The new Apple Watch Series 7, revealed during the September 14 Apple Event, features the largest and most advanced display ever, without actually changing the size of the watch.
The Watch has an always-on Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders. The design of Apple Watch Series 7 is refined with softer, more rounded corners. It also features a user interface optimised for the larger display, offering greater readability and ease of use, as well as two unique watch faces – Contour and Modular Duo – designed specifically for the new device.
The Watch has the same all-day 18-hour battery life, but is now complemented by 33% faster charging.
Apple Watch Series 7 is the most durable Apple Watch ever, with a stronger, more crack-resistant front crystal. It is the first Apple Watch to have an IP6X certification for resistance to dust, and maintains a WR50 water resistance rating.
The Watch continues to offer indispensable tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG app (not available in all regions), and a Blood Oxygen sensor and app.
watchOS 8 helps users stay healthy, active, and connected through new workout types, the new Mindfulness app, innovative accessibility features, greater access with Apple Wallet, and more capabilities with the Home app, along with enhancements to Messages and the Photos app.
It now has five beautiful new aluminum case finishes, along with a range of new band colors and styles. The entire Apple Watch Series 7 lineup will be available later this fall.
“Apple Watch Series 7 delivers significant improvements – from our largest and most advanced display, to enhanced durability and faster charging – making the world’s best smartwatch better than ever before,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Powered by watchOS 8, Apple Watch brings useful new capabilities to help customers stay connected, track activity and workouts, and better understand their overall health and wellness.”
The new display offers nearly 20% more screen area and thinner borders at just 1.7 mm – 40% smaller than those on Apple Watch Series 6. Through an innovative design that maximises the screen area while minimally changing the dimensions of the overall case size, Apple Watch Series 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. The Always-On Retina display is up to 70% brighter indoors than the previous model, making it easier to see the watch face without having to lift the wrist or wake the display.
Series 7 offers two additional larger font sizes, and a new QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath – allowing users to slide a finger to type – and utilises on-device machine learning to anticipate the next word based on the context, making text entry easier and faster.
A redesigned front crystal means the new Watch has a stronger and more robust geometry that is over 50% thicker than Series 6, making it more crack-resistant without compromising optical clarity.
With watchOS8, the new Contour watch face takes the dial right to the edge of the display and fluidly animates throughout the day, emphasising the current hour. The new Modular Duo face leverages the extra screen area with two large, data-rich center complications. Separately, the classic World Time face, based on heritage watches and ideal for travelers, tracks the time in 24 time zones around a double dial, is also available. The Portraits face uses the depth capabilities of iPhone Portrait mode to compose a beautiful, personalised experience.
watchOS 8 also brings new features to anyone who rides a bike. Apple Watch uses advanced algorithms to analyze GPS, heart rate, accelerometer, and gyroscope data to detect when users begin a ride. As with all automatic Workout reminders, cyclists will see their metrics from when they first started their workout. Additionally, cycling workouts have auto-pause and resume, so metrics more accurately reflect time spent moving versus stationary, like waiting at a stoplight.
Since its launch in 2018, fall detection on Apple Watch has proven to be a valuable safety tool, recognizing if a user is immobile for approximately one minute if a hard fall is detected, and initiating a call to emergency services right from the wrist. With watchOS 8, fall detection algorithms are updated and optimised for detecting falls during workouts – including cycling – and have been tuned to recognise the unique motion and impact of falls from a bike and other workout types.
On Monday, September 27, Apple Fitness+, the first fitness service built entirely around Apple Watch, will introduce a new body-conditioning workout type with Pilates and a simple way to practice mindfulness anywhere, anytime, with guided Meditation. Apple also announced the Fitness+ will be available in the UAE later this year.
All Apple Watch Series 7 models will be available later this fall. It will start at USD399 (in the US), Apple Watch SE starts at USD279, and Series 3 starts at USD199. watchOS 8 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on Monday, September 20, and requires iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 or later.
