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Apple Watch Series 5 review: The best smartwatch gets even better

By Kenny Yeo - 22 Dec 2019

watchOS 6, buying advice, and final thoughts

watchOS 6

watchOS 6 was shown off for the first time at WWDC 2019.

watchOS 6 was announced at WWDC 2019 and brings about numerous updates for Apple Watch owners. The big news is that watchOS will finally be getting its own App Store which can be accessed directly on the watch. I tried downloading a couple of apps on my watch and it went without a hitch.

Also new to watchOS 6 are two new health apps: the Noise and Cycle Tracking app. The Noise app uses the watch’s built-in microphone to listen in to your environment and warns you if your environment’s ambient noise gets too loud. If you didn’t know, prolong exposure to loud noises can cause irreversible damage to your hearing. Also, the app doesn't record or save any of its recording to measure sound levels.

The new Noise app alerts you if your environment's ambient noise gets too high.

Cycle Tracking is a new app focused on women’s menstrual cycles. It’s quite odd that Apple took this long to introduce this, given that it doesn’t have any specific or special hardware requirements. At any rate, menstrual cycles can give insights into a woman’s overall health and the app can help highlight any irregularities. It can also help notify women when their fertile window is about to begin, which can be handy if for users trying to conceive (or not).

Cycle Tracking helps women track their menstrual cycles.

Still, this app shouldn't be considered a replacement for a proper doctor's consultation or contraceptives. Readers trying to conceive should consult a doctor first before acting on any of the information in the app. Likewise, fertility predictions in the app should not be considered a form of birth control or a substitute for contraceptives.

The California watch face pays homage to a horologically important dial design.

watchOS 6 also has a bunch of new watch faces. The most noteworthy one, in my opinion, is California, which pays homage to a unique if somewhat obscure type of dial found on select vintage Rolex and Panerai watches where the dial uses a mix of Roman and Arabic numerals as the hour markers. The exceptional quality of Apple Watch’s hardware is no accident and I have always said that Apple pays close attention to the world of traditional watchmaking and this is the clearest proof yet.

A vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 from the mid Forties sporting a California dial. (Image source: Perezcope)

There will be new native apps in watchOS 6 too. The new Voice Memos app will let you record voice memos directly using your Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will also be getting its own Calculator app too and it has a built-in tip calculator (hold on the % key to activate) which is especially handy if you are eating out in the U.S. It also makes you wonder why doesn’t the iPad have a native calculator app but that’s a rant for another day.

 

What versions are available?

The Apple Watch Edition Series 5 in ceramic starts at S$1,899.

Broadly speaking, there are two main versions: with cellular connectivity and without. The non-cellular models, known as the GPS models, only come in aluminium cases of which there are three finishes: space gray, silver, and gold. These are the most basic models and prices start at S$599 for the 40mm case and S$649 for the 44mm case.

If you want cellular connectivity, you have aluminium and stainless steel options. In other words, all stainless steel models are cellular-capable. Again, the aluminium models come in space gray, silver, and gold, while the stainless steel models come in raw polished stainless steel, space black, and gold. Prices are naturally higher, the aluminium model with cellular connectivity starts S$749 while the stainless steel models starts at S$999.

The Apple Watch Edition Series 5 in space black titanium has a diamond-like coating.

And if you are feeling like a baller, there’s the return of the flagship Apple Watch Edition — all Apple Watch Edition watches are cellular too. To be clear, these watches are functionally identical to the rest except that they have more exotic case materials. As I said earlier, there’s now two titanium models and a ceramic model in this lineup. The titanium ones start at S$1,159 and the ceramic model starts at S$1,899.

Admittedly, the Apple Watch Series 5 is quite pricey but at least prices haven't been increased from last year.

 

Which model should I get?

Don't be overwhelmed, the first thing you need to decide is if you need cellular connectivity.


The first thing you need to decide is if you want cellular connectivity. Cellular connectivity is nice but it does add quite a lot to the cost and don’t forget you’ll need a monthly add-on plan to go along with it. Currently, only Singtel and StarHub have plans for the Apple Watch that you can opt for if you are an existing customer. The Apple Watch needs to be on the same carrier as your iPhone as they will both share the same number. You can read more about the benefits of cellular connectivity in my review of the Apple Watch Series 3 here. But in short, I think it’s most beneficial for readers who exercise and do not want to take their phones along with them.

