As a fan of mechanical watches, it took me a while before I bought my first Apple Watch. I was always intrigued about this product category, and of wearable tech in general, but it was not until the launch of Series 4 in 2018 that I was convinced I had to get one.
I still remember the keynote in which Series 4 was introduced. There were a lot of cool new things compared to earlier versions, such as a significantly faster processor, a bigger and brighter screen, a louder speaker, and an FDA-cleared electrocardiogram feature (ECG). I couldn’t believe how much stuff Apple had been able to squeeze into this small device, while ensuring that the battery would last for a full day.
For almost 2.5 years the Series 4 Apple Watch has been my everyday watch and my old beloved mechanical watches have seen the daylight only during special occasions. As you can imagine, during the pandemic, there haven’t been many of those.
The features I appreciate the most have got to do with health and fitness tracking and audio control. Being able to monitor the quality of sleep has been very insightful. The same goes for activity monitoring. I would even go as far as to say that my exercise regime has become more systematic and rigorous thanks to the watch. If you’re using AirPods, the watch is very convenient for controlling whatever audio experience you’re enjoying. And yes, it happens every now and then that I answer a phone call the way Michael Knight used answer KITT.
There are only two things I’m annoyed with. First, the battery life is problematic if you’re sleeping with the watch. It means that you need to find other time slots for charging the battery. For me that’s just before going to bed and then at some point during the morning. Second, the display isn’t on all the time, so you need to raise your wrist to activate the screen. There are many situations where it would be convenient if you could just glance at the watch and see whatever you need to see. Telling the time is just one obvious example.
With Series 6, which was released in fall of 2020, we got a bunch of updates and new features. Again, a faster processor (S6 vs S4), faster battery charging, and longer battery life during training. Sure, it’s always nice with a new chip, but to be honest, Series 4 has never felt slow to me. The battery improvements, however, seem very important and attractive, and could remove annoyance #1 mentioned earlier.
Another big thing is the always-on display, which already came in Series 5, and again with some improvements in Series 6. I would assume this removes more or less completely annoyance #2.
The Series 6 also features new case colours, but otherwise it’s hard to spot any major design differences. The new solo loop bands, introduced together with Series 6, are backwards compatible with Series 5 and 4. I’m not entirely sure if I like the solo loop, but if I wanted one, I could have one already today with my Series 4.
There’s also the new U1 chip, although it’s still unclear what it will be used for. The same chip can also be found in both iPhone 11 and 12. According to 9to5Mac: “The U1 chip uses positioning tech known as an Ultra Wideband (UWB) radio that provides precise location and spatial awareness, so a U1-equipped device can detect its exact position relative to other devices in the same room.”
Finally, Series 6 has a new health sensor, i.e. the ability to measure blood oxygen, and this is arguably the most notable new feature. According to Apple, the blood oxygen sensor “isn’t a medical device and won’t be able to diagnose or monitor any medical conditions”. They do say, however, that the feature is there to help users gain even more insights to their fitness and wellness. Apple also plans to conduct health studies around asthma, heart disease and COVID-19 using this new blood oxygen measurement capability.
Apple Watch Series 6 – Blood oxygen measurements use a bright red light that shines against your wrist. Image credit: Apple
I’m intrigued by blood oxygen measurements and I applaud Apple for adding yet another health sensor to the watch, but the main reason I’m considering upgrading to Series 6 is the always-on display and the improved battery.
But why not wait for Series 7? Indeed, that’s always the question with tech and especially with Apple. A new version is always behind the corner and therefore you always face the risk of an ill-timed purchase.
We don’t know yet when Series 7 will be launched and what new features it will include. Apple famously never comments on rumours, and there are plenty of those on offer. My best guess is that Series 7 will (once again) be launched in mid-September, meaning that you could get one in October, which is about 6 months away. That’s just a half-year, but then again … it’s a half-year.
What new features Series 7 will introduce is hard to say. There’s been talk about a new design, new swim-tracking features, and yet another health sensor. This time it could be blood glucose monitoring through the skin, which of course is the Holy Grail of wearables we’ve all been waiting for. I don’t believe, however, that we’ll see that magical sensor in Series 7. We will, unfortunately, have to wait another year or two.
All things considered, I’m leaning towards upgrading my Apple Watch Series 4 to Series 6, especially as I have someone in the family to whom I can give my Series 4 watch – which is still perfectly fine, I might add. I’m also happy that the additional colourful sport bands I’ve purchased during the past two years will go nicely together with the Series 6 watch.