Apple Watch 6 :: The best yet
by Volker Weber
After having upgraded the Apple Watch Series 5 to watchOS 7 and then replacing Series 5 with Series 6, I thought about what possibly could be the outstanding feature. Here is the run-up so far:
- Original Apple Watch (stainless steel): Finally an Apple Watch and the best fitness tracker yet. After the OS 2.0 update, apps became usable, because they could run on the watch itself.
- Series 1: No idea, never had that one.
- Series 2 (space grey aluminium): A welcome speed update, officially waterproof.
- Series 3 (ceramic white): LTE made a huge difference, because I could leave the phone behind.
- Series 4 (stainless steel): a new design with a larger and much better display.
- Series 5 (black steel): the always-on display made this so much better.
Did you notice I never mentioned the GPS, the compass, the barometer, the ECG? Those were headline features, but I never noticed them in my daily use. Also, each watch was faster than the one before, and that just becomes normal.
So what is the big thing in Series 6? The SpO2 sensor? The always-on altimeter? Actually, no. The big difference is battery life. While I was struggling with watchOS 7 on Series 5, even after resetting it, it's no concern now. I still have the battery widget on my watchface, but I do not need it anymore.
I tried sleep tracking for a week, but it stresses me out. I am back to taking Watch off in the evening, putting it on the charger, and then putting it back on when I wake up. After 3.5 hours of deep sleep I briefly woke up, put the watch back on at 2:30 in the morning, and 17 hours later, I am still at 50% charge. In the photo above, the display is in its off state. You see that only because there is no second hand which would need to be updated every second. I never bother to light up the display. That is how bright it is on Series 6.
That is the big difference for now. I will see what else comes up.
Comments
Who really wears a watch these days? I gave up wristwatches in 2012. The last one went when trying to adjust it for yet another time zone change, the winder came out. Abandoned, never missed it. My phone is in my pocket and that’s all I need.
Do you believe that will be your future?
What an Apple watch has in common with a wrist-watch is that it shares the same place when in use. In fact this is my only quarrel with it :)
It's worked for me for 8 years so far. If the phone in pocket and the clocks on the wall don't suffice, I suspect there will be something wrong with my lifestyle if I really need to know the time that much. But I'm flexible, I've abandoned wearing a watch once, I could start again if I found I needed one. But whether it wouldbe a smartwatch or a ¢10 Casio (do such things still exist?) would be the question.
What if you did not have to have a phone in your pocket.
Volker, not a phone in the pocket? Have you lost it? Maybe the fumes from painting your walls?
Do the newer models recognize better what type of activity you are doing? I have the second generation and the feeling that it sometimes had a hard time recognizing that I am training (the middle ring).
Mariano, :-) It's quite liberating actually and improves your posture.
Thomas, you just tell it what you are doing. On a bicycle that is important. When running and walking, not so much.
Agree with you. I have been pleasantly surprised by the battery life in my new Series 6, it even seems better than my Series 4. Quite an achievement considering the display is always on.
Mick: Same here. :-) I've also learned to trust my „inner clock“ a lot more, which works surprisingly well.
If you've ever read any of the Jack Reacher novels (thanks to vowe for the tip, btw), you know what I mean.
Mick, the AppleWatch is as much a watch as the iPhone is a phone. :-)
The Apple Watch tells the time too? Who knew! That’s one of the least used features of a smart watch.
Activity tracking, filtered & useful push notifications with the ability to act on them without picking up your phone, travel card (Oyster in London), Apple Pay, speaker phone, etc. I don’t have the LTE version of the Watch so there is still a need to be tethered but I still find it incredibly useful to have these features that allow you to do something without picking up the phone.
Kieren, 100% spot on. Like your smartphone that can also handle the casual phone call, but is used for so many other things that make the use (and value of it). The former core capability is a nice to have (kept) feature these days.
Can the Apple Watch 6 LTE roam in Europe? The text at https://www.apple.com/de/watch/cellular/ is now no longer very specific. It just talks about "worldwide roaming" not being possible and that a single watch only works in specific regions?
No roaming whatsoever. The PM could not explain why.