Apple's newest model of the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 7, went on sale on October 8, 2021. Initial supplies were limited, but I finally received mine a few days ago, and over the next few weeks it will become easier to find the version of the Series 7 that is right for you. The model that I purchased is the larger size (45mm) with a Silver Stainless Steel Case. (All of the stainless steel models come with cellular.) I selected a Solo Loop band — a band that I really like, and it is also one of the least expensive bands sold by Apple — and my total price was $749. (I'm trading in a Series 5 stainless steel Apple Watch, which can result in a refund of up to $145.)
Here are my thoughts on this new model, which I'm sharing from the perspective of someone who is upgrading from an older Apple Watch model. If you think that it might be time for you to upgrade your Apple Watch, I hope that this review helps you to decide if the Series 7 is right for you. (And if you have never before owned an Apple Watch, it is one of my favorite Apple devices, so you are in for a treat if you buy an Apple Watch Series 7.)
Larger screen
The marquee feature of the Series 7 is the larger screen. And I'm here to tell you that it is a nice improvement.
On paper, the larger screen seems like it might not be very noticeable. The 45mm case of the Apple Watch Series 7 is only one millimeter larger than the Series 4, 5, 6, and SE. If I'm just looking at the body of the watch and not the screen, I really cannot notice the difference between 44mm and 45mm — which is a good thing because I wouldn't be happy if this new watch seemed too bulky. And while the black bezel around the screen is also thinner, it wasn’t all that big to begin with after the bezel reduction introduced in the Series 4. Nevertheless, those two seemingly small changes give the Series 7 almost 20% more usable screen space than the Apple Watch Series 4 through 6, and almost 50% more screen space than the original Apple Watch through the Series 3.
In practice, the screen increase is noticeable and welcome. When you are doing something on the watch that takes advantage of the larger screen, everything is bigger and bolder, making it much easier to read the screen. Imagine having your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist and being asked to read line 5. If you are close enough, you can read P E C F D. But if you are then asked to stay in the same spot and read line 4, that’s a cinch because the font size of those letters is a little bit bigger: L P E D. That’s what it is like reading the larger text on the larger screen of the Series 7. Sure, you could also read the words on the prior screen, but it is easier to read the words on this screen.
What if you think the text is too big on this larger screen? On the watch, you can go to Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Text Size to make the text size a little smaller so that it is similar to what you saw on prior models of the Apple Watch. Apps that support the Dynamic Type feature will adjust the text size, and you will be able to see even more on the screen without needing to scroll.
Another advantage of the larger screen is that buttons in many apps are larger and thus easier to tap. The Enter Passcode screen provides a good example. I remember that when I first made the switch from one of the earlier Apple Watch models to the Series 4, it became much easier to tap those buttons because the screen size had increased. The size increase is less dramatic with the Series 7, but I always notice it, and I really like it.
Here is the Enter Passcode screen on a first-generation Apple Watch, a Series 5, and a Series 7:
Here's a closer view of the buttons on the Series 5 next to the Series 7:
As you can see, the buttons are only slightly larger. But when you go to tap those buttons, the extra room is very nice. The larger passcode screen is something that I appreciate because I use it at least once every day, and typically multiple times a day because I often change my watch band when I come from work.
Another advantage of the big screen is that, in many apps, you can simply see more. The maps app is a good example of this. The Series 7 shows more than the Series 4/5/6/SE, and it shows considerably more than prior models of the Apple Watch:
There are a few Apple Watch faces that are specifically designed to take advantage of the larger screen. My favorite is the Modular Duo. The digits showing the time at the top right are noticeably larger than the similar-sized digits on other watch faces, so it is easier to see the time on this watch face than almost any other one. A small complication fits at the top left. And there is space for two large complications on the main part of the screen — something that was never before possible on an Apple Watch.
I've been using the calendar complication in the top large area and the Dark Sky weather complication in the bottom large area, and it is nice to see all of that information at a glance.
With the larger screen, Apple is also providing a new way to enter text into an Apple Watch: a swipe keyboard. Like the similar keyboard on the iPhone, you can put your finger on the first letter of a word, swipe to the second, third, fourth, etc. letters in the word, and then finally lift your finger from the screen when you reach the last letter. The watch does a very good job of understanding what word you intended, even with a relatively fat finger on such a small keyboard.
I've tried the new keyboard a few times, and it works. It seems to be less accurate than me speaking and letting Siri translate my speech to text, but if you are in an environment where you cannot talk but you can tap a screen, this keyboard is a nice way to type a few words, or perhaps a sentence or two. I don't think that I will use the new keyboard very often, but it is nice to have the option for whenever I want it.
The larger screen is certainly not a necessity, but it sure is nice. It makes using the watch a much more pleasant and enjoyable experience. If you are upgrading from an older Apple Watch model, the larger screen will be the most obvious new feature.
