The Series 7 is available for preorder Friday and boasts 20% more screen space and a 70% brighter display. The bigger screen allows for more information to be displayed simultaneously, and you even can type on it, although awkwardly. It starts at $399. My Apple Watch Series 6 still works well, but it’s a victim of its success. The Series 6 has become such an integral part of my daily life that I want more of its beautiful display.
Bigger and Badder
The thing I’m most looking forward to about the Series 7 is its new look. Since it was first released, I’ve been an Apple Watch owner, and while I love what they can do, it’s always been a bland design. The changes to the case that Apple has made with its latest release are subtle but significant. The display of the Apple Watch Series 7 has thinner borders at just 1.7 mm—40% smaller than those on Series 6. Somehow, Apple managed to cram more stuff into less space, and it’s available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. The Series 7 also comes in new colors, making me want to upgrade from my basic black model. I have my eye on the green one, but the 7 also is offered in a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED. Of course, Apple is also tossing out new Apple Watch band designs like a bunch of confetti. Before buying the Series 6, I scoffed at the need for an Always-On display because I had grown used to doing without one on my Apple Watch Series 3. But I’m constantly glancing at my Apple Watch now to check on the time, and I’m looking forward to the brighter display on the Series 7. I can’t wait to try out the new user interface that is optimized to take advantage of the shape and size of the larger display. The 7 also offers two larger font sizes. Apple claims the Series 7 is the “most durable” Apple Watch with a redesigned front crystal. However, I’ve bashed my Apple Watches on rocks worldwide, and they’ve never once suffered a crack.
Finger Typing?
The Series 7’s larger display will be a balm for my aging eyes, but Apple is trying to shoehorn more utility into what’s still a relatively small screen. With watchOS 8, more prominent menu titles and buttons in apps like Stopwatch, Activity, and Alarms are designed to make the screen simpler to interact with. I’m skeptical about the 7’s new QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath—allowing users to slide a finger to type. Apple claims the keyboard uses on-device machine learning to anticipate the next word based on the context, making text entry easier and faster. I have a hard time imagining doing a lot of typing on the Series 7, even if the machine learning works as advertised. Instead, I’d like Siri to be better integrated into the Apple Watch, so it’s easier to dictate notes and other items. One area where the Series 7 is getting a big boost is fast charging. Apple claims the new watch allows 33% faster charging than Apple Watch Series 6 through a new charging architecture and Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable. I use my Apple Watch so much for calls and to listen to music that I invariably run out of juice. It will be great to put the new Series 7 on the charger for a quick top-up. Overall, the Series 7 isn’t a huge upgrade over its predecessor. But I use my Apple Watch so much that even just the promise of a bigger, brighter screen is enough to have me polishing my credit card.
