Apple Watch Series 6 review (2023)

The Apple Watch has been our Editors' Choice for its excellent performance, unrivaled app selection, and extensive health andfitness trackingcharacteristics. With the Series 6 (from $399), Apple develops its flagshipSmart watchwith the addition of a blood oxygen saturation sensor that calculates your SpO2 level on demand and captures periodic background measurements when you are asleep and inactive. Putting this technology into a consumer wearable device has never been more important due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, as it indicates how well your circulatory and respiratory systems are delivering oxygenated blood to your body and can help you assess whether a visit to the hospital is required.

Also, Apple's changes include a faster processor, an always-on altimeter that lets you see your elevation in real time, and an increase in screen brightness when your wrist is down. These improvements, plus many new additions to thewatch OS 7, including a 20-second handwash timer and sleep tracking features, make the Apple Watch Series 6 the company's best smartwatch yet, and our newest Editors' Choice.

Prices

Apple released two new smartwatches this year: the Series 6 flagship and the more affordable one.SE watch. The Series 6 starts at $399 for the GPS-only model and $100 more for the GPS and cellular version.

Sharing design elements with the Series 6 along with key health and safety features like fall detection, the Watch SE starts at $279 for the GPS-only model or $329 for the GPS-and-cellular version. It lacks an always-on display, as well as blood oxygen saturation and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings; We go into detail about thedifferences between the two watches here.

GPS aloneSeries 3It remains on sale for just $199 as another budget option. All models require a paired iPhone, so Android users are out of luck.

The Series 6 comes in 40mm and 44mm case sizes and three different case materials: 100% recycled aluminum, polished stainless steel or brushed titanium. Apple also offers some new jewel-toned colors to choose from this year.

WatchOS 7 includes several new watch faces, including this one called Artist, which features a dynamic portrait created in collaboration with artist Geoff McFetridge.

The aluminum 6 Series is available in new shades of navy blue and red, as well as gold, silver and space gray. The stainless steel model comes in a new classic shade of yellow gold, grayish black called graphite and silver. The Titanium model comes in Natural Titanium and Space Black.

Changing the band is a big part of the Apple Watch experience for many people, and this year Apple introduced some cool new options, including the $49 Solo Loop (which you can choose to get with your watch instead of the standard Sport Loop). ). . ) and the $99 Braided Solo Loop. Both have no clasps, buckles or overlays and are available in a variety of colors. They stretch over the wrist and come in nine different sizes to ensure a good fit. The Solo Loop is made from liquid silicone rubber, while the braided version is made from 100% post-consumer recycled yarn that is twisted around a thin silicone strand.

For this review, I tested a 40 mm GPS and a Series 6 phone with a blue aluminum case and navy blue Sport Loop. Apple also sent a letterAtlantic blue braided ground loop(opens in a new window)strap in size 4, which fits perfectly on my wrist. Between the $499 watch and the additional $99 bracelet, the total cost of the watch shown below is $598.

The new Braided Solo Loop looks stylish yet understated and casual. It feels secure and easy to put on and take off, but its $99 price tag is hard to swallow. For comparison purposes, the stylish Milanese Loop is also $99.

In the watch's box, Apple includes a charging cable, but you don't get a USB power adapter. Apple says it made this decision to help the environment and it will have the same impact as taking 50,000 cars off the road.

Project

Like it or not, the Series 6 has the distinctive square design with rounded corners that the Apple Watch is known for. The 40mm model measures 1.56 x 1.35 x 0.42 inches (HWD), while the 44mm model is slightly taller and wider, but the same thickness at 1.73 x 1.48 x 0.42 in.

Looking at the 6 Series next to theSeries 5, it's hard to see any difference other than the color of the case and strap. In fact, Apple has not made any changes to the screen size or resolution. To that end, the 40mm model has a 1.57-inch screen at 394 by 324 pixels, while the 44mm Series 6 has a 1.73-inch screen at 448 by 368 pixels.

Left to right: Apple Watch Series 6, Series 5

The Series 6 feels light and comfortable on my wrist, even when I wear it to bed. The 40mm and 44mm aluminum models weigh 1.07 ounces and 1.28 ounces, respectively, without the handle. The stainless steel models are the heaviest at 1.40 ounces and 1.66 ounces, and the titanium models weigh 1.22 ounces and 1.45 ounces.

