Apple has been busy over the last few weeks, dropping heaps of new products and software. And the latest among them is the Apple Watch Series 7, released Friday, October 15, nearly a month after Apple Watch’s newest software watch OS8 (which has a new mindfulness app, two new workouts and can track your respiratory rate while you sleep) became available for download.
So, what’s different about the new watch? If you already have the Apple Watch Series 6, is it worth upgrading? To help you decide, I’ve highlighted what I consider to be its five best new features. Oh, and if you’re wondering if you can still use your existing Apple Watch bands if you do decide to upgrade, you can — Series 7 is compatible with all older bands.
It Has a Full Keyboard
I’d have to say this is by far the Apple Watch Series 7’s best new feature: the fact it can display a keyboard so you can type out your texts. Sure, you could previously use the Apple Watch for voice-to-text before but now, with the watch’s bigger screen (more on that in a sec), you get a full keyboard. So, basically, now you don’t need to whisper into your watch or go somewhere private if you want to type out a personal text. Plus, the watch has predictive text functionality so you won’t need to be super precise with the letters you type.
It Has a Bigger, Brighter Display
Next up: the new watch’s second best feature is its bigger and brighter display. Though the physical dimensions of the Series 7 watch front is only slightly larger — Series 6 was available in 40mm and 44mm, Series 7 comes in 41mm and 45mm – Series 7 has less of a border, giving you 20% more screen area than Series 6 so you can see nearly 50% more text on the screen. It’s also nearly 70% brighter indoors too, meaning you can see your watch face more clearly when you glance down at it in the day.
It Has Two New Watch Faces
While I’m all for the sleepy bear (emoji) watch face available on Series 6, Series 7 comes with two new watch faces: Contour, which is a minimalist clock with a black background and white numbers stretching around the watch’s border, and Modular Duo, which takes advantage of the larger display with options for lots of helpful info, like the upcoming weather, time and your heart rate, handily all on the screen.
It’s More Durable
While it has to be said that the Apple Watch Series 6 is also incredibly durable — it’s water-resistant to 50 metres and has a crack-resistant screen — the Series 7 has the strongest crystal face yet and is dust-proof.
It Charges Faster
And finally, there’s its charging capability. Despite the fact its display is brighter and bigger, the Apple Watch Series 7 still has the same battery life as its predecessor (18 hours). However, it charges 33% faster. So, as little as eight minutes on the charger before bed will give you enough battery to track your sleep for eight hours.
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