Apple Watch Series 4 review

Apple Watch Series 4 features a screen that’s been enlarged by a third, a new powerful processor, a new and more accurate optical heart rate sensor, new colors, a new wheel… In short, there is really a lot of new stuff, forgive us for the tautology. We suggest moving on to the review of the Apple Watch Series 4 as soon as possible and understand whether it is worth buying to replace older versions.

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Release date and start of sales

Officially, the new watch from Apple was presented on September 12. In a number of countries, they began to sell them already on September 21, but in EU the official start of sales was scheduled for September 28. Despite the fact that a month has already passed, the novelty has not been delivered to all stores. In some places, watches are more expensive than the manufacturer recommends, and in some places, those who are eager to buy a novelty as soon as possible are waiting for fakes (yes, don’t be surprised, such information is already there). The official price for a smaller version (40 mm) is 310$, for a large one (44 m) — 330$.

When it comes to such expensive purchases, it is better to contact trusted sellers. This is a guarantee of obtaining original quality products. The Apple Watch Series 4 is already on sale at re:Store, which is official partner and reseller of Apple in EU and Europe. In total, there are 85 stores in EU with demonstration samples of all Apple products. If there is no outlet in your city, you can order online. Professional staff will help you make a choice, tell you about promotions, the bonus program of the store and the possibility of installments. All goods in the store are official, all receive legal European firmware. And the most interesting. Prices for all products are as recommended by the manufacturer, because this is not an intermediary, but an official dealer.

What’s new in design?

The most interesting thing about the novelty is the design. The manufacturer managed to make the watch recognizable, but, at the same time, completely new. Once upon a time there were rumors that the body would become round, but these were just rumors. The body has a square shape with rounded corners — it will look great, and it is very convenient to use.

If you are familiar with the company’s smartwatches, you will immediately notice the grown screen, but more on that later. As expected, the watch came out in two versions: 40 mm (instead of 38 mm in the previous version) and 44 mm (instead of 42 mm in the third series of watches). In addition, the watch has become a little thinner, but this is not particularly striking. If you are interested in exact numbers, then the mini version has dimensions of 40 * 34 * 10.7 mm and a weight of 30.1 g, and the larger version is 44 * 38 * 10.7 mm and weighs 36.7 g.

The watch is available in aluminum and stainless steel cases. Of course, the second option will be stronger and more durable, but the price is also higher. Unfortunately or fortunately for our wallets, only the aluminum version will be officially sold in EU. But all existing colors are presented: silver, space gray and gold (to match the new iPhone XS). The manufacturer has almost completely redesigned the wheel, the back panel with sensors now looks different, the microphone and speakers have moved. All this is for the sake of improving the quality of products.

There is good news for older Apple Watch owners. With the new watch, you can use the old straps.

Apple Watch Series 4 display

The display on the mini version is 35% larger (1.57 inches) and the maxi version is 32% larger (1.78 inches), the most important update in the lineup! Now the screen will fit much more information, but the gadget has not become more cumbersome. The screen in the mini version of the new watch is now even larger than in the maxi version of last year. It is made using OLED technology.

The bezels around the display are very thin, barely noticeable. The display itself received a bend and now exactly repeats the shape of the case. The feeling of working with the new screen is on top.

Since the screen has become larger, does it mean that the clock will be discharged faster? Probably, this question slips in the mind of many. But the company claims to have used a new, larger battery and equipped the display with LTPO technology, which allows it to consume power much more slowly.

New processor

The changes also affected the insides, and now we are not talking about sensors at all. The high performance of the novelty is provided by the 2-core S4 processor. The developer claims that it is twice as fast as the S3 processor that was installed in the Apple Watch Series 3. Users should immediately notice the increase in performance. Now all applications will open instantly (in the watches of the third series there were often slowdowns of up to several seconds), and navigation through the menu will be as comfortable and fast as possible.

Besides, heart rate sensor, gyroscope and accelerometer are newer and better now. The stock of internal memory has increased to 16 GB, and the speakers have become louder.

