Apple Watch Series 7 review: All about that screen

(Pocket-lint) - The Apple Watch is overmuch lauded arsenic the smartwatch to own, but the Series 6 of yesteryear offered small crushed to upgrade. Fortunately 2021's Series 7 is simply a much sizable upgrade - rather virtually - delivering a bigger, brighter and altogether amended screen.

However, different than the size summation there's small other that's changed implicit erstwhile years. Given the fast-paced satellite of technological advances, does the Apple Watch Series 7 bash capable to impressment - oregon should you springiness this year's exemplary a miss?

What's new?

• Finishes: Aluminium (five colours), Stainless alloy (three colours), Titanium (two colours)
• Special models: Nike+, Hermès, (Product)Red
• IP6X dust-proof, 5ATM waterproof (to 50m)
• Case sizes: 41mm and 45mm

In presumption of plan the Series 7's attack is overmuch similar the Series 6: the casing plan is the aforesaid (albeit larger), the integer crown is the same, adjacent the bands are the aforesaid (which is good, arsenic it means older ones volition inactive fit).

There are some Wi-Fi and Cellular options, disposable successful caller 41mm and 45mm lawsuit sizes, on with peculiar variation Nike and Hermes variants. There's a batch of choice, with 3 worldly options - aluminium, stainless steel, titanium - disposable successful a assortment of colours if you privation thing other eye-catching.

The aluminium cases get immoderate caller colours too: there's Midnight, which is black; Starlight, which is achromatic with a hint of gold; Green, which is much akin to the Midnight Green colourway from the iPhone 11; and the (Product)Red exemplary is much of a agleam cherry hue. There are assorted caller bands to lucifer these caller colours too.

Upping the stakes connected the durability front, the Apple Watch Series 7 is present IP6X dust-resistant, to spell alongside its 5ATM waterproof rating. That should marque it considerably much "beach ready", arsenic dust, sand, and adjacent h2o (to 50 metres) are nary interest for this wearable.

It's besides tougher acknowledgment to a thicker and redesigned beforehand crystal solid - thing the aluminium models payment from, arsenic the stainless alloy and titanium models inactive clasp sapphire crystal - though without going hammer and tongs astatine it, judging this caller crystal isn't thing we tin gauge.

What's the surface like?

• LTPO OLED Always-On Retina display
• Brighter erstwhile dimmed (compared to Series 6)
• 50 per cent bigger than Series 3, 20 per cent bigger than Series 6

But the existent absorption isn't the caller colours oregon the improved durability, but the caller show that sits wrong that acquainted design.

The Series 7 comes successful 2 caller sizes: 41mm and 45mm. That means the show size has accrued by conscionable 1mm - the Series 6 came successful 40mm and 44mm size options - but it's a classical lawsuit of utilizing the 'smaller bezel trick', arsenic the Series 7 manages to present a 20 per cent uptick successful show size implicit its predecessor.

Compared to the Series 3 the surface is present immense - it's 50 per cent bigger - and delivers respective different benefits speech from the screen's subtle curving-around-the-edges design.

Having travel to the Series 7 from the Series 6, the surface upgrade is simply a smaller betterment than it mightiness sound, but there's inactive subtle benefits successful day-to-day usage. The buttons are bigger, for example, making it easier to interact with the Watch. There's besides a caller swipe-friendly QWERTY keyboard, which uses Apple's QuickPath tech to marque replying to messages a batch faster.

For those who similar to discreetly cheque the clip erstwhile the Watch isn't awake, there's besides bully news: the show is present 70 per cent brighter erstwhile indoors, i.e. erstwhile it's "not on". However, you can't manually fine-tune that brightness - it's either connected and agleam oregon wholly off.

By squeezing each spare pixel retired of the design, without making the ticker overly ample compared to what we've seen earlier - it's the aforesaid thickness, astatine 10.7mm, truthful wearing it doesn't consciousness peculiarly antithetic - you're simply getting a much refined Apple Watch experience.

How does it perform?

• Same sensors arsenic connected Series 6
  
  • Blood oxygen monitor
  • Electrical heart-rate sensor
  • Always-on altimeter and compass
• 18 hours artillery beingness and faster charging
• S7 processor 
• U1 Chip

Once you get past the Watch Series 7's display, there's not overmuch quality compared to the Series 6 exemplary that came earlier it.

The processor mightiness beryllium tagged arsenic an S7 to spell with the caller Watch, but it delivers the aforesaid show arsenic the S6 recovered successful Series 6. We've yet to spot immoderate quality successful presumption of performance.

Likewise, there's the aforesaid array of sensors - of which determination are galore - but nary that are caller this clip around. Rumours are that the Series 8 volition spot plentifulness much of them.

That's not to accidental what you get is thing but impressive, but if you were hoping for much than the GPS, optical bosom complaint monitor, blood oxygen monitor, electrical heart-rate sensor, always-on altimeter and compass, and autumn detection, past you'll beryllium disappointed.

Apple has besides included the U1 chip, archetypal launched with the iPhone 11 Pro, which volition assistance future-proof the device. When you tin commencement utilizing the Watch to regenerate your car oregon location keys, amongst different things specified arsenic that, it'll beryllium truly handy.

Faster charging is present possible, acknowledgment to the inclusion of a USB-C cablegram successful the box, and a fewer interior changes to the Watch itself. That should beryllium adjuvant for those who complaint erstwhile successful a hurry, though we've not noticed a immense quality contempt the claimed 33 per cent improvement. So if you're already an Apple Watch idiosyncratic who's utilized to charging overnight past faster charging truly doesn't marque immoderate difference.

The wide artillery beingness hasn't changed either. That means the Series 7 volition inactive present all-day artillery show - astatine astir 18-hours per complaint - but it's not capable to past get you done the nighttime and into the adjacent morning. That's particularly existent if you've been progressive and utilizing the ticker to grounds your activities.

WatchOS 8 software

• Two exclusive ticker faces
• QuickPath Qwerty keyboard
• Dynamic Type support

To assistance show-off the bigger surface determination are besides respective caller ticker faces arsenic portion of the WatchOS 8 software. Two of which - Contour and Modular Duo - are exclusive to the Series 7.

The erstwhile and much accepted look truly goes to municipality successful allowing you to adhd much complications; the latter, meanwhile, gives you a accidental to show-off the watch's "refractive edge", featuring 2 ample complications.

Another large diagnostic successful WatchOS 8 is the QuickPath keyboard, which is amazingly easier to usage connected this wrist-mounted show than we were expecting - though the delete cardinal is successful the incorrect place, arsenic it doesn't reflector the iPhone acquisition - but you mightiness request to opt for a brace of glasses arsenic the substance is beauteous small.

Writing by Stuart Miles. Editing by Mike Lowe. Originally published connected 13 October 2021.