Apple Watch Series 4 review: The best Apple Watch yet

What's an Apple Watch Series 4?

It is Apple's latest smartwatch and it boasts a number of important refinements and new features that improves the overall Apple Watch wearing and ownership experience. It has a new design, a new processor, and much more. Let's dive into it right away.

So what’s new?

There is actually quite a lot that is new. Though the new Apple Watch Series 4 looks similar to its predecessor, it actually has a larger but thinner case and a larger display. Let’s run through some of the obvious and important changes now.

Larger but thinner cases - Case sizes have been bumped up by 2mm across the board to accommodate larger displays. So the 42mm model is now 44mm and the 38mm model is now 40mm. However, case thickness has been reduced from 11.4mm to 10.7mm. Overall, the volume of the two new Series 4 models is actually less than its predecessors.

Larger displays - The larger cases of the Apple Watch Series 4 enable larger displays to be fitted in them. In terms of the outright display area, the new Apple Watch Series 4 is over 30% larger than its predecessor. Here’s a screenshot from the watches showing the difference and also a table detailing the new display resolutions and their actual display area.

S4 Processor - The Apple Watch Series 4 is powered by the newest 64-bit S4 processor. According to Apple, the S4 processor is up to twice as fast as the S3 processor in the Apple Watch Series 3.

W3 wireless chip - The Apple Watch Series 4 also gets Apple's newest W3 wireless chip which supports Bluetooth 5.0. Bluetooth 5.0 enables quicker transfers and also reduces power consumption.

Haptic Digital Crown - The Digital Crown now offers haptic feedback. It is a small detail but it makes the crown much more pleasant and intuitive to use especially if you are scrolling through a long list of items.

ECG - The new Apple Watch Series 4 has the ability to generate an electrocardiogram (ECG) report thanks to electrodes built into the Digital Crown and case back. Unfortunately, though this is one of the new key features of the Apple Watch Series 4, it won’t be available at launch. It will only be available later this year and when it does, it will be only in the US until further notice.

Fall detection - Thanks to more sensitive sensors, the Apple Watch Series 4 is able to detect when its wearer has a serious fall. And when it does, it can send an alert to the wearer. If this alert isn’t dismissed within or if the watch senses that you are unresponsive for 60 seconds, the watch will automatically notify emergency services with your location.

Louder speakers - The built-in speakers are now 50% louder. This doesn't sound like much but it is extremely useful for the new Walkie-Talkie feature in watchOS 5, Siri, or even simply tapping on the Mickey Mouse watch face for the time.

New watch faces - The Apple Watch Series 4 will be getting two exclusive watch faces that takes advantage of its larger display. Infograph and Infograph Modular will be exclusive to the Serie 4 while other newer watch faces like Vapor, Fire and Water, Breathe will be available on older Apple Watches but with some restrictions because of the space constraints of their smaller displays. With some of the watch faces like Infograph, the Apple Watch Series 4 can show up to 8 complications.

44mm sounds large, will I be able to pull it off?

I think most people will have no problems despite the larger cases. I have 6.5-inch wrists and I found the 44mm Series 4 to be very wearable. That said, I do have very flat wrists so that helps. The best advice I can give you is to go down to your nearest Apple retailer and give the new watches a try.

How’s the display? Does it really stretch to the edges?

Not quite. The bezel on the Series 4 is less pronounced and the edges of the display are closer to the edge of the case but it isn’t as dramatic as, say, the iPhone X. That said, the larger displays and thinner cases of the Series 4 watches make the watches look more svelte. The Series 3 now look a bit bulbous and rotund in comparison.

Why isn't ECG available at launch?

The ECG function requires regulatory approval to ensure that it won't cause harm to users. After all, the electrodes are sending electrical signals to your body. That said, Apple is working on getting the necessary approval from the various launch countries but they cannot confirm when the feature will be enabled.

How's the build quality?

