Apple Watch Series 7 review: Solid and capable, but not groundbreaking

Note: This review was first published on 13 October 2021.

Have we reached a plateau?

Few people would argue that the last big update to the Apple Watch came in Series 4 when ECG was introduced and it received a completely new case design. If you recall, Series 4 was released way back in 2018. 2018, that seemed like another age. Since then, the Apple Watch has received fewer hard-hitting updates. Series 5 added an always-on display and a built-in compass, and last year’s Series 6 added a blood oxygen level sensor, brighter display, and a faster processor. This year, I’m afraid it’s more of the same. But does that mean the latest Series 7 watches are no longer the best smartwatches around? Are they worthy upgrades? And what does it mean for the Apple Watch in general? Let’s try to answer these questions in this review.

Larger, brighter display

The Apple Watch Series 7 now comes in 41mm and 45mm case sizes and the single biggest and most noticeable improvement is the display. Series 7 still has an always-on display but it’s 20% larger than Series 6’s. The benefits of a larger display are obvious: it’s easier to read and more things can be shown. For example, Series 7 watches contain two additional larger font type sizes. And for the same size text, Series 7 can show up to 50% more text as compared to Series 6. On top of that, Control Centre buttons are 13% larger, Stopwatch controls are 27% larger, and so on.

In practice, the larger buttons are unquestionably easier to hit. Series 7 also shows you more text but since how much it shows is partly dependent on the way the text is formatted, you are not always going to see exactly 50% more. Nevertheless, the larger display is undoubtedly a good thing. This is doubly true for the smaller 41mm Series 7 watch because that watch’s display now comes very close to that of last year’s 44mm Series 6.

Owners of older Apple Watches only need to take one glance at the new Series 7 watches to know that the larger display was partially achieved by having thinner bezels. I should know because I have criticised the thick bezels umpteen times in the past. According to Apple, the bezels are now just 1.7mm thin which is 40% thinner. But more importantly, the display finally looks as if it stretches to the edges now. This is especially apparent if you use a coloured watch face.

To take advantage of the new display, the Series 7 watches get two exclusive new watch faces: Contour and Modular Duo. The former features hour indexes that stretch right to the edge of the display while the latter can display two extra-large complications. 

Also, Series 7 watches will be the first Apple Watches to feature a full QWERTY virtual keyboard for text inputs. While these new features are nice, one suspects that they are exclusive to the Series 7 by choice. Apple says a full QWERTY keyboard is possible because the displays are larger than ever and one could certainly argue that these features can’t be properly integrated on last year’s 40mm watch, but what about the larger 44mm? That watch’s display is just as large, if not larger than the new 41mm Series 7. Oh well. 

The QWERTY keyboard is a nice addition but it needs some getting used to. Regardless of the additional real estate, the fact remains that you are typing on a small screen. You can tap or swipe to invoke QuickPath and the watch will use machine learning to predict what you are trying to type. For the most part, it’s eerily accurate so I can certainly see myself switching over to the QWERTY keyboard from the Scribble method. 

Apart from being larger, the new displays are also brighter. Apple says it is up to 70% brighter indoors when your wrist is down and while I can’t confirm the accuracy of that figure, what I can say is that the always-on display is very noticeably brighter. This is great if you find yourself in a situation where you have to check the time or complication discreetly without raising your wrist.

Tweaked case, greater durability

Anyway, what’s amazing is that despite the larger display, case sizes have only gone up by just a tad. The distance from the top of the watch to the bottom has increased by a single millimetre while the case width has increased by just 0.4mm. Case thickness is completely unchanged. 

To hide the extra girth, the case design has been tweaked. The corners are softer, more rounded, and the front crystal now stretches to the edge to create what Apple calls “a subtle wraparound effect” where you can see more of the display from an off-angle. Speaking of the crystal, it has a revised geometry and profile so it’s over 50% thicker at its chunkiest point. This makes it more resistant to cracks. And since we are on the subject of durability, Series 7 is also the first Apple Watch to be IP6X dust-resistant. Water resistance is unchanged at 50 metres so you can take these watches swimming.

Crucially, the new 45mm Series 7 doesn’t look nor feel any chunkier than the old 44mm Series 6 on the wrist. It fits just as well and is just as comfortable. What’s irrefutable, however, is that the larger display vastly improves legibility. Also, the thinner bezels give these new watches a sleeker look. Oh, and don’t worry, the new Series 7 watches are completely compatible with existing straps.

Still on the topic of looks, you can get the Series 7 watches in three case materials – that hasn’t changed. They are aluminium, stainless steel, and titanium. The aluminium finishes are new and they are Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED. Though we had Blue and (PRODUCT)RED last year, this year’s finishes are said to have richer brighter hues. Starlight is arguably the most interesting colour as it looks like a mix of silver and gold. The finishes for stainless steel and titanium are said to be the same. The unit I have is Blue.