Speed
The Apple Watch Series 6 is 20% faster than the Apple Watch Series 5. The Series 7 inherits that speed increase. Thus, if you are like me and you are upgrading from a Series 5 model to a Series 7, you will get a 20% faster Apple Watch. And yes, a 20% speed increase is very noticeable.
Apple also increased the speed considerably when the Apple Watch Series 4 came out—the first Apple Watch to feature a 64-bit processor, which was twice as fast as the Series 3. Thus, if you are upgrading from a Series 3 (or older) to the Series 7, the speed increase that you will experience will be phenomenal.
Although I enjoyed using the early Apple Watch models, they were sluggish, and you couldn't help but notice it. The Series 4 and Series 5 were the first Apple Watch models that seemed to be fast enough to do what they were supposed to be doing. With the 20% speed increase that you get with the Series 7 (and Series 6), the watch now goes beyond “fast enough” and into the “fast” category. This makes a difference because a faster Apple Watch is a more responsive Apple Watch. I may not need the screen to refresh that much faster when I switch apps or switch screens within an app, but it sure is nice to have the watch keep up with me.
Although the larger screen is the most obvious difference from my prior Apple Watch, the speed increase is my second favorite feature. The Series 7 is the top-of-the-line Apple Watch right now, and with this speed increase, you really feel like you are using the best Apple Watch.
Faster charging
When it is time to recharge your Apple Watch, the Series 7 lets you do so faster than ever before. This is actually the second year in a row that Apple has done something to make the Apple Watch charge more quickly. Last year, the Series 6 added the ability to charge 20% faster than the Series 5 using the same USB cable that the Apple Watch has been using since the first generation. This year, with the Series 7, you can use the same USB charger if you want to do so, but you get another speed boost by using the included USB-C cable along with a USB-C power adapter. The USB-C power adapter is not included with the watch, and this page on the Apple website tells you what type of adapters you can use. (That page also says that fast charging is not available in Argentina, India, or Vietnam, although I have no idea why.)
If you are upgrading from a Series 5 or earlier, you should see an impressive increase in charging speed. I ran some tests where I charged my Series 5 with the regular USB cord at the same time that I charged by Series 7 with a USB-C cord connected to an Apple 29W adapter that I already had from one of my other Apple devices (perhaps my iPad Pro). From 0% to about 80%, my Series 5 added about 5% of charge every five minutes, but the Series 7 added about 12% of charge every five minutes. After it hit 80%, the Series 7 continued to charge, but at a somewhat slower rate (more like 5% to 7% every five minutes), which I know is something that Apple does by design to protect the watch.
Apple says that if you use the USB-C cord with the Series 7, you can go from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes, and that is consistent with my tests. But I find it even more impressive that you can get a substantial charge if you have less than 45 minutes. For example, in only 15 minutes, I could increase the charge of my Apple Watch by 35%, which is much better than the 15% increase on my Series 5 in the same amount of time.
Depending upon how you use your Apple Watch, faster charging may not matter much. For example, if you charge your Apple Watch overnight, it doesn't much matter if it takes one hour or two hours while you are sleeping. And a new Apple Watch will typically have enough power to last all day, after which you can again charge it overnight.
But there are circumstances in which you will want to charge during the day, and in these circumstances, the faster charging helps a lot. First, some folks like to wear an Apple Watch while they sleep. This allows for sleep tracking, makes it easy to check the time if you wake up during the night, and lets you use your Apple Watch as a silent alarm to tap you on your wrist when it is time to wake up (instead of a loud alarm that can wake up someone else in the same room). The disadvantage of wearing an Apple Watch at night is that your watch is not at 100% when you start your day. Faster charging makes it easier to find one or two times during the day to charge your watch, such as while you are getting ready in the morning.
Second, there are some uses of an Apple Watch that drain the power more quickly. If you are using cellular, working out for a long period of time, and/or using the screen more than normal, you may need to recharge before the day ends. On the rare occasions when you have one of those days, it is nice to add a little more charge during the day and do so as quickly as possible.
Third, although a brand new Apple Watch does a great job of lasting all day, after a year or two, the battery doesn't last as long as it does when new. The same is true with the iPhone and other devices with a rechargeable battery. This was one of the reasons that I decided to upgrade from a Series 5; after two years of heavy, daily use, I was getting to 10% or less of battery life near the end of many days when I wanted to keep going a little longer. If this Series 7 watch starts to do the same thing in a few years, it will be nice to be able to recharge it quickly.
Although I'm very impressed by the fast charging of the Series 7, you don't have to use it all of the time. If you already have one or more older Apple Watch USB chargers because you are upgrading to a Series 7 from an older model, you can still use those chargers. You won't get fast charging, but you will still charge.
Sensors
Ever since the first Apple Watch debuted in 2015, it has had a sensor to monitor your heart rate. The Series 4, introduced in 2018, added the ability to check your heart activity by running a simple ECG test (sometimes called an EKG). The Series 6, introduced in 2020, added a blood oxygen sensor. Apple is careful to point out that the Apple Watch is not a medical device — a term that requires jumping through many regulatory hoops — but these heart and respiratory sensors can give you a sense of your health. I like that if the Apple Watch notices something that doesn't seem right, it will give you an alert. There are numerous examples of folks going to see a doctor because of an Apple Watch alert and learning that they have a serious medical issue that needs to be addressed.
