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Having worn Apple Watch Series 5 every day for the last month, I’m ready to give it a thorough evaluation. Every tech review is dependent on the perspective and priorities of the reviewer, so I’ll start by giving you mine.
I’ve been an Apple Watch wearer since the original released in 2015. I wear my watch every day from the moment I get out of the shower around 7:30am, till I hit the hay around 11PM. While I do make use of the fitness tracking features, I’m about as far from a “fitness guy” as can be imagined, and so my interests in wearable tech lie more in its ability to provide critical information at a glance.
Here’s my personal priorities for the Apple Watch, ranked from most to least relevant to me.
- Functioning as a quality time piece
- Providing useful interactive data such as to-do lists, weather reports, and notifications for messages, calendar events and phone calls
- Consistent access to Siri for quick queries, setting timers etc.
- Health and safety monitoring (I.E. EKG measurements, fall detection and 911/SOS functionality)
- Battery Life
- Fitness tracking
- Wrist access to Apple Pay
I provide some of my rational for buying any smartwatch here, but if you’re looking to know why you’d buy a smart watch in the first place, check out my overview of Apple Watch.
On to the review!
As a Sci-Fi writer, I’m always more interested in the alternative viewpoint: how close is this product to its ideal iteration, regardless of what technology allows for right now?
Important technology tends to be judged from two vantage points. First (and most often), we ask how good is this product compared to the one that came before? But as a Sci-Fi writer, I’m always more interested in the alternative viewpoint: how close is this product to its ideal iteration, regardless of what technology allows for right now? Put more simply, if you could snap your fingers and invent the perfect smartwatch, how close are we to that?
Apple Watch Series 5 is a weird product, in that compared to last year’s Series 4, it’s nearly identical both in features and appearance. It’s one and only relevant upgrade for most people is its ability to keep the display lit and visible at all times.
However, that single change has fundamentally altered how I view and use the watch. Since its inception, Apple Watch has been a cool wrist computer that was masquerading as a watch. With Series 5, it’s become shockingly close to that “ideal iteration.” Not to say that it’s a perfect product, but with series 5, Apple has reached a milestone with the watch that makes it infinitely more satisfying to use and wear.
The Always-On Display: A Tiny Tectonic Shift
If you haven’t owned a smartwatch, or if you only wear it occasionally, you might not get why having the screen stay on is such a big deal.
For me, my top priority with a smart watch is as a watch. Wearing a smart watch means I don’t get sucked into my e-mails and browser tabs whenever I check the time. It means being able to stay on top of my day and schedule at any moment, even if I’m driving, carrying groceries, or out for a walk without my phone (perish the thought).
Past Apple Watches struggled mightily with this simple but crucial task. Sometimes I’d flick my wrist and the display wouldn’t turn on. Sometimes I’d be in a situation where I couldn’t rotate my wrist (it happens more often than you’d think). In both cases, the watch failed me. The difference between being able to easily check where I am in my day some of the time vs all the time is a huge deal that I still regularly appreciate after the new shiny gadget factor has worn off.
The implementation of this feature is complex but ultimately solid. As it’s still not technologically possible to run the full brightness display 24/7 without killing your battery, the watch display operates in two modes for any given watch face.
When you flick your wrist, the watch shows the same bright display with full animation. The rest of the time, it operates in a dimmed, reduced animation state, which hides the second hand, and only updates once a minute. Every face option has been revamped with one of these secondary low power modes.
Here are how some of the full fat and low-power modes compare:
Certain complications that involve live input (like compass, or sound decibel level) will go blank in low power mode. Timers will show you an approximation of time left (like 2min, >1 etc). Others show you exactly what you’d see in full power mode, like weather. Also note that certain watch faces that involve dramatic animation (like the fire face above) are a bit dull looking in low power mode, reverting simply to hour and minute hands.
Personalization, a Hidden Advantage
The redesign of the screen also has a hidden benefit that I’ve really appreciated. For a few years, Apple’s had beautiful contrasty watch face options with vivid white backgrounds set against darker watch hands. Aesthetically, these were always my favorite faces that best mimicked (IMHO) the design of a high end watch. The problem is, I found these faces too annoying to use, because their white glow was bright and distracting in dark rooms.
One of the many under the hood changes that allows the Series 5 to keep the display running full time is a revamped ambient light sensor that does a MUCH better job of keeping the screen at just the right brightness level. The side benefit of this is that those cool contrasty watch face designs are now something I can use daily, as they’re no longer distractingly bright. It’s a small change, but as someone who puts a lot of value on how the watch face looks and functions, it’s a welcome one.
Other Changes
This section is awkwardly short, because there’s not much else that’s new with the Apple Watch Series 5. If you’re looking to buy a GPS only version of the watch (more on that in buying recommendations) the only other new feature is the addition of a compass. I’ve only had one occasion to use this (while on a hike), and… it’s a working compass. For those that might regularly use the watch’s map navigation for walking directions, being able to see which direction you’re facing relative to the map is handy, but as a Los Angeleno, I don’t have much use for walking directions.