Same battery life, faster charging

Battery life is unchanged. Apple claims up to 18 hours with normal use but that’s going to vary greatly depending on your usage. A high reliance on cellular connectivity and heavy use of the GPS during extended runs and cycling trips will obviously result in a shorter battery life. Based on my fairly sedentary lifestyle, I can easily get a day’s worth of use with around 50% remaining so most people should be able to get through an entire day with little issue. 

For super heavy users, however, the good news is that the new watches will charge faster. Thanks to a revised charging architecture and the new Magnetic Fast Charge USB-C cable that comes in the box, Series 7 watches now charge up to 33% faster. Apple claims you can get from 0% to 80% in just 45 minutes and regardless of your battery level, just 8 minutes of charging is enough to get 8 hours of Sleep Tracking. But note, this requires the new Magnetic Fast Charge USB-C cable that comes in the box and a 20W USB-C charger. You won’t get these faster speeds with any combination of older charging cables and adapters. 

Faster charging is a nice thing to have but the fundamental battery issues with the Apple Watch persist. It requires a charge daily and you can only charge it with the a specialised charging puck and not with a generic Qi wireless charger or USB-C cable. I’d probably be less bothered if Apple solves one of these issues.

Other things to know

Though Series 7 has a new S7 SiP (System-in-Package), dual-core processor component is the same as Series 6 so this year’s watches aren’t any faster. This isn’t a huge deal because  Series 7 feels just as responsive and apps launch just as quickly. 

The sensors are also the same which means the health tracking features are identical. Apart from the usual heart rate monitoring, the Series 7 watches can take your ECG and tell your blood oxygen levels. There’s also no difference to the accuracy of the blood oxygen sensor. It hasn’t been cleared with health authorities so it’s no medical device and you should not rely it on accurate measurements. This is in stark contrast to the ECG function, which has been cleared with our very own HSA (Health Sciences Authority) and has been proven to be fairly accurate (clinical studies conducted by Apple found the ECG app to demonstrate 98.3% sensitivity in classifying AFib and 99.6% specificity in classifying sinus rhythm).

Like Series 6, Series 7 also has a built-in compass, always-on altimeter, GPS, and optional cellular connectivity. In short, save for the larger display and the benefits it proffers and faster charging, the two are functionally identical.

All Series 7 watches will come with watchOS 8. As you’d expect, watchOS 8 has more health features like the new Mindfulness app that encourages you to have positive thoughts, and new workout Tai Chi and Pilates workout modes. One major update in watchOS 8 is a vastly improved Outdoor Cycle workout mode which uses new algorithms to better keep track of your cycling activity. Unfortunately, I don't cycle so you'll have to wait until our resident cyclist, Aaron, gives it a go to know just how good it is. In the meantime, Aaron covered this in greater detail here and anyone who's into cycling should check it out.

Buying advice & closing thoughts

My buying advice remains the same. The Apple Watch’s combination of design, class-leading build quality, high degree of customisation with straps, excellent health-tracking features, and overall high level of integration with iPhones means it’s hands down the best smartwatch for iPhone owners. This is not in question. Granted, with prices starting at S$599 for the smaller 41mm version and S$649 for the larger 45mm version, these watches aren’t exactly frivolous purchases. But really, it’s not worth shopping elsewhere and at least Apple didn’t increase prices. 

If your budget doesn’t stretch this far, I’d recommend trying to hunt down a used or refurbished Series 6, though the Apple Watch SE isn’t a bad choice if you are willing to forgo some features. Whatever you do, avoid the temptation of being cheap and getting a Series 3 watch. That model is long in the tooth and updating it to newer versions of watchOS is a pain.

For readers who are considering an upgrade, the new Series 7 watches are excellent if you have a Series 5 watch or older. Not only will you be getting a larger display, you’ll also get the benefits of a faster processor, more efficient charging, and the blood oxygen level sensor. Owners of last year’s Series 6 watch have little incentive to upgrade. Apart from the larger display and faster charging, the two are functionally identical – Series 7 is no faster nor does it have any additional sensors. The larger display is surely a nice thing to have but you’d have to consider just how badly you want it.

Many were hoping that this would be the year that the Apple Watch would get rumoured enhanced health monitoring features like blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar, but that hasn’t happened. And given that Series 5 and 6 also only saw incremental updates to the line, it’s now becoming harder to hide my disappointment. 

Still, none of these detract from the fact that the Apple Watch Series 7 is a very solid and polished smartwatch. Nothing has changed, it is still the best smartwatch iPhone users can buy.

You can buy the Apple Watch Series from the Apple Online Store, the Apple Flagship Store on Lazada, and the Apple Flagship Store on Shopee.

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