Revolutionary Upgrades Unveiled: Apple Watch Series 7 - Is It Worth the Hype?

    Revolutionary Upgrades Unveiled: Apple Watch Series 7 - Is It Worth the Hype?

 Introducing the Apple Watch Series 7, a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 6. Key improvements include a larger display and faster charging. However, beyond these enhancements, the Series 7 maintains most of the features found in its predecessor. If you already own a Series 6, upgrading may not be necessary.

However, if the Series 7 will be your first Apple Watch or you're upgrading from an older model, you'll find it highly appealing. The Series 7's larger screen, comfortable design, numerous health and fitness features, and seamless integration with iOS make it the ideal smartwatch for iPhone users.

The Apple Watch Series 7 delivers dependable, smooth performance, offers a variety of customizable watch faces and complications, and provides motivating reminders, making it a valuable and enjoyable addition to your Apple ecosystem.

Included in the package:

• Apple Watch Series 7
• Magnetic charging dock (Power adapter not included)
• Two wristband sizes (S/M and M/L)
• Warranty information and a quick start guide

The Apple Watch Series 7 maintains its distinctive rectangular design that many are accustomed to while enhancing the size of its display (more details about the display will be discussed later). This smartwatch offers an aluminum case available in five appealing colors: Blue, Green, Midnight, Starlight, and Product RED. Additionally, there is a stainless steel option in Silver, Gold, or Graphite. For our review, we opted for the green variant – a deep, dark green shade that can sometimes appear almost charcoal gray but reveals its green hue under specific lighting conditions and angles.

Compared to its predecessor, the Series 7 is larger, offering case sizes of 41mm and 45mm, as opposed to the 40mm and 44mm sizes of the Apple Watch Series 6. We tested the 45mm version and found it to be remarkably comfortable on the wrist. Despite having a relatively slender wrist, the watch didn't feel overly large or heavy. In fact, I often forgot I was wearing it, even though I don't typically wear watches.

On the right side of the watch case, you'll find the digital crown, which provides excellent haptic feedback and is comfortable to use. Just below it, the power key is conveniently located and responds promptly to touch. On the left side, you'll notice the speaker, delivering clear sound for calls or interactions with Siri in quiet to moderately noisy environments. For example, during a leisurely walk in the park or around a tranquil neighborhood, Siri's voice came through clearly. However, in noisier settings, such as during an intense workout, using earbuds might be preferable for better audibility.

Apple has equipped the Series 7 with its most robust and crack-resistant front crystal, making it the sturdiest Apple Watch to date. It also boasts dust protection with an IP6X certification, a new addition, while retaining its predecessor's WR50 swim-proof rating.

As for watch bands, Apple hasn't introduced any new bands specifically for the Series 7. Fortunately, the existing bands are compatible, despite the slight difference in display sizes and cases. Our review unit came with the standard Sport Band in Clover, a dark green color that complements the dark green Aluminum case beautifully. It's also easy to put on and take off once you get the hang of it.

Display & Watch Faces

In terms of the display, the Apple Watch Series 7 presents the most significant improvement this year, with nearly 20% more screen area compared to the Apple Watch 6. This larger screen enhances the overall user experience, making text easier to read, typing on the miniature keyboard more comfortable, and quickly checking your metrics more convenient. Additionally, the display performs better indoors, with increased brightness compared to its predecessor. While the maximum brightness remains the same, the Always-On display stays less dim when you're indoors.

Apple has introduced four new watch face designs for the Apple Watch Series 7: Contour, Modular Duo, Portraits, and World Time. The Contour face takes advantage of the larger display by aligning the hours along the outer edges, while the Modular Duo allows you to include two full-width complications instead of just one.

The Portraits watch face is another addition, allowing you to use your favorite portrait shots as your watch face. Unlike the other faces, customizing this one requires using your iPhone rather than directly from your Series 7.

Of course, watch faces remain highly customizable with a wide range of complications. My personal favorite is the Infographics Modular, which displays a wealth of valuable information on the Always-On display, including hourly weather forecasts, time, calendar events, my Activity rings, and even celestial information (for those with an interest in astronomy). However, you can add nearly anything you desire for a personalized and tailored experience.

Software, Health, and Performance

UPDATE: Apple has officially announced watchOS 10, set to release in the fall. It brings a host of useful new features, redesigned watch faces with widgets and more!

The Apple Watch Series 7 comes with WatchOS 8 pre-installed, and some of its features are specifically tailored to the Series 7 due to its larger screen. One standout feature is the compact keyboard, allowing for typing or swiping to compose messages. It exhibits impressive accuracy in recognizing swiped words, providing a user-friendly input method. Naturally, you can also rely on Siri for dictation.