Series 6 is waterproof to 165 feet. Apple says it's safe for shallow water activities like swimming (in a pool or the ocean). You can also use it in the shower and jacuzzi. However, you shouldn't wear it while scuba diving, water skiing, or "other activities involving high-velocity water or shallow submersion," says Apple.

Configuration and interface

The Series 6 comes partially charged, and as soon as you take it out of the box and turn it on, a screen will appear on your iPhone asking if you want to set up the watch for yourself or someone else using Apple's new Family Setup service. . . It then instructs you to put the watch on, hold it in front of the phone's camera, and align the watch face with the onscreen display to pair. Once I did that, it said the Apple Watch was paired and asked if I wanted to restore from a backup or set it up as a new watch. I usually use Series 5 so I opted to restore from that device.

You have the option to enable the Blood Oxygen app during the setup process, which allows you to check your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels and measure them throughout the day (you can also enable this feature later). You can optionally enable automatic updates; if you do, you will receive a notification before the update is installed. It then asks if you want to set up Apple Pay.

Next, look at the Emergency SOS and Fall Detection features. To call emergency services, press and hold the side button. By doing so, you will also send a message to your emergency contacts. With fall detection turned on, the watch will automatically call emergency services if it detects that you've had a hard fall. You can disable this feature in the Apple Watch app if you prefer.

If you have a cell phone model, go to the cell phone setup process. With this feature, you can make and receive calls and access apps using cellular data when Apple Watch is not connected to iPhone. When you click Set Up Cellular, a new page appears that allows you to sign in with your cellular carrier and add the Apple Watch to your plan (which is usually an extra charge per month on your cellular bill). Then move on to the watch faces, remembering that you can change them later in the app or on the watch itself.

As with other Apple Watch models, navigate on Series 6 by swiping to scroll and pan, and tap to select. To see your notifications, swipe down from the top edge of the screen. To see the battery level and access additional controls like Do Not Disturb, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

The Series 6 also features Apple's Digital Crown signature in the top right corner. Press this button to return to the watch face; press and hold to talk to Siri; or rotate to pan, zoom or adjust.

Below the digital crown on the right side of the screen is a button with several functions. You can press it to quickly access your open apps; double tap for Apple Pay; or hold for medical ID, emergency SOS and call.

blood oxygen readings

The standout feature here is a new sensor that can measure blood oxygen saturation, otherwise known as SpO2. This metric indicates how well your circulatory and respiratory systems are delivering oxygenated blood to your body. Your SpO2 reading alone cannot diagnose COVID-19, but as theThe Yale School of Medicine advises(opens in a new window), a reading below 90% may warrant a trip to the emergency room.

The Series 6 uses technology similar to that of a pulse oximeter, the device that is attached to your finger in a doctor's office, to measure blood oxygen saturation. Its SpO2 sensor emits red and infrared light through the skin into the blood vessels in the wrist and measures the color of the blood, indicating the amount of oxygen present. Bright red blood is more saturated, and dark red blood is less. Changes in your body or elevation can affect your blood oxygen level.

The watch can calculate your SpO2 level within 15 seconds whenever you want. The sensor also captures periodic background measurements when you are asleep and inactive.

The first time you open the Blood Oxygen app on your watch, it will show you some helpful tips for getting a good reading. Apple says your watch strap should be tight but comfortable, and make sure your watch isn't too low on your wrist. You should keep the watch facing upwards and try not to move while reading. Resting your arm on a table can help.

When you start a blood oxygen scan, you will see a 15 second countdown on the screen along with a smooth blue and red graph. After 15 seconds, your blood oxygen saturation percentage will appear on the screen. You can also view your blood oxygen measurements in the Health app on your iPhone.

The watch provides information about this metric to help you interpret your data. It says that most people have a blood oxygen level between 95 and 100 percent. The first time I used this feature, the Series 6 said my blood oxygen saturation level was 99%. The second time I took a reading, it was after a three-mile run on the beach, and I was happy to see that my SpO2 level was at 100%.

In the Health app on iPhone, you can view a log of all your measurements and view graphs of blood oxygen readings for the day, week, month, or year. It also shows your daily average and range, and you can filter the data to only show your SpO2 level in high altitude environments or while you sleep.

