Apple Watch 7 arrives Oct. 15: Here’s what to know

The Apple Watch Sequence 7 begins at $399 and is coming Oct. 15, with preorders beginning this Friday, Oct. 8. It was introduced at Apple’s event again in September, however after a brief delay it is making its way to stores soon. The modifications do not appear that dramatic: it has a bigger show with thinner bezels, a faster-charging battery that guarantees 8 hours of use after 8 minutes of charging and a extra crack-resistant entrance crystal. And the battery life — 18 hours — is identical as final yr’s watch. However it replaces final yr’s Apple Watch Sequence 6, and appears to supply simply sufficient enhancements to presumably make a distinction for some.

There are additionally new colours for the aluminum case: blue, inexperienced, midnight (black), starlight (a gold-silver mix) and Product Crimson. You may add nonetheless dearer upgrades to metal and titanium-cased variations, too.

Learn extra: WatchOS 8: New features coming to your Apple Watch

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Apple Watch Sequence 7: Here’s what’s new

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Apple seems prefer it’s staying the course on the remainder of the watch’s design, opposite to earlier reports of a massively revamped flat design. For anybody anticipating a complete new watch (as I used to be), the seemingly small updates appear to be a disappointment. However Apple’s made small modifications year-over-year to earlier Apple Watches. The one factor really new about final yr’s Apple Watch Series 6 was the addition of estimated blood oxygen. 

This yr, the updates appear sparse, too, and it does not look that totally different from an off-the-cuff distance. The guarantees of higher sturdiness and sooner charging do appear helpful, though in all probability not sufficient for many to contemplate an improve from a latest mannequin.

A bigger show

The bigger display screen ought to permit extra readable and detailed watch faces, notifications and apps, very similar to the Sequence 4’s size increase a couple of years in the past. Apple says it is 20% bigger than the Sequence 6, and 50% bigger than the Sequence 3. Buttons are bigger on the shows, and Apple says 50% extra textual content will be match on-screen, whereas the show is 70% brighter indoors in always-on mode. (A brand new on-screen full keyboard will pop up now for getting into textual content, along with scribble and dictation choices.) 

The show is curved on the corners now, wrapping across the case a bit. I did not see this in particular person but, however I checked out a 3D mannequin in AR and it reveals the delicate impact from the aspect.

There are new watch faces, too: a revamped Modular watch face and a number-warping watch face with its digits across the curved edge. However there’s nonetheless no method to get new watch faces in a watch face store, though Apple’s watch faces have loads of customization options.

Guarantees of higher sturdiness

The Watch 7 has an IP6X score, which is new and guarantees higher mud resistance. The curved crystal can also be 50% thicker, in line with Apple, which may result in much less cracking. However we have not examined that but, and do not know the way sturdy it really is but (and will not know till later this fall, at any time when the watch arrives). The watch has the identical 50-meter water resistance for freshwater, pool, or ocean swimming as latest earlier fashions. 

Quicker charging, however not higher battery life

Apple’s touting the fast-charging options on the Watch 7, which promise 8 hours of battery life on 8 minutes of charging. That’s useful, particularly when possibly you’ve got forgotten to cost the watch the night time earlier than (or for folks sporting the Apple Watch to mattress for sleep monitoring), however the total battery life for the watch stays the identical. Count on a couple of day and a half of use, based mostly on my earlier expertise.

No new well being options

Lacking, nevertheless, are any new well being options or sensors. Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 4 and final yr’s Fitbit Sense began introducing new well being sensors like physique evaluation and electrodermal exercise, however Apple hasn’t launched something new on the Sequence 7 health-wise in comparison with final yr. Additionally absent is any enchancment in battery life or a watch face store.

Pricing tiers TBD

The Apple Watch Sequence 7 begins at $399 within the US, however we do not know costs for the totally different sizes, LTE-ready fashions, or for various supplies. Count on costs to ramp up like earlier Apple Watches, although. Costs for different international locations are additionally but to be introduced.

WatchOS 8 arriving forward of the Apple Watch Sequence 7

Apple’s newest version of WatchOS arrived Sept. 20, including new biking options, a redesigned Mindfulness app, and Pockets app upgrades. Possibly these updates will likely be sufficient for current Apple Watch house owners, and so they will not see a have to improve their watches in any respect.

Apple’s watch lineup has been getting steadily extra profitable, particularly as wearable opponents have consolidated. Apple’s Fitness Plus subscription service, launched on the finish of final yr, requires the Watch to reap the benefits of its video exercises. Apple introduced a brand new group workout feature at at this time’s occasion, too. 

Final yr’s Apple Watch SE sought to grow to be a extra inexpensive Apple Watch, however its $279 beginning worth was nonetheless effectively above finances health trackers from firms resembling Fitbit. This yr, the Watch SE and Sequence 3 stay on sale, with the SE nonetheless at $279 (£269, AU$429) and the Sequence 3 (which we don’t recommend in the intervening time) at $199 (£199, AU$299). Worldwide costs for the Sequence 7 weren’t introduced.