Nearly four years ago, I got my first Apple Watch, the Series 1. It wasn’t my first smartwatch, I had a Pebble before that. I’ve had a smart device on my wrist for longer than Apple’s made smartwatches. I’ve come to expect a glance at my wrist to tell me the time, the weather, my messages, upcoming meetings, and more. My Apple Watch has become almost as important to me as my iPhone.
I had no plans on buying the Apple Watch Series 6. It didn’t quite sound interesting enough to me. I had actually been considering getting a Swatch, just to mix things up a bit. But then Apple revealed a (Product)Red Apple Watch, and I decided to upgrade my Series 4 Apple Watch a year or two early. I just really wanted a red watch.
I’ve been wearing that red watch now for over two weeks. I’ve come to form some opinions on it.
In This Article:
Style
Before the reveal of the Apple Watch Series 6, I said I wouldn’t be interested in buying one unless Apple surprised us with something new. I had been looking at physical watches, just something to mix things up. A Swatch here, a Jord over there. But then, Apple mixed things up.
The Apple Watch Series 6 comes in two vibrant new colors, blue and red. Speaking only to the red one, it’s gorgeous. The aluminum has a lustrous appearance, polished, even. It retains the fine detail of the metal, but the color and shine is vibrant. It’s really set apart from previous Apple Watches and even previous Apple Watch finishes.
The Apple Watch has always been Apple’s best looking product. It’s priced like a luxury watch, and Apple knew they’d have to compete with “buy it for life” mechanical and quartz watches. A good watch can last many lifetimes, especially with maintenance and care.
The Apple Watch won’t last half of a decade.
That doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that it’s a different kind of device, trying to compete in the same space. Your wrist only has room for one watch… at least if you don’t want to look ridiculous.
Still, Apple wanted their watches to reflect the same quality and craftsmanship that people expect from classic timepieces. Never have I felt that to be more true than with the (Product)Red version of the Apple Watch. The contrast between the black faceplate and the vibrant, lustrous red casing is really something that looks better in person. Seeing it made me realize I definitely made the right choice. This is a beautiful watch, one that I’d compare to more traditional watch designs. Maybe I’m just a fan of the color and the contrast, but it’s my favorite Apple Watch to look at.
It’s also been my favorite Apple product to photograph. Could you tell?
Red is Red
There is one problem with a red watch: it carries its own “personality.” You can use just about any color with a black watch or accessory. The same, generally, goes for white. As soon as you start adding tones to it though, you can’t quite match other colors. A blue watch, for example, wouldn’t look very good with a lime green watch band. Similarly, there will be colors that don’t look as good with red. One of them is yellow or gold, which clashes slightly. Green makes me look Christmas-themed. This could limit your band choices, and even your choices in other accessories or outfits.
Personally, I already wear a lot of black and red, so, generally speaking, the watch doesn’t look too out of place. I also have a variety of black, gray, and white bands that work well with it. But it’s true, some of my bands, including my old favorite from the now closed Bezels & Bytes, just don’t match the red as well.
Screen
This is my first watch since the Pebble Time over four years ago that featured an always-on display. It’s funny to think of it, seeing as I grew up when most watches were still physical timekeepers. I pulled those old Pebble Time watches out of storage to see how they held up. Surprisingly, quite well. They still look great. The Pebble Time still fits my wrist better than the Apple Watch thanks to its lack of a large heart sensor and its curved shape. But the always on display has a clear champion: Apple. This display is always legible, even in the dark, and doesn’t require the “Pebble flick” to activate the backlight. It’s also visible at even extreme angles thanks to the display being closer to the glass and brighter as well.
Second Generation Always-On
via Reddit user joeledition.
Apple introduced their always-on display with the Series 5. Apple updates the screen only once per minute when it’s “always on.” This reduces battery consumption significantly. Interestingly, it actually animates when it updates, making the minute hand seemingly slide into place in one motion, rather than just updating a single frame. This year, Apple made their always-on Apple Watch display 30% brighter when the user isn’t looking directly at it. Those who have had both watches show it’s definitely noticeable.
It might seem silly. “When wouldn’t I be looking directly at my watch?” Well, I didn’t look at my computer while typing that last sentence. I was instead reading the time and checking on the chance of rain tonight on my Apple Watch as it sat on my wrist on my wrist rest. Yes, I did all of that on my watch while also typing. With an always-on display, you don’t actually have to lift your watch to check the time. You can even check your watch in a meeting without anyone noticing. I didn’t realize how much I missed this until I had an always-on display again. Now I’d struggle to go back.
