth noting that all of these features - except the always-on altimeter - can be found on the Series 4 and 5 too. Overall, the Apple Watch Series 7 is a minor upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 6, offering larger displays and casing sizes, new color options, improved durability, the S7 chip, and faster charging. These features are mostly iterative improvements rather than major reasons to upgrade, and the Series 7 does not add any new functionality. To make use of the larger display, Apple has redesigned the user interface by optimising the UI elements.
Courtesy the watchOS 8, the Watch Series 7 gets larger menu titles and buttons in apps like Calculator, Stopwatch, Activity, and Alarms. Besides, there are two new watch faces exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 7. There is a new Contour face with an animated dial on the edge of the display that animates to emphasise the current hour details. The new redesigned UI and watch faces take advantage of the increased display size and profile to make the display intuitive to interact with.
Besides, there are two additional larger font sizes for easy readability of the on-screen content. Apple has also included a new QWERTY keyboard with swipe-to-type feature. Though a good addition, the screen still is not big enough to make text entry easier and faster, especially if you have fat fingers. Another factor that makes it hard to say whether the battery life is definitely better is the faster charging. Apple promises that it's 33% faster, and I've seen it charge from 30% to 80% in half an hour, which I would've expected to take about 45 minutes before, so I think the promise is bang on. Apple also says that 8 minutes of charging before bed gets you enough juice for 8 hours of sleep tracking, even if it's empty.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is among the best in its segment when it comes to health and activity monitoring, delivering useful insights, challenges that you can undertake with your friends, and a lot more. For blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring, the smartwatch takes readings throughout the day, and you can view the data from the Health app on your iPhone. You can also manually measure your blood oxygen level and take an ECG by pressing your finger to the digital crown, with the readings stored on your phone.
As for monitoring, the Series 7 has a lot to offer; there's ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, and it has a third-generation optical heart sensor with 24/7 heart rate monitoring. The always-on altimeter that debuted last year is here as well, along with fall detection. This new Apple Watch also shares the same sensor as last year's, so you'll have to wait for the hotly anticipated blood pressure and glucometers features in Apple Watch Series 8 . However, you can still track your blood oxygen levels, ECG and heart rate, so it's still a solid smartwatch for fitness buffs. There's also a new mindfulness app, cycling fall detection and calorie burning calculator, which overall makes this the best Apple Watch to date. Speaking of the battery, the Series 7 promises the same runtime as its predecessor, which is to say, about 18 hours.
I generally found myself getting about half a day more from the new watch than the SE, despite the lack of an Always On display on the SE. The Series 7 usually stuck around for a day and a half, almost two, with the screen set to Always On, and tracking between three and five workouts. I also used the device to send plenty of messages and map my walks while I ran errands with the GPS on.
That endurance is impressive given the larger screen, but it's worth noting that I haven't used the watch for sleep tracking yet. It lacks fairly basic features like interval sessions and heart rate alerts. The 6 and 7 have the same array of sensors, including a blood oxygen sensor, an electrical heart sensor, a third-generation optical heart sensor, GPS, and a barometric altimeter.
This is Apple's most powerful smartwatch yet and it features upgrades like a bigger screen, dust resistance, faster charging and more. But taking a deeper look at the differences between the Watch Series 7 andSeries 6, it doesn't seem like a major upgrade. We tell you what has changed and what remains the same in this detailed comparison. The Apple Watch Series 7 is a minimal upgrade on the inside, but the new larger display with thinner bezels looks gorgeous.
While it has the same battery life as last year's model, the Series 7 has a USB-C charging cable included in the box that charges the watch up to 33% faster, so you'll spend less time juicing up than before. Compared to the Watch SE though, the Series 6 only adds an always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, a faster processor and the U1 chip. For some, the improved processor, ECG and blood oxygen functionality, Always-On display and U1 chip could be the five features you needed to take the smartwatch plunge, but for others, the Watch SE will more than suffice. In terms of the Series 7, a bigger display is added, but otherwise the features are almost identical to the Series 6. Thanks to the larger display on the Series 7, it also offers a full keyboard with QuickPath for replying to messages. The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a number of upgrades and improvements on 2020's Series 6, offering a larger display with bigger casing sizes, faster charging, and the S7 chip, for a price starting at $399.