This is not such a new feature as several other fitness trackers and smartwatches can measure your SpO2 level including heart rate.Garmin Vivoactive 4,Watch Samsung Galaxy3, youFitbit Sense. However, Fitbit Sense only measures your blood oxygen saturation level automatically when you wear it to sleep, and you need a specific watch face turned on for it to work. It also takes a full two minutes.

performance improvements

Inside, the Series 6 has 32GB of storage and Apple's new S6 dual-core system in the package (SiP), which delivers up to 20% faster performance than the S5 chip in the Series 5 and Watch SE. The S6 also allows for improved screen brightness: the screen still has a maximum brightness level of 1,000 nits, but it's brighter in ambient mode when you're looking at your wrist.

Apple says it's increased the screen's maximum brightness from 200 nits to 500 nits when the wrist is down, making it easier to view in bright sunlight. This is a welcome addition for me personally, as I live in Florida and spend a lot of time at the beach. And I can attest that the Series 6's screen is noticeably easier to read when I'm outside walking my dog ​​and looking down.

The Series 6 also features a new antenna with twice the spectrum of the Series 5, allowing it to support 5GHz Wi-Fi for the first time. This can help free up congested 2.4GHz bands, allowing access to potentially faster 5GHz bands.

According to Apple, the Series 6 offers the same 18-hour battery life as the Series 5, but consumes less battery when streaming music and tracking certain workouts like indoor and outdoor runs. In testing, the watch surprisingly beat Apple's estimate. After using it for a full 24 hours, it still had 14% battery left. During that time, I had the always-on display mode and used the watch to track a 37-minute run with GPS. I also had Do Not Disturb on most of the time, so I didn't get any notifications, which could extend battery life. After almost 25.5 hours I got a notification that the battery was at 10% so I finally put it on the charger.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch3 offered similar battery life in tests, but the Fitbit Sense lasted around three days.

One nice improvement is that the Series 6 charges faster than the Series 5, which takes about two hours to fully charge. The Series 6 charges to 80% in about an hour and 100% in 90 minutes.

Altimeter always on

The Series 6 has an always-on altimeter, making it easy to check your elevation indoors and outdoors in real time (it's also available on the lower-end Watch SE). This feature is especially useful for hikers and downhill skiers.

The watch uses barometric pressure sensor data, GPS, and nearby Wi-Fi networks to determine your exact location and update your elevation as you go. You can also add your elevation as a complication on the watch face.

I found this feature useful even in flat Florida. I added the elevation complication to the watch face and it was interesting to see how it changed in real time, especially as I got closer to the beach near my house, which in certain areas is below sea level, according to Series 6 .

I can see this feature being particularly useful during hurricane season and beyond when looking for a new home. Series 6 tells me that my current home is about 35 feet above sea level, so if a hurricane is heading my way with a predicted storm higher than that, I'll know to get out of town. When I start looking for a home in the future, I will definitely be using the Apple Watch to check potential property elevation to make a more informed decision.

WatchOS7

The latest version of Apple's smartwatch operating system, watchOS 7, offers a number of useful features, including automatic handwashing detection with a 20-second countdown, sleep tracking, new exercise types (dance, core training, relaxation, and workouts). functional). strength training) and cycling addresses in select cities (including Beijing, Los Angeles, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area and Shanghai). WatchOS 7 also introduces several new watch faces.

You don't need the 6 Series to enjoy these features. WatchOS 7 is also available on Apple Watches Series 3, 4 and 5, as well as the new Watch SE.

After testing watchOS 7 beta on my Series 5 formore than a month, the handwashing countdown timer has become a necessity in my life, especially in light of COVID-19. The watch uses motion sensors to detect hand washing movements and the microphone to listen for the sound of running water. When it detects you're washing your hands, it pops a 20-second timer on the screen, so you don't have to hum happy birthday twice in your head. When finished, your watch will vibrate slightly and show a thumbs up on the screen.

I really like this feature and when I try other portable devices I miss it every time I wash my hands. I find the countdown timer sometimes accidentally kicks in when I'm washing products in the sink, but I take that as a cue to wash again.

Apple is late to the game with sleep tracking features, as most smartwatches and fitness trackers already offer this feature, and Apple's version is still pretty basic. After you wear your Apple Watch to sleep, the Health app on iPhone shows you when you fell asleep, when you woke up, and the total time you spent in bed and asleep during the night. It also shows you a graph of your heart rate, with your maximum and minimum heart rate recorded per minute. Track your sleep for the week and month and show your average time in bed and average time sleeping.