The screen is bright enough to read in direct sunlight in either on or always-on modes. The resolution is high, and as an OLED display, the contrast is excellent. It really does look like Apple’s best. I don’t even keep it at its brightest setting, I’ve left it in the middle setting, Apple’s default.
Speed
When I upgraded from the Series 1 to a Series 4, I was shocked by the increase in speed. I felt like I could finally use third party apps, rather than just use my watch for a few of Apple’s built-in applications. The jump between the Series 4 and the Series 6 was considerably less extreme, but still noticeable. Pressing the digital crown and interacting with apps is certainly faster on the Series 6 than it is on the Series 4. Normal, everyday interactions are faster. It’s to the point that I’ve begun using my watch for a little more. I find myself reading notifications, messages, and even answering them directly on my watch instead of simply glancing at my watch. I’ve even started using Siri for more complex tasks than setting timers, like turning on my lights in the morning, or asking it when the next debate is. Though, now that’s anyone’s guess, as COVID-positive Trump won’t commit to a remote debate.
Applications launch almost instantly, seemly stored in memory more often. Truly, it’s impressive. Apple’s packing so much performance into such a small package. It seems unrealistic, impossible, even. The Apple Watch feels as almost fast as my iPhone or my Mac. I know it’s technically not that fast, but it feels that fast.
The performance has improved enough to surprise me, but I don’t think it alone is a reason to upgrade from the Series 4 or Series 5. Still, it’s another fantastic feature that I couldn’t give up.
Performance
I’ve split this out of speed for one reason, and that’s something that happened during everyday use. The laundry machines I use seem to always go for much longer than the estimate I receive at the beginning of the cycle. I decided to use the Count Up watch face Apple introduced with watchOS 7 and the Series 6 to see just how long it’s taking. So, I set a timer on this watch face. Then I forgot I was using it. I went to using and even customizing other watch faces. I suddenly remembered my timer, and swiped back to the Count Up watch face to find… it was still counting up.
The Apple Watch Series 6 was still running it in memory. I decided to test it. I opened every app associated with a complication, loaded up the weather, read through some news headlines, pulled up my memoji, and swiped back and it was all there, counting up.
Now, counting itself isn’t impressive. What is impressive is that I zipped around all of these items in my testing and my watch didn’t drop anything from memory. The Apple Watch Series 6 just loaded things up making the test quick and easy. The Apple Watch has come a long way on storage, memory retention, and, yes, speed.
Battery Life and Charging
This is something that was, frankly, a little surprising. Coming from the Series 4, which doesn’t have an always-on display, I expected the battery life to be worse. It’s actually a little better. In fact, on days I’m not active (which, honestly, has been most of them during the pandemic), the watch can last over 24 hours on a single full charge. I found using sleep tracking takes less than 20% of my battery life overnight when using the Sleep Cycle tracker/alarm app, and it still records my heart rate and movements throughout the night.
So what does a full day look like for me? I wake up with the watch on. I tell it to turn on my lights. Next, I make coffee. I use Siri on my watch to “Set a timer for 4 minutes” as it brews. Drinking my coffee, I browse the web and check my schedule for the day. The Apple Watch goes on the charger while I get shower and ready. Then I’m back in my “office.” Often, my watch is fully charged by this point. I use it throughout the day, of course, and then use it for sleep tracking at night. It seems my watch is usually on my wrist for about 22 hours a day. That’s beating Apple’s predicted 18 hour battery life, and I can get a full charge at times when I don’t even want to be wearing my watch.
The Series 4 would have required some charging throughout the day to do this, as getting a full charge wouldn’t be as fast. The Series 6 made my Apple Watch much like it’s screen, it’s always-on (my wrist).
Blood Oxygen Sensor
I’ve been in a hospital before. If you have, you might remember a little clamp-like device they placed on one of your fingers. This told your healthcare professionals your heart rate and oxygen (O2) levels. This was important for monitoring your breathing, medications, and, well, state of not being dead.
