Much as I rely on my Apple Watch, I do need a good reason to upgrade models, and so far Apple has had a mixed track record in persuading me to do so.
I started with the original model, aka the Series 0. My next upgrade was to the Series 3, which sold itself to me primarily on the Siri improvements …
I’m a massive Siri fan, and it’s one of the main ways I interact with both my Watch and my iPhone. I dictate most texts, voice most of my search requests and even ask Siri to open apps. Any notable improvement to Siri is a big deal to me.
Voice feedback is good – it’s an easier way to interact with Siri on the move – but the responsiveness was the bigger draw for me. With my Series 0, I would very often see the ‘I’ll tap you when I’m ready’ message.
The Series 4 got me thanks to the much bigger display size, though I also liked the louder speaker volume.
The usual way of measuring the size of a display is the diagonal, and by that measure the increase is 15%. An alternative is to measure display area, and that’s what Apple did, listing the size increase as 30%.
If we’re using Apple’s method and being pedantic, it’s just under 29% for the 44mm and just over 31% for the 42mm. I normally roll my eyes at companies using non-standard metrics to make their products sound better than they are, but in this case, I think Apple’s method is actually fair.
The reason for that is, subjectively, the Apple Watch display looks much bigger than the Series 3. The combination of physical increase in size and reduced bezel size really makes a huge difference […]
The increase in speaker volume is amazing! There’s no problem at all now hearing Siri’s responses even on the street, and it’s also better for phone calls. (No, I don’t do the Dick Tracy thing deliberately, but it’s handy to be able to answer a call when I’ve left my phone in the office and gone to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, for example.)
But neither the Series 5 nor 6 did so. I mean, the always-on face of the S5 is cool, but when I turn my wrist to look at the time, my S4 screen displays the time virtually instantly, so I didn’t see this as a reason to upgrade. Blood oxygen was the headline addition to the S6, but while I think that’s a nice-to-have, it wasn’t enough to sell me one.
Today we have a new report on the Apple Watch Series 7, and so far, it isn’t selling itself to me either. Here’s what Bloomberg expects.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant is planning to refresh the line this year — with a model likely dubbed the Apple Watch Series 7 — by adding a faster processor, improved wireless connectivity and an updated screen, according to people with knowledge of the plans […]
For this year’s model, Apple has tested thinner display borders and a new lamination technique that brings the display closer to the front cover […]
The model will include updated ultra-wideband functionality, the same underlying technology in the Apple AirTag item finder.
Faster processor only matters when it makes a notable difference to the usability of the Watch. That was the case in the S3 when it came to Siri performance, but that’s the only processor-related issue I can recall.
Ultra-wideband is cool tech, but having played with it in my AirTags, it’s kind of an impressive gimmick at present. Certainly for my Watch, which is always in one of two places: on my wrist or next to my bed. If I want to track anything else, I’ll use my iPhone.
Which leaves the thinner borders. That makes less aesthetic difference on the Apple Watch than on other Apple devices, because the black-glass-in-black-glass means you can’t see where the display ends and the surround begins.
Now, if it’s a big difference, then maybe the extra screen size will wow me the way that the S4 did; I’m not completely ruling that out. But it seems to me that there isn’t room for anything like the same kind of visible difference, so I’m not holding my breath.
Of course, this is just one site’s sources, and Apple may yet have a surprise or two in store for the Series 7. But, based on what we’ve heard so far, I’m not expecting to buy one. What about you: Are you seeing a reason to upgrade based on what we’ve heard so far? As always, please share your thoughts in the comments.
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