According to sources familiar with the development of the Apple Watch, Apple spent a considerable amount of time studying luxury watches when working on the design of the Apple Watch and it shows. Build quality of previous Apple Watches was so good that it even puts more expensive watches to shame. With its expertly machined and finished cases, the latest Apple Watch Series 4 is no different. And it is not just the watch itself that oozes quality, the straps that Apple provides are extremely well made too. Where build quality is concerned, the Apple Watch is peerless.

Speaking of straps? Can I use my old straps with these new watches?

Yes, you can. Despite the increase in case size, Apple has thoughtfully designed these new watches such that older straps will still fit. The new 40mm model will accept all older 38mm straps, while the new 44mm model will accept all older 42mm straps.

How many versions are there this time?

Quite a few, but broadly speaking, there are two main versions: with cellular connectivity and without. The non-cellular Series 4 models, known as the GPS models, are only available with aluminum cases - gold, space grey, and silver.

The models with cellular connectivity are available in both aluminum and stainless steel cases. There are also three stainless steel finishes to choose from: raw polished stainless steel, space black, and gold. You can differentiate the two by looking at the Digital Crown. The models that support cellular connectivity have red rings around their Digital Crowns. The GPS-only models have black rings around their Digital Crowns.

Then there’s also the Nike+ and Hermès models. The Nike+ models are available with and without cellular connectivity but they only come in aluminum cases. The Hermès models, on the other hand, come in a variety of strap options but they are only available with cellular connectivity and in stainless steel cases.

Is cellular connectivity still limited to Singtel only?

Yes, cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch Series 4 is still limited to Singtel. You will need Singtel’s NumberShare service to be able to enjoy cellular connectivity on your cellular-enabled Apple Watch.

Setup is straightforward. Users will receive a prompt when they are setting up their Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) for the first time asking if you want to set up NumberShare. You can choose to activate it now or you can skip and do it later by going into the Watch app and selecting the ‘Mobile Data’ tab.

If I have the Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular), will it work without cellular connectivity?

Yes, it does. It will work just like the non-cellular versions of the Apple Watch.

Does it support roaming?

No, it does not.

What can the cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 4 do that the non-cellular version cannot?

I have answered this question in my review of the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) and you can read my response in its entirety here. But very briefly speaking, cellular connectivity makes your Apple Watch much more independent. You can make and take calls, and send text messages without your phone. You can even stream Apple Music directly to your Apple Watch without your phone. Personally, I find cellular connectivity most beneficial for runners or hikers who may not want to take their phones along with them when exercising.

Another thing worth noting is that both GPS-only and GPS + Cellular models will now come with the same amount of internal storage - 16GB. Previously in Series 3, only the GPS + Cellular models had 16GB. The GPS-only Series 3 watches only had 8GB of internal storage.

So how is it like wearing the new Apple Watch Series 4?

The first thing I noticed about the Apple Watch Series 4 is how large and expansive the display is. Not only does the larger display look better, it also makes it easier to interact with and navigate. Scribbling text replies, for example, is so much easier with the larger display of the Series 4 watch. The new watch faces are also nice, especially Infograph, which allows you to have as many as 8 complications on the screen simultaneously making it easy to keep track of multiple stuff.

The other thing I noticed was performance. The Apple Watch Series 3 was no slouch but the Apple Watch Series 4 felt even faster. Apps launch with greater immediacy and are noticeably more responsive to use. The difference in performance between Series 4 and Series 3 was not night and day but the former was definitely quicker.

Otherwise, wearing the Apple Watch Series 4 feels very much like wearing the Apple Watch Series 3 except that it has a larger display, thinner case, and snappier performance. It is a real pity that the ECG capability is not available at launch since that is the biggest differentiator between the two.

How's the battery life?

I have only used the Apple Watch Series 4 for a couple days but I found battery life to be about the same as its predecessor. If you are a light user, you might end the day with around 60% of battery life. If you are feeling adventurous (or lazy to charge), you just might be able to squeeze two days out of it. Using cellular, however, will put a huge drain on battery life. In other words, while the Apple Watch Series 4 will have enough in the tank to last a full day, it will still require nightly charging.

Has the pricing increased?

Yes, unfortunately, pricing has increased substantially across all models - likely due to the larger display, more complex sensors, and better materials (sapphire crystal and ceramic case back).