The sensor in the Apple Watch works a little like this. Instead of shining light through you, it reflects light off of you and reads it on the same side. It’s less accurate than the tool medical professionals use, but Apple doesn’t want to use it like this. Instead, they want athletes to be able to check their health. Your O2 levels during exercise can tell you when you really do need a break, and help you measure your heart and lung health over time.
With COVID-19, it could even help you check that you’re getting enough oxygen to your bloodstream, even if you can’t get to a hospital. Though, Apple’s careful to mention that their sensor is not approved for medical usage.
In practice, it’s a bit tricky to use. That’s an understatement, it’s incredibly difficult to use. The example I photographed above? It took 6 attempts.
You’ll need your watch band to be tight, and to hold your arm still and level for 15 seconds. You can’t even move your fingers. Apple recommends you rest your arm on a desk. If I’m being careful, I can usually get a reading. But often, when you’re outside or exercising, getting a good reading can be impossible. Unless I sat down, adjusted it just perfectly, and held perfectly still, I couldn’t get a measurement. I’d say it works half the time, at best.
No Monitoring
The sensor also doesn’t have monitoring. Unlike the heart rate sensor, which can tell you when your heart rate is getting too high or too low, the O2 sensor won’t warn you if your blood oxygen levels are dangerously low. Your Apple Watch will take readings throughout the day, but it’s not going to warn you about carbon monoxide poisoning or let you know you have sleep apnea. However, it can still be useful if you’re interested in having constant access to your vitals. For most people, it’s just a fancy sensor. Apple could introduce new functionality in the future through a software update. Perhaps in the future they’ll be able to alert people to potential panic attacks and health issues.
If you’re thinking of upgrading for the blood O2 sensor, don’t.
Odds and Ends
Apple didn’t mention a few features or changes during their presentation. However, after a few weeks of regular use, I found some key differences. First of all, Apple ditched Force Touch.
From Apple’s technical specifications
I was suspicious when I noticed it seemed to take a little longer to enter the edit screen for watch faces. I also couldn’t clear all of my notifications any more. Instead, I had to scroll to the top and clear them with the little button up there. It’s a huge pain. I wish that, at the very least, Apple would allow users to long press notifications to clear all of them.
I don’t miss Force Touch too much. The Haptic Touch Apple added was just clever enough to fool me for a few hours into thinking the Apple Watch still had Force Touch. While I lamented 3D Touch’s end on the iPhone, I don’t think I’ll miss it as much on the Apple Watch. You may not even notice.
Thinnest Apple Watch Yet
Something else you won’t notice? The Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE have a depth of 10.4mm. That’s 0.34mm thinner than the Apple Watch Series 5 and a full 1mm thinner than the Series 3. I didn’t really notice this, it’s just something I found on Apple’s spec sheet. Still, every millimeter shaved off of the watch counts. The Apple Watch is around the thickness as many other automatic watches at this point. It’s still on the thicker side for watches though.
I also noticed the charger was significantly thinner than my Apple Watch chargers from the Series 1 and 4. I’m not sure when Apple changed this, but it may help make some room in your bag during trips.
Remember trips? Those were nice.
Water Resistance
Remember when all of Apple’s new products were splashing out of water?
The Series 6, like the SE and Series 5, is water resistant to 50 meters. I tested this not by jumping in a pool with a 50m deep end, but by washing dishes and, of course, my hands. A lot. A few times, I got it completely submerged under a faucet, and even rinsed soap off of it like this. It’s not something Apple would recommend, as high pressure water, like that coming out of my sink on full blast (whoops), but, I can confirm my watch is still functioning.
It is interesting to note that every single Apple Watch model Apple currently sells has the same 50m water resistance. Perhaps that’s why Apple hasn’t mentioned it as much anymore.
Buying Guide
Vs The Apple Watch SE and Series 3?
The Series 3 is an Apple Watch you can buy right now for $199. However, I think you should forget it. The smaller screen size and slower processor just aren’t worth it when the SE exists. The SE is essentially a Series 4 screen with a Series 5’s brains in a Series 6’s body. That means great battery life and a powerful Apple Watch at a lower cost, but no always-on display.
If an always-on display, blood oxygen monitor, and longer-lasting performance aren’t very important to you, then the Apple Watch SE will be the right choice. Coming in at $279, it’s a good deal. Save $120 over the Series 6 if you’re not interested in having the bleeding edge. For me, the fastest Apple Watch was my only choice, and I really wanted to try the always-on display. The Series 6 fast charging was also a large differentiator.
