Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 44mm) - Space Gray Aluminum with Black Sport Band (Renewed)

Product Information

Throughout the majority of the review I have been switching between the Sport Loop and the Sport Strap, with the Leather Loop thrown in for the classier occasion. The ease of the Sport Loop, with its velcro band, is my favourite of the bunch – it’s just the easiest and the comfiest. It’s made from a slightly elastic fabric and uses a hook and loop fixing, similar to the premium Milanese Loop, to secure around your wrist. Since it uses this strap, it’ll fit pretty much any sized wrist and allow you to alter the fit depending on what you’re doing. Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch SE require iPhone Xs or later with iOS 17 or later. Features are subject to change. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages. View complete list. This is also the first Apple Watch to play about with the sizing, replacing the 38mm and 42mm sizes with 40mm and 44mm. I was initially sceptical about the 44mm size (this is one I have been using during the review period) as there were times when I felt the 42mm size was a little on the large side for my wrists, but really the difference is negligible and just leads to bigger displays.

Siri’s skills are also built into its own watch face. The Siri face debuted on WatchOS 4 and has received a boost this time around with some ‘machine learning’ skills. Supposedly it’s meant to throw things like music playlists and directions into the stream of cards, but i’ve found it’s still rather useless. Unless you like your watch being taken over by a random picture you took last year, that is. We did try to fall, but it was getting a little embarrassing and perhaps we need to commit harder to the testing - we'll update the review if we get braver in the coming months. Apple Watch Series 1 has a water resistance rating of IPX7 under IEC standard 60529. Apple Watch Series 1 is splash and water resistant, but submerging it is not recommended. This feature isn’t being aimed at me though; that’s made clear by the fact it’s turned off by default for anyone under 65. As someone who knows the problems accidental falls can cause, this feature alone would instantly make me want to recommend this to older relatives. That’s not something I would have said about a mass-market smartwatch before. Requires an iPhone and Apple Watch with second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. Ultra Wideband availability varies by region.LTE calling depletes the battery faster than hammering the GPS. This reaffirms the point that this is purely meant as an addition to your phone, rather than a futuristic wrist-based replacement for it. Apple Watch SE has a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. Apple Watch SE should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000. Apple Watch Series 4 is not only the most impressive Apple Watch yet, but is comfortably the most fully featured smartwatch I have ever tested. It’s Apple’s best, most thought-out release in years. As far as smartwatch app ecosystems go, Apple's remains the most extensive by far. While it's still missing some key players like Spotify, you can find apps like American Airlines, Citymapper, Delta, Lyft, Neato Robotics, Philips Hue, Strave, and Uber, among many, many others. Comparatively, the apps available for Google wearOS, Fitbit OS, and Samsung Tizen watches are fewer in number and vary in quality. WearOS has the largest offering of the three, but actually getting them onto your watch isn't nearly as simple as it should be. It's easier on Samsung's Tizen watches, which include some apps Apple misses like Spotify and Speedo. Fitbit's offerings are the least developed of the bunch, but includes some big names like Deezer and Pandora.

The difference became much more apparent after using the Series 4 for a few days. You can see more information at a glance, which makes reading easier, especially when it comes to text messages and app notifications. And you can now fit eight complications—applets that do something other than tell time—on a watch face, up from five. The additional screen real estate also helps animations stand out. The effects in the Fire and Water watch face, for instance, are truly mesmerizing. The Watch 4 also comes with an alert system if your heart rate goes too low or high: should your heart rate spike or fall hard for no reason for a long enough period (around 10 minutes) you'll get an alert telling you all is not well, and maybe you should see a physician. Meets California Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Standards for Small Battery Charger Systems as outlined in the California Code of Regulations.Requires Apple Watch Series 7, SE, Ultra, or later. For a list of supported countries and regions, see apple.com/watchos/feature-availability. Charge times are from 0–80% and 0–100% using the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB-C Cable. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2022 using preproduction Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS) and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular), each paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with prerelease software, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB-C Cable (Model A2515), and Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter (Model A2305). Charge time varies with region, settings, and environmental factors; actual results will vary. Emergency SOS requires a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling with an internet connection from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone. A subtler design change is that the sensor array that sits on the bottom of the watch has been shrunken down, resulting in a less bulbous look. This means the Apple Watch 4 sits closer to the wrist than before. It’s a small design tweak – one you’ll only notice if you’re upgrading from a previous model – yet it’s something I have constantly been impressed with. Charge times are from 0–80% and 0–100% using the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2023 using pre‑production Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) paired with iPhone; all devices tested with pre‑release software, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable (Model A2515) and Apple 20W USB‑C Power Adapter (Model A2305). Charge time varies with region, settings and environmental factors; actual results will vary.

Apple’s vision of this watch is clearly something you wear during the day and plonk on the magnetic charger at night. That’s fine by me, even though I would appreciate it eventually becoming a multi-day wearable. The basis of this Activity app is three rings, each of which you’re encouraged to fill up during the day. One is Movement, another Exercise and the final, Stand. When you first set-up the Apple Watch you’ll be prompted to enter some basic details – gender, height, weight etc – and then it’ll give you suggested targets for each, You can, of course, alter these manually afterwards. As an example, I selected 800 calories burned in movement, 30 minutes exercise and to stand at least once every hour throughout the day. There’s still no way to include flights of stairs climbed as part of your daily goal, something Richard Easton requested in his Apple Watch 3 review. Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 4 have a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that they may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, they should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. It’s a tremendous idea and one that could save someone’s life. It’s not, however, something that can be triggered by pretending to fall or even being pushed over. Trust me, I’ve tried.

The Apple Watch 4 is still one of the top smartwatches

A subscription is required for Oceanic+. Available on the App Store. Always follow diving protocols, and dive with a companion and have a secondary device. Flanking the improved screen are the usual selection of buttons: the Digital Crown for navigation and a secondary, side button. The Digital Crown now has haptic responses when you twist it, slightly bumping your finger with a subtle vibration. As with so many design tweaks here, it seems small at first but the result is terrific. The resistance offered when you’re scrolling through menus, or jumping between options in the Workout app, adds that tangible feeling so often missing from techy watches.