With smart devices getting smaller and smaller, it was only a matter of time before they started fitting onto our wrists. The advent of the Apple Watch sparked a new wave of smartwatches, with competitors like Samsung and Huawei struggling to keep up for the first few years.
However, with experience under their belt, Apple has had to seriously step their game up in order to compete with newer offerings from various other brands. The Series 7, Apple’s latest flagship refresh, brings in fast charging and a larger screen to the mix. However, is it a worthy upgrade?
We’re going to keep it simple and straightforward in this review. We’ll be listing down our ratings for each aspect of the watch, what it can and can’t do, alongside comparing it to its predecessor, the Series 6, and competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and the Garmin Venu 2.
The Series 7 comes in 3 finishes, Aluminum, Stainless Steel and Titanium. Now consisting of 41 and 45 mm variants, the watch integrates perfectly with Apple’s strong eco-system and allows you to track your health, play music, listen to calls and respond to messages right on your wrist.
You might be interested in the latest Apple Watch Series 8 Review
Apple Watch Series 7 Ratings
Activity / Fitness Tracking
The tracking on this watch is absolutely fantastic. You’ll be able to measure your steps quite accurately and the included sleep tracking and ECG monitor allows you to keep tabs on your health at all times. Plus, Apple’s Fitness+ Program gives you access to various exercise regimens that you can try out right from the watch.
Navigation
While Apple Maps definitely isn’t our favorite, you can switch to Google Maps if you want to. In any case, the GPS present in the watch is quite accurate and the cellular model allows you to keep your phone at home.
Battery Life
The Series 7 has a battery life of about 18 hours. While that lasts you through a day, you’ll need to pack a charger every time you travel. Plus, any heavier use like LTE or streaming music right to your AirPods will cause it to trickle down even further.
Contactless Payments
Apple Pay is an extremely secure payment method that supports most major credit cards. All you need to do is add your details in the Wallet app on your iPhone and you’ll be good to go!
Phone Calls / Texts
The Series 7 includes a full-size keyboard allowing you to text right from your watch. Moreover, you can also listen to and answer calls from your phone right on your wrist. One major caveat is that IM applications like WhatsApp or Messenger still aren’t properly supported.
Emergencies
With SOS functionality built-in and Emergency Fall Detection notifying your loved ones in case you have a tumble, the Series 7 is perfect for seniors or if you ever are caught in a pickle.
Media Control
WatchOS gracefully implement pause, play, seek, volume up, and volume down by taking advantage of the digital crown allows you to scrub through media and change volume whenever necessary.
Time
The Series 7 has access to tons of different watch faces that suit your mood and also offers ample customization options for each particular watch face by allowing you to add in or remove complications. Plus, the Always On Display ensures that you always know what time it is without needing to unlock your watch.
Instant Notifications
You will receive all the notifications that you get on your iPhone with the option of customizing which ones you end up receiving on your wrist. However, you won’t be able to reply to most in an adequate manner which leaves a lot to be desired.
Alarm Clock
Due to the watch’s low battery, you will need to keep it charging overnight if you want your alarm to ring up in the morning. If you do end up forgetting one day, there’s a high chance your watch might die out which can be quite annoying.
Home Automation
The Series 7 has access to most home automation applications and also uses Apple’s proprietary Home app to sync everything up together.
What’s Inside The Box?
Credits: Tom Schofield on YouTube
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Matching Color Band / Loop
- 1m Magnetic Charger to USB-C Cable (No Charging Adapter Included)
Pros & Cons:
- Physical Customization: The Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch in the world. Therefore, you’ll be able to find tons of different watch faces and bands online and in retail stores too.
- Integrated Ecosystem: The joy of receiving a call on your iPhone only to receive it on your Series 7 or have your AirPods instantly switch over when playing music is only possible due to Apple’s tight-knit integration with the Series 7 and all other iOS products.
- Durability: With a sapphire crystal display, water, and dust resistance, the watch will be able to survive a few falls and the occasional swim.
- Works With An iPhone: If you want to use an Apple Watch, you’ll need an iPhone. There’s no getting around it. Your Android phone will not connect with a Series 7.
