It’s been about 7 months since Apple released their most recent Apple Watch Series 6, so
in this Article, I wanna go through our thoughts and experience with it to let you guys know
if it’s still worth buying, because as we all know, we’re inching closer and closer
to the release date of next Series 7 Apple Watch which already has a bunch of leaks and
rumors surrounding it, but before I get into those new leaks, let’s talk about the Series
6.
To be completely honest, if you’re gonna compare this one to the last Series 5, then
there really aren’t that many differences.
Yes, there’s a new S6 chip, but you honestly can’t notice a difference in performance
or snappiness, since the S5 chip was already pretty quick.
Now in terms of the battery life, it feels pretty similar as well, lasting basically
all day, only needing to be charged at night.
This is actually pretty impressive because there are a couple of features that use more
battery life than before.
For example, there’s the new always-on altimeter which tracks your elevation and factors it
into your fitness metrics even if you didn’t start a workout.
outdoors in bright daylight.
So with these two features draining extra battery power, it’s impressive that the
battery life is basically the same this year.
One interesting surprise change is the charging speed, which is now 20% faster than before,
but I feel like a lot of people charge at night so it won’t really make a difference.
However, there is the new sleep tracking feature, so if you’re gonna be charging your Apple
Watch in the morning before leaving to work, the extra charging speed can definitely help.
I personally don’t care much about sleep tracking, but a lot of people have been disappointed
in the lack of metrics and details using the default app, so if you’re interested in
that, definitely use another app like AutoSleep.
In terms of the actual design of the Series 6, it hasn’t really changed at all. The
only real differences are the two new finishes, blue and red aluminum.
Other than that, you get the same old classic look, which I admit still looks very nice,
but it’s starting to get a bit old. Thankfully, there are some rumors of a completely new
design coming soon, so I’ll get into that in just a minute.
The only other physical difference is the sensor layout on the bottom which houses the
new blood oxygen sensor and new third-gen optical heart sensors.
The new bottom definitely looks nice, but it doesn’t really matter since neither you
or anyone else can actually see it.
Blood oxygen monitoring was cool when we first tested it out, and this can be life changing
for some people, but to be honest, we haven’t really used or noticed this feature since
our initial review.
So with all of that said, after around 5 months, I can now confirm that the Series 6 Apple
Watch isn’t much better than last year’s Series 5, so it’s not worth upgrading for
a lot of people.
It’s mostly just meant for first-time Apple Watch buyers who want to get the best model,
but to get even deeper, if you don’t really need those specific health tracking features,
then the Apple Watch SE might make more sense for you unless you really care about the always
on display, since the SE doesn’t have that.
There is however, one unique feature built into the Series 6 which might be a deal-breaker
for some people.
The Series 6 packs in Apple’s latest ultra-wide band U1 chip, and while it’s not really
doing anything right now, it can be used in the future for using and unlocking smart devices.
It will even potentially be used in the future to unlock your car, and Tesla is already adopting
ultra-wide band technology to create a new auto unlocking key fob which is immune to
relay attacks, so if you’re interested in that, then the Series 6 can definitely be
worth buying right now.
Now with all of that said, we still gotta talk about the Series 7, and this is where
it starts to get VERY exciting!
Around one and a half years ago, the Economic Daily News reported that Apple will be switching
from OLED to microLED displays in Apple Watches as soon as 2020.
That obviously didn’t happen, but Bloomberg also reported on the same thing, so maybe
these displays were delayed and we’ll actually be getting this year.
That would be great because it’ll further improve battery life while keeping the display
nice and bright, and it actually might make the Watch itself thinner, or maybe Apple can
fit in a larger battery.
We’re not really sure if the new microLED display is coming this year, but I guess we’ll
have to see.
Almost a full year ago, the Verifier claimed that the Apple Watch Series 7 in 2021 would
feature a Touch ID sensor which would be used to authenticate purchases and everything else.
Now if you’re wondering how Apple will achieve that, they said that there are two options.
Either under the display or embedded into the Digital Crown.
Having it under the display seems a bit far fetched, but if you think about it, you’re
already tapping your device throughout the day, so you won’t really need to use the
pincode anymore.
And authenticating purchases would be instant as well.
This would actually make a lot of sense because we’ve been seeing rumors of the next iPhone
coming with an under display Touch ID sensor, so it would make sense for Apple to release
this new feature on both devices.
On top of that, if this Watch gets a microLED display like in the previous rumor, there
will be more room for a fingerprint sensor under the display.
But if this doesn’t work out, there’s always the second option of building the Touch
ID sensor into the crown, but it might be a bit difficult since there’s already so
much tech packed into it, like for using the ECG feature, for example.
Making it even more interesting, a couple of months ago, there was a new patent application
from Apple, showing Touch ID actually being built into the side button instead of the
crown.
Apparently, it’ll work just like the new Touch ID power button on the iPad Air 4, and
if so, this would actually make a lot of sense for them to do.
But wait.. It gets even better because back in November, the famous Apple Analyst Ming-Chi
Kuo reported that the 2021 Apple Watch will be getting a completely new form factor.
He didn’t give us any specific details, but if we take a look at the direction that
Apple is recently heading, we can get a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Both the new iPads and iPhones feature flat-side redesigns, and it’s been rumored that Apple’s
next MacBooks will follow with the same design scheme as well.
So it would totally make sense for the new Apple Watch to come with flat sides, and this
would be perfect for building Touch ID into the side button, since it would need to be
completely flat.
Now other than that, Kuo also mentioned that Apple will be coming out with new innovative
health management functions with the new Apple Watch Series 7, and the most-rumored one is
blood glucose monitoring.
This has been rumored for years, but we haven’t actually seen it because of how difficult
it is to check blood sugar levels without the traditional method of pricking your finger.
But recently, ETNews reported that this feature will actually be debuting on the Apple Watch
Series 7, potentially using an optical sensor to do it.
A lot of people are skeptical because no one really has this type of technology right now,
so Apple would have to invent some totally new tech to make it happen.
Apart from that, 9to5mac had an interesting take on how Apple could add blood glucose
monitoring by using a new skin tag, which is completely noninvasive.
The tag is energized through an electromagnetic coupling between the tag and the reader, so
the Apple Watch could theoretically adapt this type of technology, but in my opinion,
I don’t think Apple would take this approach because it would require placing these tags
under the apple watch every single time you want to take a measurement, and that’s just
not the Apple way of doing things.
So those are all of the most recent leaks, and now, we can finally answer the original
question.
Should you buy an Apple Watch right now or wait for the next one?
Well, if the Series 7 will end up getting an all-new design, which a few rumors are
pointing to, and you can comfortably wait a few months until September, then ABSOLUTELY
wait for the Series 7.
The new design will make it feel and look like a totally new Apple Watch, and you’re
gonna know that the design will not change for many years, so it’s ultimately gonna
hold its value much better in the long run.
And if blood glucose monitoring is important to you, then it’s definitely worth waiting
to see if Apple will actually be adding this feature to the Series 7.
But if you need an Apple Watch right now, or you’re not willing to pay $400 or more
for an Apple Watch, then you should totally be fine with one of the current ones, especially
the SE which is an excellent deal.
Hopefully this article was helpful, FOR YOU THANKS
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