Apple Watch 7 review: Tracking its victory laps | Laptop Mag
Our Verdict
The Apple tree Watch 7 is the best smartwatch on the market past a broad margin, merely it's non for everyone.
For
- Excellent health/fitness tracking
- Robust app support
- Intuitive interface
- Large, bright display
- Stylish and unobtrusive design
Against
- Just all-day bombardment life
- Limited to iPhone users
- Expensive
Laptop Mag Verdict
The Apple Watch vii is the best smartwatch on the market by a broad margin, but it's not for everyone.
Pros
- +
Excellent health/fettle tracking
- +
Robust app back up
- +
Intuitive interface
- +
Large, vivid brandish
- +
Stylish and unobtrusive blueprint
- +
Cons
- -
Only all-day battery life
- -
Express to iPhone users
- -
Expensive
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Apple Picket 7
Cost: $399 (starting), $529 (as tested)
Display: LTPO OLED E'er-on Retina (396 x 484 pixels)
Mobile Payments: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE (optional)
Battery: 18 hours
H2o resistance: 50m (164 anxiety)
Size: 1.77 x i.5 10 0.42 inches
Weight: one.37 ounces
Apple Watch vii is the best smartwatch on the market. That may feel like a spoiler for this review, simply it won't come as a surprise if yous've been looking for a smartwatch in the by five years.
Afterwards a slightly rocky starting time, the Apple tree Sentinel moved to a total sprint and, at this indicate, is channeling its inner Steve Rogers and calling out "On your left" every bit it blows by every other smartwatch to pull another lap ahead.
With that said, the Apple Lookout and specifically the Apple Watch seven aren't for everyone. Don't want to charge your spotter on a well-nigh-daily basis? The Apple tree Watch can't help you. Do you lot utilise an Android telephone? The Apple tree Picket can't help you.
That concluding one, in detail, cuts out a considerable number of customers equally Android remains the most popular mobile operating system globally and represents nearly one-half of the U.S. market.
So while yes, there's no arguing that the Apple Watch is the all-time overall smartwatch, the details are of import. And then here's a look at everything you demand to know nearly the Apple tree Sentinel 7 to decide whether it'due south non just the best smartwatch, but the all-time smartwatch for you.
Apple Watch seven price and configurations
The Apple tree Lookout man 7 starts at $399 for the 41mm aluminum Wi-Fi-only model and $429 if you want the larger 45mm pick. These are the same prices Apple has maintained since the Apple Watch 3. Upgrading to the Stainless Steel example pushes you to $699 and $749 for the 41mm and 45mm, respectively, while the Titanium case adds another $100 to those choices. You tin can as well opt for a cellular model with any Apple tree Watch 7 for an extra $100.
Apple has kept its pricing consequent for four years now. Although it is at the college finish of the spectrum, it has no trouble selling Apple tree Watches, and without any serious competition in the smartwatch space, there is no reason for them to come down.
Apple Watch vii design
The rumored major redesign of the Apple Watch 7 didn't come to pass. However, there are a couple of changes that improve the overall experience with the watch and as the best selling smartwatch for years now, in that location'southward something to be said for sticking with what works.
The near visible alter to the pattern is the larger display. Apple accentuates that modify with more rounded edges to create a seamless blending of screen and watch. The overall size of the watch has likewise increased but slightly to suit the larger display with the move to 41mm and 45mm, up from 40mm and 44mm.
That last alter isn't ane that you'll find and all of the Apple tree Watch bands for the previous generation will go on to fit Apple Scout seven. The changes you will notice are the addition of some new color options.
The Apple Sentry 7 aluminum case is available in five different colors: Midnight, Starlight, Light-green, Bluish and (Product) Red. While the last three are self-explanatory, Midnight is a blue-ish blackness and Starlight is a creamy silver shade. The Stainless Steel models drop to 4 colors: Silver, Gold, Graphite and Space Black. Titanium gets the most express prepare of choices with either Space Black or Titanium.
Durability impressively gets a boost for the Apple Watch 7. It still offers a swim-proof rating up to 50 meters, but adds IP6X dust resistance. Apple claims the front crystal is stronger and more scissure-resistant. I haven't gone out of my way to beat upward the Apple Watch 7 in my fourth dimension with it. However, I've worn information technology constantly for the final ii weeks while setting up and taking down a gaming convention that brought it in contact with a metal truss organization and numerous metal rods for banners. It has come up abroad without a single scratch.
Apple Watch 7 display
At that place is room to contend how much it changes the experience of using Apple Watch, simply the bigger brandish is irrefutably aesthetically and functionally meliorate. Apple reduced the size of the bezels by xl% from the Apple Watch 6to deliver a xx% larger brandish without appreciably increasing the size of the sentinel itself.
