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It’s Not Just the Design: Apple Watch Series 7 Uses Old Processor Too

Danielle from Leaf and Core
Reading Time: 3 minutes.

The Apple Watch Series 7, 6, and 3.The Apple Watch Series 7 looks like the Series 6. Unless you get a color that definitely wasn’t available for the Series 6, like green, it’ll be difficult to tell at a glance that it’s the new device. As it turns out, Apple only made small changes internally as well. Despite the larger screen driving more pixels and requiring more memory and processing power, the Apple Watch Series 7 uses the same processor as the Apple Watch Series 6. There’s a chance it could actually be more sluggish than the Series 6 in a few years due to the higher graphics demands but equal processing power alongside more demanding watchOS releases. However, the difference will likely be so minimal no one would notice it.

Why when each Apple Watch improves, at least internally, year-to-year, would Apple decide to release something that didn’t offer a bump in performance? Perhaps they thought that extra 1mm and refractive glass would be enough to impress. Maybe the additional color option would do it for customers. Or maybe they just weren’t ready to release the Apple Watch they wanted to release this year.

Were we supposed to get a different Apple Watch?

S6 in a Series 7

https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1437975564841803779?s=20

Apple didn’t release the tech specs of the Apple Watch Series 7 yet. They don’t have a release date planned yet either, so it’s not surprising. You can’t even compare the features between the current and previous version on Apple’s website. However, a developer, Steve Troughton-Smith, found a reference to the processor in the Apple Watch Series 7. It’s the exact same model number as the one in the Series 6, meaning nothing changed between models. Apple hasn’t even given the Series 7 a new model designation. It’s basically just another version of the Series 6.

Every year, Apple upgrades the processor in the Apple Watch. The system on a chip (SOC) inside the device, like the iPhone’s processor, often becomes faster and more energy efficient. This year, however, Apple didn’t improve the performance of the Apple Watch, and likely hurt the battery life. Apple doesn’t discuss battery life on the page for the Series 7. Not once. They mention that there’s new fast charging so you can quickly top off the battery or charge it enough to do sleep tracking in just a few minutes, but nothing about battery life. Perhaps that’s because a larger screen requires more active memory, while driving pixels on a screen requires more energy as well. Since Apple didn’t improve the processor, and, seemingly, didn’t increase the size of the battery, we can actually expect worse battery life from Apple’s newest Apple Watch.

Apple doesn’t compare battery life between models like they do for the iPhone. Instead, they claim it features “all day” battery life. Usually, at least new, it does. Over time the battery life gets measurably worse, but this isn’t an immediate process. Still, the Series 7 may have worse battery life than its predecessor out of the box. Apple hasn’t said. This is the first time a flagship Apple Watch had the same processor as its predecessor.

It Wasn’t Supposed to be Like This

Remember the rumors leading up to the release of the Apple Watch Series 7? It was supposed to be the first new design Apple has introduced for the Apple Watch since they introduced the Apple Watch. However, instead, we got a watch that, besides a 1mm larger screen and some refractive glass to make the display look curved at the edge, it’s the same device as the Series 6. Apparently, Apple wanted a bigger upgrade. Some have suggested that the real Apple Watch Series 7 wasn’t going to be ready on time, so Apple released a slightly tweaked Apple Watch Series 6. The minimal hardware changes seem to suggest that’s a possibility. Apple likely faced shortages and other production issues. Some supply chain leakers did claim this was the case.

https://twitter.com/SnazzyQ/status/1437902520731402242?s=20

Apple clearly changed the line height and padding to make the Series 6 seem like it can’t fit the entire text… it can.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is more like a Apple Watch Series 6s. It’s practically the same device but with 1mm more on the screen and some squashed extra large complications. Apple was even deceptive with their marketing specifically to make this seem like a larger upgrade.

Apple likely could have saved us all the trouble and just waited to show off a redesigned Series 7 next year. Instead, it seems like we got a mildly upgraded Series 6. If you have a Series 4 or above, you’ll definitely want to sit this year out.

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