Another sensor in the Apple Watch provides fall detection — first added in the Apple Watch Series 4. Fall detection was improved in the recently-released watchOS 8 to do a better job of detecting falls during workouts, including when riding a bicycle.
The Series 7 does not add any new sensors, but it includes all of these sensors that have been added in the past, so you may get one or more new sensors, depending upon the model from which you are upgrading. For me, the blood oxygen sensor is new, and since that sensor can play a role in detecting COVID-19, I'm glad to have it, even though I'm not sure if I'll ever need it.
A brighter dim
The Apple Watch Series 5 introduced a feature that I've really appreciated: even when you are not using the watch, the screen remains on, albeit in a dimmed state. That way, you can glance at your watch without moving your wrist to see key information on the screen such as the time. The Apple Watch Series 6 improved this feature by making the watch up to 2.5x brighter when it is outdoors in that dimmed state.
The Apple Watch Series 7 works the same as the Series 6 when you are outdoors. Indoors, and especially if the lights are low, the Series 7 is a little brighter than the Series 6 when it is in that dimmed state. Apple says that the Series 7 can be up to 70% brighter in this state.
In my tests, I see a difference, but it is not a major difference. Nevertheless, any increase in brightness results in some degree of increased legibility, so I'm glad that Apple is making these changes.
Cellular Service
Ever since the Series 3, you have been able to purchase an Apple Watch with cellular service. That way, even if you are away from your iPhone, you can still send and receive text messages, emails, phone calls, etc., and apps can get data from the Internet. The stainless steel model doesn't come in a GPS-only model, so my Apple Watch has cellular whether I wanted it or not. To use the cellular features, you need to pay your carrier, just like you would for a phone. I use AT&T, which charges $15.50/month for an Apple Watch. (AT&T says that the cost is $10/month, and that is true, but the surcharges and fees associated with the line increase the total cost to $15.50.)
Do I get $15.50 of value every month from cellular? That's debatable, but on balance, I still like it. It is pretty rare for my iPhone and Apple Watch to not be a part of the same WiFi network, and they are often even closer and within Bluetooth range. But it does happen sometimes. Sometimes I will walk or jog outside and I don't want to take my iPhone with me. Sometimes, while on vacation at the beach, I would leave my iPhone in my room so that there was no risk of it being stolen off of a chair when I was in the pool with my kids. And rarely, I'll rush out of my office during the day — such as to grab lunch — without remembering to pick up my iPhone. There is some security in knowing that I can still send and receive messages, calls, emails, etc. in these situations. And it is nice that I can stream music or a podcast from my Apple Watch to my AirPods without using the iPhone at all.
I'm glad that cellular remains an option on the Apple Watch. If you haven't used it before, it is worth thinking about getting a cellular model, even though it is not essential.
Durability, Colors, Materials, and Prices
The Apple Watch Series 7 is more durable than prior models for all of the reasons that I discussed in this post. I don't have anything new to add on that topic, so check out what I wrote previously for all of the details.
Similarly, check out that post to see pictures and descriptions of the different colors, materials, and prices. I've been using the stainless steel model since the very first Apple Watch. I like the way that the shiny exterior looks on my wrist, it pairs well with almost every watch band, and the screen is even more durable because it has a sapphire front crystal instead of glass. But if that doesn't appeal to you, you can get the aluminum version to save some money and get a lighter watch. (The 45mm size is 38.8 grams in aluminum and 51.5 grams in stainless steel.) Apple also sells a premium titanium model, which also uses a sapphire front crystal (and weighs 45.1 grams).
I noted in that post that Apple is still selling the Series 3 and you should not buy it. I continue to believe that. As I also noted in that post, Apple is also still selling the Apple Watch SE, and it is worth considering for some users. For example, my wife and I recently gave my son his first Apple Watch for his 16th birthday, and even though I was willing to get a Series 7 if he really wanted it, he was very happy with the SE and I think that it was the right model for him. The SE is $130 cheaper, he decided that he wasn't interested in an always-on display, the sensors other than the heart rate sensor (which the SE does have) didn't interest him, and he didn't think that the speed and brightness differences would matter much for him. And with the cheaper model, I'm less worried about him breaking it. Having said that, while the SE seems perfect for a teenager, I think that the substantial advantages offered by the Series 7 are worth the extra $130 if you have that in your budget.
Conclusion
If you think that it might be time to upgrade your Apple Watch, the Series 7 is fantastic. If, like me, you are upgrading from a Series 5, it is faster, brighter, easier to see, and adds an extra sensor. If you are upgrading from an even older model, then you will experience even more improvements. And all of the improvements add up to a watch that is a delight to use.
Click here to get the Apple Watch Series 7 on Amazon (starting at $399).