It'southward a difference you lot feel when interacting with content on Apple Scout vii. I previously owned an Apple Spotter four and was constantly frustrated by touch targets. That hasn't been an outcome for me with the Apple Watch seven. Fifty-fifty reading or viewing content is markedly better due to the larger brandish. My but frustration is when an app isn't optimized for Apple Watch and the low-res images used can exist startlingly bad on what is otherwise a crystal clear display.
Apple Watch seven uses an LTPO OLED ever-on Retina display. Apple claims it offers up to 1,000 nits of brightness in its active state or 500 nits with your wrist down. The latter is more noticeable than the quondam, catching a glimpse of the spotter in e'er-on manner is much more than readable than final year every bit that represents a seventy% heave from the Apple Picket six.
While Wisconsin isn't at its brightest in mid-October, I've had no trouble seeing the Apple Watch 7 brandish in whatever lighting atmospheric condition and it does a solid job of managing itself and non blinding me at night either. The raise detection is likewise extremely reliable; it takes about half a vanquish after I've angled the sentry to read it, but never fails to respond.
Apple tree Watch 7 health tracking
The Apple tree Watch 7 didn't add whatsoever new health sensors this year, which is surprising because it is seeing stronger competition in this arena from devices like the Fitbit Sense and Galaxy Spotter 4. However, it still offers one of the most robust collections of health sensors on the market place, and then this is notable primarily for Apple Watch half dozen buyers considering an upgrade.
The Apple tree Spotter seven includes an ECG sensor, SpO2 (blood oxygen) monitoring, and a second-generation optical middle sensor. Here'due south a await at what those can do for you.
ECG sensor
The Apple Picket 7 remains i of only a handful of smartwatches with FDA approval for its ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor. By triggering the ECG and holding your finger against the digital crown, the Apple Watch 7 will record an ECG in but thirty seconds. It will then inform you whether your heart is in sinus rhythm (normal), high or depression, or showing signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heath rhythm irregularity that tin can exist a sign of a serious health condition. This information can exist life-saving if it helps to catch an unknown issue early, and with Apple Watch, this data can be passed to the Health app on your iPhone and then shared with your doctor if yous wish.
SpO2 monitoring
Claret oxygen monitoring has drawn particular attention over the last year equally a drop in SpO2 levels tin can exist an early sign of Covid-19. Dissimilar the ECG sensor, the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch 7 still doesn't take FDA approval as the cogitating sensor doesn't provide a reliable enough reading compared to the transmissive sensors used by medical professionals.
With that said, much like the ECG sensor, information technology could still be life-saving in the right circumstances as it automatically records your SpO2 levels at intervals throughout the day and at night, which should establish a baseline for you over time. A significant drib in your SpO2 level accompanied by fifty-fifty balmy symptoms may clue you into a serious health problem. I almost died from a case of necrotic pneumonia several years ago that would probable take been defenseless by even this level of SpO2 monitoring.
Heart rate tracking
Heart rate tracking is predominantly associated with fitness tracking which I'll get to in a moment. But it too contributes to your overall health even if yous don't utilise Apple Watch seven for workouts. Much of this data overlaps and works in tandem with the ECG data to help identify whatsoever irregularities in your eye rhythm or simply a high or low heart rate for an extended flow. The difference is that, different the ECG sensor, the middle charge per unit sensor can run almost constantly in the background, alerting you to a potentially apropos change without any direct action from you.
Apple tree Watch 7 fettle tracking
The Apple Watch vii stands out as the most powerful smartwatch on the marketplace. It has more than robust app support in wearOS 8 than you will find on any other wear platform. But fitness tracking is still the killer app and core functionality of Apple Watch for many users.
The staples are all there with the ever-pop three rings tracking your stand, move and practise goals for each day. While it may seem silly, that little glanceable set of circles can assistance motivate you to get upwards and motility, which is a definite plus if you have an often sedentary job.
The Apple Picket 7 goes much further though, with tracking back up for 17 distinct conditioning categories to deliver the appropriate information regarding your activity. This extends to calorie burn every bit well as footstep, altitude, or laps for pool swimming. The congenital-in GPS is primal for your outdoor activities and in my usage information technology locked on in about five to eight seconds after the initial setup.
While you will become the most authentic results if y'all trigger the activity tracking yourself, the Apple tree Watch 7 will endeavour to automatically recognize if you are working out and ask you lot if you wish to track the action. Information technology's quite reliable and much appreciated equally I am apt to forget as I am heading out the door for a run or bike ride.
Apple's subscription service, Apple Fettle+, isn't a must-have for Apple Watch users, just you get a 3-month subscription for complimentary with the watch to meet if information technology's a helpful tool for yous. The service includes a variety of dissimilar workouts from intense programs to relaxing walks with spoken discussion and music content forth with accompanying photos that will pop upwards on your Apple tree Watch. The service is otherwise $9.99 a month and then if information technology tin accept the identify of a gym membership for y'all, it is certainly well worth the cost.