Many other portable devices, including the $150Fitbit charge 4, tracks more stats like your deep, light, and REM sleep; offer charts showing when you were asleep and awake during the night; and provide a sleep score that can help you quickly assess the quality and restorative value of your sleep. And if you plan on using the Apple Watch to track your sleep, you might need to modify your charging routine due to battery life. Instead of charging it overnight, I recommend fast charging it in the morning when you're getting ready for work, or at night when you're getting ready for bed.

Another notable addition to watchOS 7 is Family Setup, a feature that lets you use your own iPhone to set up an Apple Watch for your child or another family member. Parents can use Family Settings to approve the contacts their children can communicate with. The service also offers automatic location notifications, so you can, for example, be notified when your child arrives home from school. The user you are setting up for will have their own account and phone number through a separate cellular plan (feature is only available on cellular watch models).

Additional health resources

The 6 Series has all the great health, safety and lifestyle features of its predecessor. This includes ECG readings, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, menstrual cycle tracking, fall detection, high decibel alerts, emergency SOS and international emergency calls. The Move, Exercise, and Watch Stand rings are my favorites as they help motivate me to be active on a regular basis and cheer me up when I do.

Before the end of the year, Apple plans to releaseFitness+, a home fitness service for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Requiring an Apple Watch Series 3 or later paired with an iPhone, Fitness+ promises to offer a variety of workouts led by world-class trainers in the comfort and safety of your own home. When you stream a Fitness+ workout on your iPhone or iPad, metrics from your Apple Watch, including workout duration, heart rate, and calories burned, as well as your activity rings, appear onscreen.

Later this year, Apple also plans to add a Low Cardio Fitness feature, which can notify you if your VO2 Max (a metric used to measure cardiovascular fitness that indicates the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise ) drops below a low range.

Forms

Additional Apple Watch features I've found useful include Apple Pay for contactless payments, Siri language translations, and the overall call and text experience, including the ability to dictate text responses and see images in text on the watch's screen.

Perhaps the greatest strength of the watch remains theapp store, which allows you to find and install applications directly on the watch itself. With over 20,000 Apple Watch apps available, you've easily got the largest and highest third-party selection of any wearable.

In addition to downloading apps and changing your band, changing your watch face is a fun way to customize your device, and Apple has a few new options to choose from. WatchOS 7 includes 7 new watch faces: GMT, which shows multiple time zones at once; Count Up, which allows tracking the elapsed time; Chronograph Pro, a stopwatch with a tachymeter speed measurement tool; Typography, which offers three custom font styles; Artist, featuring a dynamic portrait created in collaboration with artist Geoff McFetridge; Memoji, with animated Apple characters; and stripes; which can be customized based on what you're wearing, your support for a cause, or your favorite team.

Memoji watch face features cute animated Apple characters

Comparisons and Conclusions

Since the Apple Watch made itsdebutfive years ago, one of its main functions was to help you monitor your health. The Series 6 offers two key features that build heavily on this and can help keep you safe in the era of COVID-19: an SpO2 sensor that lets you monitor your blood oxygen saturation level, and a sleep timer. honest when you wash your hands. The Series 6 impresses even more thanks to a faster processor, an ever-brighter display, and an improved altimeter that can track your elevation changes in real-time.

It easily outperforms Google Wear OS-based watches like themoto 360, and it offers a much fuller smartwatch experience than Fitbit's more health-focused models. If you already own a Series 5, the Series 6 is only worth upgrading if you absolutely must have altimeter or SpO2 readings always on. But between its advanced health and fitness tracking features, security and lifestyle features, and wide selection of downloadable apps, the Apple Watch Series 6 is the best smartwatch on the market, hands down. and our Editors' Choice.

That said, if the $399 starting price is out of your budget, the new Apple Watch SE offers many of the same features as the Series 6, including a handwash timer, sleep tracking, heart rate notifications, and more for $120 less. However, it lacks an always-on display and some of the Series 6's more advanced health features, including the ability to take an ECG and measure blood oxygen saturation. It's a solid alternative to the Series 6 if you don't mind a less health-focused experience.