- Poor Battery Life: With competitor smartwatches pushing boundaries, the Series 7 is still stuck at a 16-18 hour battery life which is quite tedious especially if you use it to track your sleep.
- Repetitive Design: Besides the larger screen, you won’t be able to see a lot of visual changes between a Series 4, 5, 6, or 7. There definitely is a lot of stagnation with each consecutive iteration.
Apple Watch Series 7 Features
The Series 7 is jam-packed with features that truly turn it into an excellent companion for your runs, exercise, grocery haul, or meetings. Here’s what the watch can do:
- Attend Calls: You are able to call and respond to cellular calls made to your phone / SIM number. If you have an LTE model of the Series 7, you’ll be able to do so irrespective of how far your phone is!
- Listen To Music: The Series 7 can store your music offline from applications like Spotify and stream them directly to your Bluetooth earphones. You can also use the watch’s own surprisingly loudspeaker as well.
- Quick Replies: The Series 7 now supports a full-size keyboard. So, you can either use quick replies for your messages or type one out the same way you would on your phone.
- Measure Blood Oxygen / ECG: With sophisticated sensors built-in, you can measure your blood oxygen level, take an ECG, and have constant tabs on your heart rate.
- Pedometer: Whether you go on a jog, walk, or a quick run on the treadmill, the watch will be able to flawlessly count your steps and map out your entire route while letting you know of your pace as well.
- Siri: Your favorite voice assistant makes way to the watch as well. You’ll be able to schedule meetings, set an alarm, send messages, and ask basic questions to Siri right from your wrist.
- Sleep Tracking: Wearing the watch while you go to bed allows you to get detailed insights on your sleeping patterns, health, and when you’ve gone into deep sleep.
- Fast Charging: Just 8 minutes of charging your watch provides you with 8 hours of sleep tracking. The entire watch, on the other hand, charges in about an hour to 100% lasting you an entire day.
- Always On Display: Want to glance at the time without waking your watch up? The Series 7 has an AMOLED Display that never sleeps.
- Apple Pay: Store your credit, debit and other cards in the Wallet App then use Apple Pay to buy anything with just a click of the watch’s side button.
- Store Digital Keys: You can now store your house’s digital keys in the Wallet App which you can also share with your family and friends temporarily or permanently.
- Watchfaces: A smartwatch isn’t all that great if it can’t tell the time beautifully. Thankfully, the Series 7 has an arsenal of specially curated watch faces that suit every occasion.
- App Store: Besides onboard apps, you gain access to Apple’s high-quality ecosystem that has games and other health / productivity applications baked right into your wrist. With these apps, here’s an example of what you can do:
- Call an Uber with just one tap
- Order your favorite pizza
- Play and pause songs on Spotify / Apple Music
Check out the things you can do with Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 7 vs Series 6
The Series 6 is only a year older than the Series 7. Therefore, you’ll be hard stuck on finding any noticeable changes. In our opinion, the Series 7 is a good grab if you are upgrading from an older model (like a Series 4) or if this is going to be your first Apple Watch.
As you are going to see down below, the upgrade from Series 6 to the Series 7 will be quite underwhelming, to say the least. Here’s a quick comparison of the specifications of both watches.
Key Differences
With that out of the way, here are the key advantages that the Series 7 has over the Apple Watch Series 6
- 20% larger display
- 50% louder speakers
- 20-50% faster performance (depending on your usage)
- 30-40% faster charging
- Stronger front glass
- Dust resistance
- Larger case sizes
Apple Watch Series 7 vs Garmin Venu 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Both Garmin and Samsung have needed to play a few years of catchup to get to where Apple’s at. However, both of them have taken drastically different routes. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 aims to take the Series 7 head-on. It includes a Sleep tracker, greater battery life, the ability to listen to calls and stream music. It has most of the Series 7’s functionalities. Albeit, it comes with fewer customization options and is lackluster when it comes to fitness tracking.
However, if you have an Android, it probably is the best smartwatch available for the platform right now. With Samsung’s switch from their own proprietary TizenOS to Google’s Android-based WearOS, expect better software support. However, with Samsung’s track record, we don’t expect the same amount of software and security updates that are common for Apple devices.