Furthermore, apps such as Timer and Calculator have been optimized for the larger screen, featuring larger buttons that enhance usability.

Regarding health sensors, the Apple Watch Series 7 doesn't introduce any new ones compared to its predecessor. It continues to monitor Blood Oxygen (SpO2), heart rate, elevation, sleep, and ECG, as the Series 6 did. However, there are some improvements in the Sleep app with WatchOS 8. It now includes the ability to track your respiratory rate while you're asleep, in addition to monitoring your average sleep duration. This enhanced feature is available not only for the Series 7 but also for other Apple Watch models compatible with WatchOS 8.

All the data it collects is conveniently stored in your iPhone's Health app, allowing you to track your health statistics and identify areas for improvement.

The Blood Oxygen measurement functions seamlessly once you've positioned the watch correctly on your wrist. It continuously records readings throughout the day, providing insights into your body's oxygen absorption and delivery. I consistently received readings of 95% and higher, which is excellent. It also continues monitoring this metric while you sleep, offering a valuable way to oversee your overall health and well-being.

The ECG and heart rate monitor features are also available. The ECG app uses your finger and the Apple Watch's sensors to take readings similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. Additionally, it offers heart rate notifications, which you can activate through your iPhone's Health app. It's important to note that the Apple Watch is not a medical device, so it's wise to consider this and not rely solely on it for health alerts, especially if you have underlying health concerns.

Now, let's discuss exercise. The Apple Watch offers a diverse selection of workout types to choose from, including recent additions like Tai Chi and Pilates. It monitors your heart rate and other relevant statistics during your workouts. Personally, I frequently use the Yoga and Outdoor Walk workouts, with Siri providing helpful updates on my progress, such as kilometer markers and pace. Simultaneously, it tracks calories burned and heart rate for all types of workouts.

The Apple Watch Series 7 introduces four new watch face designs: Contour, Modular Duo, Portraits, and World Time. The Contour face optimizes the larger display by placing the hours along the outer edges, while the Modular Duo allows for two full-width complications instead of just one.

The Portraits watch face is a unique addition, allowing you to use your favorite portrait shots as your watch face. Unlike the other faces, customizing this one requires using your iPhone rather than directly from your Series 7.

Of course, watch faces remain highly customizable with a wide range of complications. My personal favorite is the Infographics Modular, which displays a wealth of valuable information on the Always-On display, including hourly weather forecasts, time, calendar events, my Activity rings, and even celestial information (for those interested in astronomy). However, you can add almost anything you desire for a personalized and tailored experience.

In terms of well-being, the Mindfulness app introduces a new feature called Reflect, alongside the existing Breathe feature. This app is designed to enhance your overall wellness by guiding your focus towards a positive experience, a happy memory, something to be grateful for, or your immediate surroundings. Personally, I've found it effective, as it leads to an even calmer heart rate compared to the rest of the day. With its reminders, it proves helpful, especially if you tend to have a busy day without taking a moment to relax and take some deep breaths.

One other noteworthy addition: the Apple Watch Series 7 now allows you to set up multiple timers, rather than just one. This feature was missing previously but can be quite beneficial, whether you're cooking or simply need to manage multiple timers concurrently.

In summary, the performance of the Apple Watch is consistently reliable and speedy, just as you'd expect from a premium Apple Watch. It operates smoothly without any interruptions, offering quick responsiveness. Additionally, its improved charging capabilities almost entirely alleviate any battery-related worries, enhancing the overall user experience. We'll dive deeper into its charging capabilities in the following section.

Battery Life

Regarding the battery, Apple has maintained the same battery size as its predecessor, with an advertised runtime of up to 18 hours. In practice, I consistently achieved a day and a half of usage, even with workouts and moderate activity. Now, with the Series 7's faster charging capabilities (Apple claims it's up to 33% faster than its predecessor), you can swiftly recharge your battery with a quick top-up. The improvement in charging speed compared to the Series 6 is quite notable.

After just 30 minutes on the charger, an empty battery reaches a 50% charge, and it takes about 45 minutes to reach 80% capacity. This represents a significant improvement over its predecessor, which required an hour to reach an 80% charge. A full recharge takes roughly an hour and 20 minutes, which, while not the fastest, is still commendable. It's worth noting that the smartwatch doesn't include a power adapter in the package, so you'll need to purchase a USB-C power brick separately.

With quicker charging, it's now more convenient than ever to use your Apple Watch for sleep tracking without concerns about battery life.

In summary, the Series 7 has provided solid battery performance, with no difficulties ensuring my watch lasts the whole day or has sufficient charge for successful sleep monitoring.