The Apple Watch Series 6 has officially gotten here, bringing brand-new health-monitoring features, new colors, and more to the Apple Watch lineup. Im a die-hard Apple Watch user, but unlike my iPhone, its not something I update every year. Last year, I made the decision to skip the Series 5 and stick to my dependable Series 4 for another year.
This time around, the addition of the blood oxygen sensor, an aging battery in my Series 4, and a desire to finally have the always-on screen prompted me to make the jump to the Series 6. While the decision to update has actually currently been made, there are still a number of other elements to consider.
My Apple Watch Series 4
Battery health. watchOS 7 presented a new Battery Health Management feature for the Apple Watch, one element of which is the ability to see the optimum capacity of your Apple Watchs battery. My Apple Watch Series 4 had an optimum capability of 82% after 2 years, which efficiently takes the 18-hour battery life of the Apple Watch down closer to 14 hours.
The stainless-steel gold and aluminum (PRODUCT) RED finishes are stunning however right away off the table for me, since I think theyre a little brilliant and too fancy for my taste. The space gray and silver aluminum cases are classic alternatives and ones I was considering until I saw the blue aluminum, at which point I knew that if was choosing aluminum, I was going to choose the blue alternative.
So, I did what any Apple fan would do: I bought the graphite stainless-steel model and the blue aluminum GPS model. I prepare to compare them head-to-head, try various bands with the blue surface, and decide on which one to keep.
Keep in mind: Apple still technically sells the Apple Watch Series 6 in space black stainless steel, however just as part of the Hermès lineup starting at $1299 for 44mm. The price of this setup suggests its not practical for me.
The Apple Watch Studio helps resolve this problem, however I feel like its still not as straightforward as it could be.
Keep in mind 2: The item page for the Apple Watch Series 6 is incredibly complicated, and I say that as someone with a fairly intricate awareness of the Apple Watch lineup. I can easily picture somebody going to Apples site to purchase an Apple Watch, but getting overwhelmed by the large variety of setups offered.
Blue aluminum Series 6If it were readily available as a choice, I would have immediately bought the Apple Watch Series 6 in the very same area black finish as my Series 4, however Apple is switching things up in a number of methods this year. In turn, this indicates that I too have some decisions to make.
My Apple Watch Series 4 also featured an active cellular connection through AT&T, which got differing levels of use over my 2 years with the Series 4. As Ill discuss even more down in this article, whether or not the cellular connection is worth the added up-front expense and $15 per month to AT&T.
Since I dont update every year, I tend to go with the higher-end stainless steel model of the Apple Watch. My Apple Watch Series 4 was the stainless-steel area black design in 44mm, and I absolutely loved the style. The shiny area black surface went well with essentially any band offered by Apple, and not that Im a style specialist, but it never ever looked out of place with any specific design of clothes.
In non-pandemic times, I would head to an Apple Store to get an in-person take a look at the blue aluminum and graphite stainless-steel personally, compare them to my space black Series 4, and see how different bands look with the blue finish. Apple Stores in Texas are still rightfully closed, and Best Buy doesnt showcase display screen units of the stainless steel alternatives.
On the other hand, the graphite stainless steel choice was likewise intriguing, but Apples site doesnt do a great task of demonstrating how it searches in the real life, particularly when compared to my adored space black steel surface.
Changing things up …
Quick first impressions and factors to consider
Heaven is far more subtle than I expected, which Im really happy about. Ive been utilizing it with a navy blue sport band up until now.
The always-on screen is a game-changer while working out.
Blood oxygen testing is a bit picky, once you figure out the correct wrist placement, it works like an appeal.
Ill have more details on my impressions over the next week or two, but here a few things Ill particularly be considering.
The area black stainless-steel Series 4 vs blue aluminum Series 6My Apple Watch Series 6 stainless-steel graphite order gets here later on today, but Ive been using the blue aluminum design all weekend. My early impressions of the color, along with new functions like blood oxygen testing and the (new-to-me) always-on screen, are really positive.
Do I require cellular?
As I discussed earlier, the cellular connection on my Series 4 got a varying degree of usage throughout its 2 years. Whether or not cellular connectivity deserves the hardware and regular monthly cost is something Ill be considering this year.
Long-term display resilience without sapphire surface
The blue
Battery life
Heres a glimpse at the blue aluminum with a black sport band; you be the judge and offer your judgment on how well it matches in the comments.
Ill have more information on Apple Watch Series 6 battery life and new fast charging features in a future diary piece.
The blue aluminum is beautiful and a lot more subtle than I at first anticipated. Nonetheless, I still have issues associated to how well it will pair with different colored watch bands.
Finally, I did some standard Apple Watch Series 6 battery life testing over the weekend, and Im very positive about the outcomes up until now. In my screening, with workout tracking, the Series 6 seems to be surpassing
The stainless steel Apple Watch models consist of a sapphire surface on the display that has shown to be exceptionally resistant to scratches and scuffs. The Ion glass on the aluminum models is not almost as resistant.
The choices:
Alternative 1: Apple Watch Series 6 GPS in blue
Choice 2: Apple Watch Series 6 stainless steel in graphite, but cancel the cellular plan
Choice 3: Apple Watch Series 6 stainless steel in graphite + cellular
Have you upgraded to the Apple Watch Series 6? If so, let us understand what you consider it down in the comments listed below.
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More to come …
More to come soon, but for now, the Apple Watch Series 6 is proving to be an outstanding upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 4, with my every-other-year upgrade method showing to be a solid decision. There are still some decisions to make, but for now, Im at least positive in my choice to retire the Series 4.
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The Apple Watch Series 6 has actually officially gotten here, bringing new health-monitoring features, brand-new colors, and more to the Apple Watch lineup. Im a die-hard Apple Watch user, but unlike my iPhone, its not something I update every year. Since I dont update every year, I tend to opt for the higher-end stainless steel design of the Apple Watch. My Apple Watch Series 4 was the stainless steel space black design in 44mm, and I definitely loved the design. My Apple Watch Series 4 had an optimum capacity of 82% after 2 years, which effectively takes the 18-hour battery life of the Apple Watch down closer to 14 hours.
