Just like the fashion calendar, every tech season Apple unleashes a new and innovative campaign on the world; the iPhone 13 arrives with the company’s most advanced duel-camera system. The Apple iMac is now 11.5 millimetres thick. Apple Fitness+ adds pilates and meditation to its menu. Apple Music changes our listening experience with Spatial Audio. The iPad Mini gets a facelift. The list goes on.
While most updates (all of which are super impressive) have been considered the plainer siblings to the iPhone – the true star of any given Apple season – the arrival of the new Apple Watch Series 7 changes this narrative. The shinier offspring to the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7 boasts a refined design with a bigger screen, enhanced durability, faster charging and watchOS8 technology.
Yes, if Series 7 was on a runway in New York, make no mistake, it would close the Apple show. Below are a few key things to know about the new Apple Watch Series 7, as it relates to today and our re-emergence into society.
You can order your Apple Watch Series 7 Here
THE SCREEN IS BIGGER
The saying goes ‘you don’t know what you’d got til it’s gone,’ but is it possible to not know what you’re missing til you have it? Indeed. The Apple Watch Series 7 has significantly more screen area and thinner borders, making it the largest and most advanced display ever – all while minimally changing the dimensions of the watch itself.
The Series 7 display is nearly 20 percent larger than that of the Apple Watch Series 6, and over 50 percent larger than that of the Apple Watch Series 3. My last watch was a Series 6 and I didn’t think I needed a bigger screen, but having them both side by side and seeing that the Series 7 has really thin 1.7mm borders (which are 40 percent smaller than those on the Series 6), I can 100% notice a difference, especially when it comes to texting! (More on that below).
THE DESIGN IS MORE STYLISH AND REFINED
Again, this isn’t something I thought I would upgrade my watch for, but the softer and more rounded corners allow the display to really hug the refractive edge. Clock faces can literally wrap around the corners of the watch.
TEXTING IS MUCH EASIER
As the watch face on the Series 7 is bigger, a new QWERTY keyboard has been added. A keyboard on any watch is still tiny, but don’t worry, you don’t need to focus on pinning each key. Simply tap or swipe the keyboard and predicative text will anticipate the next word based on context for you. The Series 7 also offers two additional larger font sizes. For me, I use the larger font on the Stopwatch feature.
THE BATTERY LIFE IS LONGER
This is important. As Australians gear up for a return to socialising, venues now require us to check in with a QR code, show our ID and digital proof of our COVID-19 vaccination. This means your phone needs to be always charged (or you need to email your vaccination certificate to a friend who has more juice). I have found it extremely helpful that the Apple Watch Series 7 has an all-day 18-hour battery life on a single charge. If you’re phone battery suddenly dies, your watch will be your savior (and entry into the bar!)
THE WATCH CHARGES FASTER THAN EVER
The Apple Watch Series 7 charges 33 percent faster when compared to the Apple Watch Series 6. Your new watch will arrive with a Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable and to my last point, you can pop it on the charger before leaving the house as that certificate back-up.
AN ECG MACHINE IS ATTACHED TO YOUR WRIST
While it was a star feature in the Series 6, Series 7 also boasts the in-built ECG (electrocardiogram, also called an ECG or EKG) which measures the electrical pulses that make your heart beat. The app checks these pulses to measure your heart rate and see if upper and lower chambers of your heart are in rhythm.
Note: These results are not a doctor’s diagnosis, and the watch cannot detect a heart attack, blood clots, a stroke or heart-related conditions.
You can order your Apple Watch Series 7 Here
THE MINDFULNESS APP IS LIFE-CHANGING
“Life-changing” is not a word I use lightly. One thing I loved about the Series 6 was its daily reminders to “breathe” for one minute. As someone who lives a fast-paced working and social life, taking a minute to simply “be” became vital for me to be able to better manage the people and the obstacles and the commitments flying at me. Pausing is now in-built into this medication-sceptic’s day.
During the national lockdowns, a magnifying glass was put on the importance of keeping your mental health in check, and while a watch cannot fix all of those anxious little thoughts, the new Mindfulness App in the Series 7 watch is a great new addition. There’s three parts to it: Reflect (a minute-long session which asks you to recount a life moment in your mind), and Breathe (a minute-long session which guides you through some deep-breathing.) It also links up to Apple Fitness+’ Audio Mediations. Read: A meditation teacher takes you through a 10-minute mediation video. I trialled this one after a jog in the park and highly recommend. Pilates is also included into Apple Fitness+’ new offerings and can be accessed on watches Series 3 and later.
IT’S A LITTLE BIT THICKER THAN THE APPLE WATCH SERIES 6
But this means it’s a lot more durable. As we dust off our Bottega’s and try to remember what they’re for (hint: dancing!), life is about to get a lot more busy. I don’t want to smash the front of my watch and I am very happy to report the Series 7 is the most durable Apple Watch ever, with a stronger, more crack-resistant front crystal. Also good to note: it maintains its WR50 water resistance rating.
HERMÈS HAVE CREATED TWO NEW WATCH BANDS
While the Apple Watch Series 7 collections has unveiled five brand new aluminium case colors (midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED), gold and silver stainless steel are still options. (You can view all the colors here. I’m a stainless steel gold girl, and I have the 41-mm gold Milanese Loop band. You can see it here.)
I would like to note Hermès have released new bands! One is called Circuit H (which has a leather, anchor chain-like design) and the other is the Gourmette Double Tour which pays homage to the 1930s Hermès collars and boasts that beautifully soft Fauve Barénia leather.
You can order your Apple Watch Series 7 Here