There is no smartwatch that complements the iPhones the way Apple's own watches do, even if they are not perfect. Therefore, even if the new models do not bring any significant upgrades over the previous-generation models, they still make a compelling buy for iPhone users looking to upgrade to a new model. Over the Watch Series 6 , the Series 7 brings a bigger display with curved edges and negligible display bezels, redesigned user interface optimised for larger display, and new watch faces to complement the curved display profile. Apple watch SE looks identical to series 6 and works largely the same, though it lacks some of the extra features and more powerful processor on the flagship watch. The display is not always-on, as on series 6, so to see the time, or whatever's on the screen, you need to raise your wrist. The Apple watch is completely reliable at illuminating the screen with the slightest movement, unlike some rival gadgets, but it's not quite as slick as series 6.
But in everyday use, there's precious little difference between the two models, and the SE is more than £100 cheaper. Noise monitoring is a feature that sends you alerts when the racket around you is loud enough to potentially damage your hearing. The latest processor is only found in series 6 (Apple watch SE uses last year's chip, which is still pretty nippy). And if you are tracking your sleep, then you'll need to wear the watch at night and recharge it in the morning.
Though both SE and series 6 can do this, the battery on the series 6 recharges more quickly. In terms of choice of design, health features and sheer power, Apple watch series 6 is head and shoulders above the SE – and every other smartwatch available. Apple has announced a refreshed Watch Series 7 with a 1 mm larger display, new case colors, and watchOS 8. The new Watch Series 7 is now much more durable, includes new fitness apps such as Mindfulness, and riding fall detection.
The Watch Series 7 also charges 33% faster compared to the Watch Series 6. The Series 7 offers the same 18-hour battery life as the 6, but with 33% faster charging. Because I don't typically sleep in my Watch, a full charge gives me two full days of use. Unlike the 6, I don't have to wait as long for the Watch to be ready to go. Though the differences between the Series 6 and 7 seem minor, it's worth a reminder that most people who own last year's model likely aren't looking to upgrade yet anyway.
For anyone else who's looking for a new smartwatch, the Series 7 will be a satisfying purchase, especially if you've never used one before. It's not the best at sleep-tracking, though, so if that's a priority you might prefer a Fitbit. Despite its relatively high starting price of $400, what Apple offers is currently the best in the market, especially for the iOS ecosystem.
Whether the charging update represents an important improvement really depends on how you use your Apple Watch. If you take it off when you go to bed and slap it on the charger, you'll hardly notice the change. The Series 6 has slightly faster charging — in my tests it was charging from zero to 100 percent in a little over two hours, while the Series 5 hit 80 percent. That's a fairly minor bump, but it is marginally useful since more people will be looking to charge it at in-between times so they can take advantage of the new sleep tracking features in watchOS 7. Apple finally announced on launch day that the Series 7 has the same S6 processor as the Series 6 (though it's calling it the S7 due to some slight changes).
But it's notable in that it's the first time Apple has 't updated the processor in a new model. The watches also both have the same LTE chip for cellular connectivity, so if you're looking for 5G, you'll need to wait for the Series 8. For users who already have an Apple Watch Series 6, the Series 7 probably does not offer enough to warrant upgrading unless you particularly want a larger display, faster charging, or improved durability. The design changes and new features are iterative rather than transformative, and there are no new major capabilities, so many Series 6 users may prefer to wait a little longer to upgrade.
There is also the Apple Watch Series 3, which Apple sells for $199. This older model offers substantially fewer features and has a smaller screen. The Apple Watch Series 3 is still a capable device, with 8GB of storage, water-resistance up to 50 meters, an altimeter, Emergency SOS, and an optical heart sensor. Functionally, it is more pared back than the Apple Watch SE, being thicker with larger bezels. Most of what I wrote for the Apple Watch Series 6 review holds up for the Series 7. At a fundamental level, not much has changed; the innards are effectively identical, there aren't any new groundbreaking software features, and the battery life is no different.
The thinner bezels and larger screen are nice, but the biggest issue from the Series 6 is here as well — you can't use the Apple Watch with an Android phone. So if you like what this smartwatch has to offer, you will need to buy an iPhone. Although our experts haven't put the Apple Watch Series 7 through a full round of testing, they do have some early impressions that may help you decide whether buying one is worth it for you. If you're already an Apple Watch superfan and looking to take advantage of the Series 7's larger screen or faster charging time, it may be worth the upgrade. But for casual users or those new to the Apple Watch, these updates may not make the Series 7 that much better than its Apple Watch predecessors.