On the other hand, the Garmin Venu 2 comes with its own proprietary system but promises 6 days of battery life. While it is not as functional as the Galaxy Watch 4 or the Series 7, it nails the basics. It has a fairly competitive pedometer and measures your steps quite well. But, there’s no sleep-tracking or ECG monitor. Moreover, while viewing notifications is easy enough, you won’t be able to listen to calls or play music since the watch lacks both a microphone and a speaker.
If you want a stripped-down smartwatch with great battery life at a reasonable price with your Android phone, the Garmin Venu 2 makes a lot of sense. However, with its proprietary software, don’t expect your favorite watch applications to be porting over anytime soon. If you are still confused, we’ve put all the key differences between these watches in a table down below:
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 7 | Garmin Venu 2 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 |
| OS | WatchOS | Proprietary | WearOS |
| Battery Life | 18 hours | 6 days | 40 hours |
| Compatibility | iOS | / Android | iOS / Android |
| Phone Calls / Microphone | Yes | No | Yes |
| Fitness Features | Pedometer, Sleep Tracker, Blood Pressure Monitor, ECG, GPS | Pedometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor | Pedometer, Sleep Tracker, Stress Tracker, GPS |
Who Is The Apple Watch Series 7 For?
Unlike most smartwatches that target a specific niche, be it a Fitbit that goes for fitness freaks or a Garmin that’s meant for travelers, the Apple Watch has truly followed a one-size-fits-all philosophy and the Series 7 seems to be no different.
With two varying case sizes and hundreds of different band combinations, finding your aesthetic isn’t all that difficult. Plus, the watch is great for those who want to track their workouts, get an insight into their sleeping habits, get directions, or just be alerted whenever they receive new notifications.
All in all, the Series 7 or any Apple Watch for that matter is meant for everyone and over the years, they’ve catered to every niche be it health, sports, or travel extremely well.
FAQ
How Much Does The Apple Watch Series 7 Cost?
While Apple does have tons of discounts all-year-round, here are the base prices:
Aluminum Case:
- 41 mm: $399 (+100$ for Cellular)
- 45 mm: $429 (+100$ for Cellular)
Stainless Steel
- 41 mm: $749 (+100$ for Cellular)
- 45 mm: $799 (+100$ for Cellular)
Titanium
- 41 mm: $749 (+100$ for Cellular)
- 45 mm: $799 (+100$ for Cellular)
Can You Make Calls With The Apple Watch Series 7?
Yes, you can make calls and text even without your iPhone if you have a Cellular model
Does The Apple Watch Series 7 Have A Camera?
No, the Series 7 does not have a camera. You can, however, use FaceTime Audio Calls. But, video calls are not supported. You can also see your iPhones back camera from Apple Watch, which is a cool feature if you’re into selfies.
Does Apple Watch Series 7 Support WhatsApp?
There are a few third-party applications that allow you to access entire WhatsApp chats directly from your watch. However, the official use case only allows you to reply to notifications.
Can I Sleep With An Apple Watch Series 7?
Yes, you can! In fact, the Series 7 has sleep tracking built-in which provides you with valuable insight and data about your sleeping habits. We recommend charging your watch before sleep.
Can I Play And Listen To Music On My Apple Watch Series 7?
Yes, you can either store music directly on the watch and play it through the built-in speakers or stream music to your Bluetooth-connected devices like your AirPods.
Should You Buy The Apple Watch Series 7?
If you have an iPhone, an Apple Watch is perhaps one of the best purchases you can make. It’ll reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone, allow you to listen to music, and track your health without a bulky phone in your pocket all time.
If you have a Series 6, though, an upgrade to the 7 might feel very underwhelming. In any case, even though you don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to good smartwatches for iPhones, the Series 7 has great hardware, and amazing software, and is a joy to use.
Related Articles:
Apple Watch SE Review
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
How to use Walkie-Talkie on Apple Watch
Why Wasn’t Apple Watch Called iWatch?
Fun Things To Do With Apple Watches
I bought my first smartwatch in 2018 and have been wearing one ever since. It might get frustrating at times to receive 100 notifications a day. That's why we need to know how to make the best of them and how to use them to improve our daily lives, not the other way around. I write about the newest smartwatches, I create top picks, and I write helpful guides and simply explain complicated things.