Let’s take a look at the GPS-only models first. The GPS-only Apple Watch Series 4 starts at $599 for the 40mm model and goes up to $649 for the 44mm model. Last year, Apple was only asking $498 for the 38mm model and $548 for the 42mm model. This translates to an increase of S$101 across both models.

The cellular versions see substantial price hikes too. The new Apple Watch Series 4 with cellular starts at S$749 for the 40mm model and goes up to S$799 for the 44mm model. The 38mm Series 3 model with LTE was just S$598 and the 42mm model was S$648. This translates to an increase of S$151 across both models.

Here's a table showing the prices of the Apple Watch Series 4 in aluminum.

Here's a table showing the prices of the Apple Watch Series 4 in stainless steel. Remember, all stainless steel models are cellular models.

The new Apple Watch Nike+ also comes in GPS-only and GPS + Cellular variants and are priced similarly to the aluminum Apple Watch Series 4. However, they come with exclusive Nike+ watch faces and unique Nike Sport Loop bands with special reflective threads to improve runner visibility. The Apple Watch Nike+ models will only be available on 5 October.

Here are the prices of the Hermès models. Pricing varies depending on the choice from straps, but here are the starting prices of the 40mm and 44mm models. Note also that some straps are exclusive to the 40mm or 44mm models. For example, the iconic Double Tour straps are exclusive to the 40mm models. The Hermès models will be available at the same time as the Apple Watch Series 4 models, which is 21 September (this Friday).

Wow, that's quite a bit of a hike. Wait, is Apple still selling the Apple Watch Series 3?

Yes, they are. However, only the models with aluminum cases are offered. But you can still get GPS-only and cellular models. Best of all, they have all received significant price cuts, which makes them quite attractive. Here’s a table showing the new prices of the Apple Watch Series 3.

Is getting an Apple Watch Series 3 a good idea?

Yes, I do think that it is worth looking at the Apple Watch Series 3 especially if you can’t stretch your budget for an Apple Watch Series 4. After all, the price hikes are quite substantial. Now, while you do miss out on some of the new features of the Series 4 watches, I don’t think that they break the Apple Watch experience. The Apple Watch Series 3 is still snappy to use and it still has numerous features that I think will make its owners very happy. I would say that the Series 3 watches offer about 80% of what the Series 4 watches do but at a significantly lower price, which makes them very compelling propositions, especially if you only want to get a watch for exercising. The Apple Watch Series 3 can track and monitor the same types of workouts as the Apple Watch Series 4.

What about the new Apple Watch Series 4 then?

If you want Apple’s latest and greatest, then yes, the Apple Watch Series 4 is an excellent smartwatch. It is extremely well-made and it has various improvements and new features that I think most people will appreciate. The larger display and faster processor made the biggest impression on me. The large display looks great and makes the watch more legible and easier to interact, while the faster processor makes the Apple Watch much more responsive and fun to use.

Other improved features like the haptic Digital Crown, louder speakers, fall detection, and better heart tracking and monitoring are also nice to have. And Apple's focus on health and fitness is also much welcomed since it gives a compelling reason for people to want to own and wear an Apple Watch. However, the absence of the ECG function at launch - one of the Apple Watch Series 4’s key new feature - takes the shine off things. Despite that, we recognize the immense potential of this feature and we've awarded the product with our Innovation Award. If all goes well, it is likely just a matter of time before the Apple Watch Series 4 obtains proper regulatory approvals for the function to be enabled and offer yet another leap in personal health tracking capabilities.

The new watches’ high price is yet another point of consideration. As I mentioned earlier, the Apple Watch Series 4 watches are significantly pricier than its predecessors. The price hike isn’t entirely unexpected given that the new watch has a larger display, better features, and is made of pricier materials. However, it is worrying when the price hike for all models is 18% and above. Hopefully, this isn’t a sign of things to come.

Nevertheless, considering the Apple Watch Series 4’s numerous improvements, features, and outstanding build quality, it is easily Apple’s best smartwatch yet. In other words, it is also easily one of the best smartwatches you can buy today.

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