For cellular watch buyers, there’s another tiny feature addition. The watch has long had an ability to dial 9-1-1 with a press-and-hold of the side button, but only if you were within the United States. Now, if you travel with a cellular watch, the device will automagically call the local authorities in almost any country. Apple keeps a list of countries that do not support this feature here.
To be clear, this does NOT mean that you can use cellular DATA internationally with the watch. It’s literally just for emergency calling, as there isn’t a single watch version that supports the variety of carrier bands used across the globe.
A Note on Battery Life
Wearing the watch daily since launch, I’ve never run out of battery. I end most days with about 25-40% left, which is roughly 15% less battery than I got with series 4, but more than enough battery that I don’t need to think about battery life. For a typical user who charges the watch at night, you should’t have to worry about making it through the day. For reference, that’s my experience with the 44mm size. The smaller watch sizes typically get a bit less battery run time.
It’s worth noting that there’s currently a software bug causing some watch users to see dramatically worse battery life, but Apple is apparently working on an update that should resolve this issue for those experiencing it.
Buying Advice?
So, you’re no doubt reading this with the age old question: to buy or not to buy? As always, it comes down to your use case, your level of interest, and your budget.
Don’t want to think about all the options? I think 99% of people would be very happy with a 40mm Aluminum GPS only watch.
For Upgraders:
If you’re upgrading from a Series 3 or earlier, I’d say Series 5 is a no-brainer. The larger screen and faster processor introduced last year improve every use case for the watch, whether you’re mainly in it for fitness tracking, notification or time keeping. Are you a series 2, 1 or 0 owner unsure of whether to upgrade? Fuigaddeaboudit.
For series 4 owners, I’d say it really depends on how you use your current watch. If you’re someone who wears the watch every day, and you’re comfortable selling or regifting your current watch, Series 5 is a very satisfying upgrade that you’ll continue to appreciate for some time. If you only use the watch sparingly, or if you’re on a budget and you’re only interested in the more expensive finishes, I’d say hold off for whatever madness Apple concocts for the Series 6 next year.
For new watch owners, I’d heartily recommend Series 5 over any other version. It truly feels like the watch Apple meant to build from the beginning, and everything that’s come before is critically compromised by comparison. Unless you can find a series 4 at an insanely low price, (like under $200), save for the proper watch.
Which Model Should I Get?
If you’ve never bought an Apple Watch before, there’s a few other choices to make.
GPS-only, or GPS + cellular?
For most people, I’d suggest saving some cash and skipping cellular. First off, I think the extra $10 a month you’re charged on your cellular bill is simply too high, as you’re effectively paying to access data that you’re already being charged for.
you don’t want to be that guy or gal in the grocery store shouting at their wrist
Second, the cellular modem of your watch stays off anytime you’re on wi-fi or near your phone. As a result, it can take 30 seconds or more for the cellular to first turn on and connect, which is rather awkward if you’re trying to maintain a call, or if you’re hoping that the cellular connection will kick in when you hit an area of the house with poor wi-fi (the way it can optionally do on an iPhone).
In addition, unless you carry AirPods everywhere you go, any calls you’re making on the watch will have to be on speaker phone, and you don’t want to be that guy or gal in the grocery store shouting at their wrist. For runners with extra cash, it might be worth it, but for everyone else, I’d save yourself some money.
The pivotal exception here is that all cellular devices maintain an ability to call 9-1-1, even if they don’t have an active cell plan. This means you can buy a cellular watch, never activate it, and still call the authorities if you’re in an emergency situation. I always have my phone when I leave the house, so this isn’t a benefit to me, but I’ve heard a few tech bloggers who’ve chosen to buy the cellular version simply for this purpose, and hey… it could save your life.
It’s also worth nothing that the higher end finishes (i.e. stainless steel) are ONLY available with cellular included.
Pick your size: 40mm vs 44mm?
It doesn’t sound like much, but when the screen is really small, every millimeter counts. This is a very personal choice, and comes down to your wrist size and aesthetic preference. In my experience with my family and friends, women tend to prefer the smaller size, whereas men don’t mind having the bigger display. Something to consider is that battery life has always been noticeably better on the larger models, and anecdotal reports suggest that’s still very true this year. When in doubt, go to an Apple store and try both sizes on.
Case Material
The main practical differences is that aluminum is lighter than the other models, and it’s display scratches much more easily. For serial upgraders or those on a budget, I think the aluminum is by far the best deal, and it’s what I personally chose.
Beyond that, it comes down to whether you like the look and improved durability of the Stainless, Titanium or Ceramic models enough to justify the extra cost. As someone who switched away from Stainless, I have to admit that I still miss the more polished/professional look it provides, but my wallet is much happier.
A final note. While retailers often offer better prices than Apple, the only place where you can pick and choose any band with your watch is directly from the source. If you’ve got your heart set on a Gold Stainless model with a Pride band, you can order that or any other combo from the “choose your own” link on Apple’s website.
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