Digital Crown

The wheel has hardly changed since the release of the first smartwatch from Apple. During this time, users managed to discover some of its shortcomings. Gradually, dust and dirt accumulated in the mechanism, which led to jamming in operation and the need to clean the mechanism.

Now the wheel has a minimum of mechanical parts, so the likelihood of breakage is minimized. The wheel has become a little smaller and has received support from the Taptic Engine. This means that when you turn the wheel, you will feel a slight tactile feedback.

Heartbeat and ECG sensor

The heart rate sensor is installed even in the cheapest fitness bracelets. There is nothing surprising here. Apple decided to equip the watch with the most advanced and accurate sensor, which received several new features. First, it constantly monitors your heart rate and alerts you if your heart rate is too low or too high for 10 minutes. This helps in early detection of heart problems. Secondly, all-day heart rate data can be viewed in statistics format and downloaded in PDF format to a computer.

The new watch can do an ECG. The function works by means of electrodes at the bottom of the watch and a wheel that completes the circuit. To perform an ECG, just launch a special application and put your finger on the wheel for 30 seconds. American doctors talk about the high accuracy of the data received and are already starting to certify the Apple Watch Series 4 as a medical device. On the territory of Europe, this function does not yet work and is unlikely to work at all — the blocking takes place at the regional level, so even watches bought in the USA in domestic open spaces will not be able to do an ECG.

Infograph watch face

This watch face is only available on the Apple Watch Series 4. It was made possible only by an increase in screen size. On the main screen, along with displaying the current time, information about temperature, timer, time in other time zones, etc. can be displayed in the corners of the display. – up to 8 widgets in total. It turns out, you just have to glance at the watch display, and all the important information is available to you. It will seem very convenient to someone, but criticism of this decision is already appearing — some users call this dial too overloaded. But it’s still probably a matter of taste.

Breath watch face and watchOS 5 features

Another new watch face, the function of which should be extremely clear. In fact, it duplicates the tasks of the application of the same name, but now it is much easier to get recommendations. It is enough to raise your hand and get advice on proper breathing.

Now a few words about the updated operating system. New chips appeared in many old watches that received an update, but I want to believe that it is in the new product that their features will be revealed to the maximum.

So watchOS 5 brings us these new features:

• the dials «Steam», «Liquid metal», «Water and fire» — this is all purely for aesthetics. Now it will be especially pleasant to find out the time;
• “Racia” is something like voice messages in Telegram;
• Automatic workout recognition. If you started exercising, but forgot to notify the watch about it, they will be able to determine your activity and start reading the necessary indicators;
• For running workouts, the function of adding the pace of running has appeared;
• New workouts have appeared, incl. swimming in the pond, yoga and hiking;
• Weekly competition with friends. Challenge your friends and at the end of the week see which one of you was more athletic.

Some other features have also been added, but the ones listed above seem to us the most interesting.

Fall detection function

The watch received an updated gyroscope and accelerometer. Their function is not only and not so much in tracking activity, but in the ability to recognize the fall of the watch user. As soon as you fall, a special mode is activated, and the display will show a suggestion to call an ambulance. You can reject it, but if you do not press the cancel button within a minute, then the watch itself will call the emergency service, and at the same time send a message about the fall and location to your familywhose contacts should be indicated in advance. What can I say, a real concern for the user! Note that the function can be disabled if necessary.

What else?

The Apple Watch Series 4 has a louder speaker, so you can now hear notifications from under any clothes and in a noisy place. The changes also affected the microphone. He moved to the other side, so you can say «Goodbye!» echo effect and enjoy improved call quality.

It is important to note that the watch received water protection and now can withstand immersion to a depth of 50 m, so that drops of water from the tap and rain are definitely not afraid of them.

Another innovation is a more capacious battery. In fact, the battery life has not increased, but this fact can be considered a victory, because the screen has become larger, and the functionality has expanded. Without recharging, the watch will last up to 18 hours.

Outcome

The new Apple Watch Series 4 is very, very cool. They are productive, beautiful and functional. There is only one minus — they are expensive, but this is Apple, high-quality and fashionable equipment.