Also, the Series 6 came in red. It’s really that simple.
Upgrading From…
Series 5? You won’t notice a large upgrade. Until Apple makes better use of the O2 sensor, it’s just a little brighter when the screen is in it’s “always on” low power mode. The Apple Watch Series 6 will also be slightly faster, but you may not even notice it. In fact, Marques Brownlee of MKBHD actually went back to his Series 5. He said he didn’t want to always have a red watch, which, honestly, is crazy. The red and black combo he was using made me consider getting Apple’s Braided Solo Loop.
What about the Series 4? This is what I’m upgrading from. I came for the new color, but now I love the always-on display and fast charging. I couldn’t go back. It’s definitely an upgrade, but some users may not feel like it’s worth the money yet.
From anything at the Series 3 level or older, the upgrade is definitely something you’re going to notice. The screen alone would be worth the upgrade, let alone the performance improvements.
Vs. Others?
Fitbit bought Pebble and killed off the Pebble lineup. That was the push I needed to go to the Apple Watch. The Series 6 with its oxygen sensor adds some features that have been on the Fitbit for some time. So maybe you should go for the Fitbit? Or some other competitor?
For example, Fossil makes some stunning and tempting smartwatch hybrids. Get the style of a beautiful analog watch without giving up smart notifications and information. They won’t have the same deep level voice support, notifications, or third party app integrations as the Apple Watch. However, if you just want a watch that can track your steps and heart rate, as well as show you the weather and let you read notifications, it could be the right option for you.
This is a highly a personal choice. Do you prefer a smartwatch that looks like a normal watch? Or do you prefer fitness bands over watches? What do you like to see on your wrist? If you are on the fence, the Apple Watch has closer integration with iOS and Apple’s AirPods than any other smartwatch. It’s, frankly, a little unfair when you think about it. The Apple Watch has much greater access to Apple’s ecosystem and functionality.
For something that you wear on your wrist, style may be your most important decision making factor. And if you have to switch between iOS and Android, the Apple Watch is completely out of the question, as it’s iOS-only.
For iOS users, the Apple Watch offers the best technical option, though it might not be as elegant as its competition.
Vs. The Pebble
I looked ridiculous.
I haven’t compared an Apple Watch to the Pebble since the first one. That’s because Pebble went out of business. You now have to get watch faces and app from third parties through sites like the Rebble hacker project. Most Pebble owners have likely moved on. But if you haven’t, now’s the time. The Series 6 has an always readable always-on display, even in the dark. Its fast charging means that it feels like it’s lasting forever, and it’s incredibly fast and feature-rich. Now’s the perfect time to upgrade from a Pebble.
Overall
I upgraded from the Series 4 because I was bored with the Apple Watch. That bright red color was my primary reason for grabbing it, and the always-on display has been a great additional benefit. If I bought it for the red color, I’m keeping it for that display.
Fast charging has been great. I use my Apple Watch for sleep tracking and now as I can charge it in the morning. But it’s only a little faster than my Series 4, and makes that only a little easier. I have really enjoyed waking up to a gentle nudge on my wrist. It gets me out of bed much faster than an alarm ever did. I’ve actually been able to wake up a bit later since I’ve been using my Apple Watch, and I really like that.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is Apple’s best watch yet. But it’s only a tiny bit better than the Series 5, which was only slightly better than the Series 4. Perhaps the Apple Watch upgrade cycle is every 3-5 years, not every 2-3. That’s fine. Traditionally, timepieces were supposed to last people many years. Maybe Apple just doesn’t want each new Apple Watch to be all that different or exciting so people find it an easier thing to buy once and keep for many years, rather than upgrade continuously like their phones.
I love my Apple Watch Series 6. It’s just not as dramatic of an improvement over the Series 4 as the Series 4 was over the Series 1.
Good thing it’s red.
Final Score: 8.5/10
Apple’s best Watch yet, even if it is only a small improvement over the Series 5.
Pros:
- Always-on display is brilliant and useful
- Fast charging and fantastic battery life mean a full day of use, including sleep tracking
- Beautiful new colors
- Fastest Apple Watch yet
Cons:
- A small improvement over the Series 5
- Still no user-created watch faces, still lacks enough customization with existing watch faces
- Physical design is getting a bit stale
- Blood O2 sensor is finicky, at best