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Apple Watch Sequence 7 vs Apple Watch Sequence 6: What is the Distinction?

How to distinguish the two tickers

Just in time for last year, Apple announced a new addition to its smartwatch family.

So what’s different about the Apple Watch Series 7? Not too much at first glance. Not the overhaul many were hoping for, the latest Cupertino ticker instead delivers a catalog of tweaks and improvements, led by a larger display.

But are the changes enough to justify an upgrade from the Apple Watch Series 6? Whether you’re considering an upgrade or wondering whether to hold off on buying your first Apple Watch, we’ve taken a deep dive to compare the two — and determine if it’s worth switching your watch .

Design & Display: Face Filler

Despite all the watches and guesswork, Apple hasn’t delivered a rumored redesign with its latest ticker. So there’s no aluminum flat screen that can compete with its iPhone, iPad and iMac stablemates. Instead, the Series 7 sticks to the proven formula of its predecessors: a square facade with rounded corners, plus a slim body with curves in all the right places. And like the Series 6, it comes in titanium, stainless steel or 100% recycled aluminum.

But Apple introduced a few key improvements to the Watch Series 7. Most notable is the improved display: the screen is almost 20% larger in area than that on the Series 6 front. However, the body dimensions are 41mm and 45mm, only slightly larger than the corresponding Series 6 versions (40mm and 40mm respectively). 44mm).

The highlight of this optimized extension? Behind the scenes, Apple managed to integrate the touch sensor into the OLED panel. This results in a slimmer single screen component, which can shrink the bezel around the display by a whopping 40%.

And because of that extra space, the front crystal is over 50% thicker. Coupled with a revised glass profile that’s more resistant to cracks (and makes the screen appear like it’s wrapping around the edges), this makes the Series 7 the most durable Apple Watch yet. Plus IP6X dust resistance means its case is beach ready.

The always-on Retina display itself is now 70% brighter indoors, while Apple believes you can see up to 50% more text onscreen – although the truth of that claim depends on your font size settings.

Performance and battery life: faster jumps

Bad news for regular wearers: Apple hasn’t extended battery life for the Watch Series 7. So you get the same 18-hour span as the Series 6. While that’s more than enough to get you through a normal day, it’s still a bit shy of the multi-day longevity offered by its sportier rivals .

And while Apple is notoriously shy about releasing the raw specs for its devices, this 18-hour estimate suggests it may have a smaller cell than the 361mAh count found in the largest Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 can be found.

What has changed with the Series 7 is the charging speed. Apple clocks 33% faster than the Series 6 thanks to a new “charging architecture” and magnetic fast charger, so while you’ll still need to charge your watch regularly, it should take less time away from your wrist. Given that it took about 90 minutes to get the Series 6 to the edge, we’d expect the Series 7 to fill up in just over an hour – handy if you’re using it before bed for a night of entertainment Need to charge sleep tracking.

As far as performance goes, Apple hasn’t mentioned any processor improvements – suggesting the same (or a very similar) 64-bit dual-core S6 chip is still at the heart of the watch. And that’s no bad thing: the Apple Watch Series 6 was hardly sluggish, running through apps without any noticeable lag.

Software: Enlarge

Some of the biggest changes in the Apple Watch Series 7 are down to its software. While watchOS 8 is supported on devices as far back as the 3 series, some of its features are optimized for the larger 7 series display.

Series 7 wearers get fresh faces that fill out the larger screen, including a Contour face that wraps the dial around the frame, as well as a modular Duo front that uses the extra space to display a pair of complications.

The UI is similarly streamlined: Apple Watch Series 7 has two larger font sizes than Series 6, while a new keyboard supports QuickPath swipe input — so no more tapping your fat fingers on tiny buttons in third-party apps. And machine learning is available to anticipate your word choice for faster message delivery.

Menu titles and buttons are also larger, so you should have less trouble snoozing your morning alarm – and the larger screen should make it easier to draw individual letters with Scribble.

Health Traits: Familiar territory

Health and fitness features have long been a feather in the Apple Watch’s cap, but the suite hasn’t been revamped for the Series 7. Yes, you get blood oxygen monitoring, instant access to an ECG (including irregular heart rhythm detection) and in-depth sleep insights. But you have all that too with the Apple Watch Series 6.

Additionally, many of the new health tools introduced with watchOS 8 aren’t unique to the Series 7. So if you’re already wearing an Apple Watch Series 6, you’ll also benefit from the Reflect feature in the updated Mindfulness app (to center yourself throughout the day), automatic cyclist detection (including automatic pause and resume), voice feedback during activities, and Improved fall detection to better know if you have fallen.

Along with portrait watch faces, support for virtual house keys in your wallet, and more seamless smart home controls (including device status icons, scene suggestions, and easier access to security cameras), watchOS 8 offers many improvements – but few of them require you to upgrade to the Watch Series 7 .

The situation is similar with Apple’s watch-based training platform Fitness+. A paid membership unlocks a series of guided sessions across 11 disciplines — and the entire system is powered by the Apple Watch. But it works just as well on the Series 6 as it does on the Series 7.

First Verdict: Change?

If you already have an Apple Watch Series 6 on your wrist, the Series 7 doesn’t do all that much on paper to warrant an upgrade. For many, the fact that Apple didn’t make a major design change will be enough to discourage further thoughts of a replacement.

For those who can look beyond the familiar – albeit slightly reprofiled – case, the Apple Watch Series 7 offers a significant increase in screen size. The extra space should certainly make swiping to type and navigate much easier, while fresh faces promise wise use of space and larger keys should help imprecise typists.

But the other improvements offered by the Series 7 are relatively minor. Yes, charging is significantly faster, but the actual battery capacity is the same. And yes, the screen is a lot brighter indoors, but there’s no indication it’s sharper than the Series 6 panel. And without a word about a new processor, everything points to broadly the same performance.

Most of the significant functional changes seen in the Series 7 will be a result of watchOS 8 – and most of these updates will also be available to existing Apple Watch Series 6 (and earlier devices) users.

For first-time buyers, the Series 7 is still a compelling proposition. Starting at £379, it costs the same as the Series 6 at launch – and you’re getting a lot of watch for your money. But for those already equipped with the last-gen Apple Watch, the Series 7’s spec sheet offers limited reasons to upgrade. At the very least, it’s worth waiting to see what watchOS 8 adds to your existing ticker – and what we think of the Series 7 in our upcoming review – before making the switch.

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