Now, if you do decide you want cellular connectivity, there’s a couple of case materials and finishes to choose from. Aluminium is the most affordable and eco-friendly (because they are 100% recycled). If you want something a little more interesting, there’s stainless steel. These watches have polished cases that are a little more flashy but also more prone to scratches. For those who want the flashiest Apple Watch, the white ceramic Apple Watch Edition is arguably the most eye-catching.

The Hermès models have exclusive watch faces and elegant leather straps.

Then there’s the Nike and Hermès models. Now the Apple Watch Nike (Series 5) is essentially an aluminium Apple Watch Series 5 with exclusive Nike watch faces and a Nike Sport Band or Sport Loop. They are really bright and fun watches.

Likewise, the Apple Watch Hermès (Series 5) models are really just stainless steel Apple Watch Series 5 with exclusive Hermès watch faces and Hermès leather watch bands. Since this is an Hermès product, it’s going to cost you, but, having handled them, I must admit that the Hermès watch faces are attractive (they resemble Hermès’ Cape Cod watches) and the straps that they come with are of exceedingly high quality.

To end, it’s worth mentioning again that regardless of which model you get, the capability of the watches and the functionality is all the same. The more expensive Apple Watch Edition models aren’t more powerful than the regular stainless steel watches. Decide if you want cellular connectivity or not and then pick the model that fits your style and budget.

 

Say hi to Apple Watch Studio

Apple Watch Studio lets customers personalise and build their dream Apple Watch.

New this year is Apple Watch Studio, which is a personalisation service that allows customers to pick their ideal Apple Watch Series 5 and match it with just about any strap that they desire. This overcomes a common complaint that users had which is that they had to get a watch with a strap that they maybe did not like or already have.

The Apple Watch Studio personalisation service is available online and at the Apple Store in Orchard and Changi Jewel too if you want to see and try out the watches and straps in person.

 

What happens to Apple Watch Series 4?

The Apple Watch Series 3 might be old but it's still an immensely capable  smartwatch. Best of all, it's available now at a lower price.

Well, that has been discontinued obviously to make way for Apple Watch Series 5. The old Apple Watch Series 3 from 2017 is still on sale and it’s available in GPS and cellular models. It might be old but it’s still an immensely capable smartwatch. It’s slower and the design, in comparison to the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5, is clumsy, but it’s now available from just S$299 for the GPS-only model and S$449 for the cellular model. These prices make them very attractive propositions especially if you just want a highly capable watch to take exercising. The Apple Watch Series 3 can track and monitor the same types of workouts as the Apple Watch Series 5.

 

The best gets better

Even though this year’s Apple Watch didn’t get substantial updates, it’s still the best smartwatch you can buy by a wide margin. You could say it's pricey but then nothing comes close to the Apple Watch’s overall refinement, performance, and all-round capability and ability to help its user live a more salubrious lifestyle. Name me another smartwatch that does ECG, has a built-in compass, tracks your activity, lets you pay for things, has cellular connectivity that lets you stream music, and is built like a luxury watch. There is none.

Name me a better smartwatch than the Apple Watch Series 5.

But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Android users will be miffed that the Apple Watch is still only compatible with the iPhone. And even though most long-time Apple Watch owners are used to charging their watches daily, I know I’m not alone in saying that most of us would have wished for a longer battery life. But this is a trade-off between existing technology and wearability so I’m not going to harp on it too much.

Design is subjective but it’s hard to argue that a square/rectangle display is the most ideal for display text. Besides, the Apple Watch is so ubiquitous and recognisable now that people can identify it from across the room. All things considered, in its current form and bearing in mind the limitations of existing technology, the Apple Watch is damn near perfect.

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9.0
  • Design 9
  • Features 9.5
  • User-Friendliness 8.5
  • Performance 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Class-leading build quality
Gorgeous, always-on display
Strong, effective design
Lots of straps for customisation
Great health and fitness tracking
ECG capability
Built-in compass
The Bad
Needs to be recharged daily
Only works with iPhone
Pricey
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