Apple tree Sentinel 7 sleep tracking
The built-in sleep tracking on Apple Lookout remains rudimentary compared to the granular data yous see from Fitbit regarding your quality of sleep. This is likely a result of the latter's shorter bombardment life, which makes it more likely that users charge their watches at dark. Apple makes a point of stating that, with the Apple tree Watch 7, just eight minutes on its charger adds another 8 hours of battery life, and so mayhap we'll see some software enhancements as the hardware is better able to keep upward.
Apple tree Watch 7 smartwatch features
While the fit and finish of the hardware is splendid and the fettle tracking is on a par with anything else out there, the smartwatch features and tight integration into the Apple tree ecosystem are what put the Apple Watch out of the reach of the contest.
Health and fitness are certainly at the core of Apple tree Watch, but it can do so much more. The new larger screen really starts to unlock some of these features that would have seemed impractical on early models of Apple Watch.
This includes the Photos app, which delivers Memory highlights and Favorites to y'all with the option to easily share them via Messages or Mail from your Apple Watch. Yes, the screen is still tiny even compared to the iPhone 13 mini, but it'southward large plenty now that viewing photos or even a brief video is perfectly fine and blessedly saves having to get your phone out of your pocket.
Speaking of communication with your phone, the new Focus Mode in iOS is also a significant upgrade for Apple tree Sentinel. The feature offers more granular control over the notifications that come through on your phone and, in plough, on your Apple Watch.
Text entry either through dictation, Scribble, Siri or a keyboard is ameliorate than e'er on Apple Watch 7. While I lean toward dictation when I tin can, swiping a quick bulletin on the keyboard is remarkably easy fifty-fifty with my less-than-prissy fingers. Information technology's a great addition to the Apple Spotter that would have been fairly impractical on the smaller screen Apple tree Watches.
If you are into habitation automation, the Home app on Apple tree Watch can unlock new possibilities and volition permit you keep an eye on your dwelling from your wrist with HomeKit back up for many security cameras.
In that location are too many features to cover them all here, merely I'll close out with Wallet and Apple tree Pay support. The latter I'm sure you are all familiar with, with nigh universal back up for NFC payments available now, you lot rarely need to worry virtually having a physical credit or debit carte anymore. Apple Wallet has been growing by leaps and premises with back up for things like hotel, role and car keys. The about recent improver is the ability to add your vaccine card to Apple tree Wallet.
Apple Watch vii battery life and charging
Battery life remains an Achilles heel for the Apple Watch. It'south profoundly improved from the early models, which struggled to get through a day, only it could withal be better. Depending on your usage, you can eke a second day out of Apple tree Picket vii. Notwithstanding, if y'all are doing any active fitness tracking or make extensive use of the more intensive features like taking phone calls or playing music, you lot will demand to charge it in one case a twenty-four hour period.
If you are coming from a Fitbit, this is a significant adjustment as most of its wearables offer anywhere from v to vii days of bombardment life. Still, after realizing that I needed to accuse daily, I quickly settled into a routine of placing it on the charger before jumping in the shower in the morning and that roughly xx minutes I take to get ready is plenty to continue it going for the entire day. This is helped by the 33% faster charger on Apple Watch 7 via the new USB-C cablevision in the box. You'll still need to provide your ain charger, of course.
The Apple Lookout 7 died only one time during my testing on a day when I pushed it. Beyond my normal notifications, messaging, and a couple of phone calls, I tracked a 30-minute treadmill run in the morning time and then later that day, a six-mile outdoor run using the GPS. It did finish out that 24-hour interval, merely it was dead when I woke upward in the forenoon.
To Apple'south credit, it but claims all-twenty-four hour period battery life for the Apple Watch 7 and information technology hits that mark and should go into a 2d mean solar day for many users. With the new faster charger that tin can take it from 0 to 80% accuse in well-nigh 45 minutes, battery life still is a pressing business concern, but one that is pretty easily handled.
Bottom line
Apple Lookout man 7 was in some means a victim of the rumor mill with the expectation that nosotros were going to run across a bold new design for the spotter. That didn't happen. However, while it may not seem groundbreaking or life-irresolute, the reduced bezels and larger display have a tremendous impact on usability and, to my heart, requite the Apple Watch 7 a much more modernistic look.
The lack of any new sensors may cause some existing Apple Watch owners to concord off on the buy as Apple has ceded ground there with Fitbit and even Samsung'south Galaxy Watch iv at present offer pare temperature and trunk composition tracking. While these are unlikely to win anyone away from Apple Watch, it's possible we run across like features with Apple Sentinel 8, though blood glucose monitoring still appears to be a few years off.
At that place's always a business concern that the adjacent upgrade is "the big 1" that delivers some game-changing new features, simply those are few and far between. The Apple Sentry 7 is a worthy update for anyone coming from Apple Watch v or before. If you lot can live with the one-day bombardment life and being tied to the Apple ecosystem, it is the best choice for about people.
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/apple-watch-7
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