Apple Watch Series 6 Vs 7 Compare

The Apple Watch Series 7 offers the same suite of sensors as the Series 6. These include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a heart rate sensor, a barometer, an always-on altimeter, a compass, an SpO2 sensor, and a VO2 max sensor. These sensors have a host of health and fitness tracking features, including blood oxygen monitoring, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fall detection, workout tracking, and more. You get the new Apple S7 SiP powering the Apple Watch Series 7, but there is no performance improvement here. Apple says this new processor is on par with the previous-gen S6 SiP in the Series 6. The Series 7 supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Apple's U1 chip, and ultra wideband antennas.

It has health sensors for blood oxygen and heart rate tracking as well as the hardware to record an ECG. Just like the Series 6, the new Series 7 also has an always-on altimeter that can track elevation changes constantly. The fall detection feature now also works while tracking workouts. Apple has also made some significant improvements to battery life and charging on the Apple Watch Series 7. The company claims that the new smartwatches offer 18-hour all-day battery life, along with 33% faster charging than the previous model. So, the difference between the two generations of Apple's smartwatches boils down to the importance placed on the larger display, the reduced charging time, water-and-dust resistance, and color options.

If one has already made up one's mind, there is no persuading otherwise. It's worth noting that all of these features - except the always-on altimeter - can be found on the Series 4 and 5 too. The S7 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor is up to 20% faster than the S5 in Apple Watch SE.12 The always-on altimeter detects your elevation in real time. Overall, the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ is a minor upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 6, offering larger displays and casing sizes, new color options, improved durability, the S7 chip, and faster charging. These features are mostly iterative improvements rather than major reasons to upgrade, and the Series 7 does not add any new functionality.

Now, although Apple will not officially sell the Apple Watch 6, users can still buy the previous-gen Apple Watch from third-party resellers until stocks last. So, which one should you get if you are in the market for an Apple Watch? Well, if you want the latest and greatest from Apple, we recommend you go for the latest Apple Watch 7. The larger display, dust resistance, and faster charging are reasons enough to convince prospective buyers. Otherwise, if you don't care much about these minor upgrades and just want the Apple Watch experience, go with Apple Watch 6, which will now sell at reduced prices.

Other than this, the Apple Watch 7 display is also 70% brighter vs the Apple Watch 6 display in terms of the always-on display. That means you will be able to check the time more easily when idle in comparison to the previous-gen model. Plus, Apple has redesigned some of the UI elements on the Series 7 to utilize the larger screen area.

For instance, you now have larger on-screen buttons, can read long texts in one go, new in-depth activity complications, and quirky watch faces to match the larger curved display on the Series 7. Moreover, unlike the previous-gen model, Series 7 features a full keyboard with swipe support to input texts. It lacks fairly basic features like interval sessions and heart rate alerts. The 6 and 7 have the same array of sensors, including a blood oxygen sensor, an electrical heart sensor, a third-generation optical heart sensor, GPS, and a barometric altimeter. This is Apple's most powerful smartwatch yet and it features upgrades like a bigger screen, dust resistance, faster charging and more. But taking a deeper look at the differences between the Watch Series 7 andSeries 6, it doesn't seem like a major upgrade.

We tell you what has changed and what remains the same in this detailed comparison. The Apple Watch Series 7 is a minimal upgrade on the inside, but the new larger display with thinner bezels looks gorgeous. While it has the same battery life as last year's model, the Series 7 has a USB-C charging cable included in the box that charges the watch up to 33% faster, so you'll spend less time juicing up than before. The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a number of upgrades and improvements on 2020's Series 6, offering a larger display with bigger casing sizes, faster charging, and the S7 chip, for a price starting at $399.

The Apple Watch Series 7 can only be paired with an iPhone, but the process is seamless. The watch installs compatible apps that are already on your phone so you can access them on your wrist directly. For cellular models, the process of setting up LTE is simple and quick. Once done, you can stay connected using just LTE and leave your iPhone out of reach, for example while working out.

Apple had also advertised faster charging speeds on the Series 7 at the time of its unveiling, but this feature is currently not available in India. The Apple Watch has been one of the best smartwatches in the industry, and each new generation becomes the wearable of choice for those using an iPhone. Apple Watch has been improved over the years, with multiple generations each bringing in new features and capabilities. So is the Apple Watch Series 7 a big leap over the Series 6, or just a small iterative step?

You can save money and get the Apple Watch SE, starting at $279, but you miss out on the larger screen, blood oxygen and ECG apps, the new crack-resistant crystal and dust resistance. You can save even more money and get the $199 Series 3, but you miss out on emergency calls, fall detection, a cellular option, the always-on display and more. I also like that the new Apple Watch can charge to 80% in 45 minutes. It's helpful if you just want to top up for a few minutes before bed to have enough battery life for sleep tracking. Apple says an 8-minute charge gives you 8 hours of sleep tracking. I found the fast charging useful one day when, just before a run, I realized I only had about 15% battery left.

I charged it while I got dressed and was able to head out with more than a 50% charge. You have to use the new included Apple Watch cable for faster charging. While you shouldn't expect a bump in battery life for the Series 7, it does juice up faster than earlier models thanks to a new charging architecture and a Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable.

Apple says it charges 33% faster than the Series 6—just 45 minutes of charging will take the watch from dead to 80% battery life. And eight minutes on the charger offers eight hours of juice for overnight sleep tracking. As for fitness tracking, there are also no differences, at least on paper. The Series 6 has the same fitness- and health-tracking sensors as the newer watch. You get a pulse oximeter, ECG, standalone GPS, and an optical heart rate sensor on both models.

The Apple Watch Series 7 doesn't have an official release date yet, and by all indications, it's pretty similar to last year's model. The most significant difference is the Apple Watch Series 7 has a bigger screen and thinner bezels, making the Apple Watch Series 6 screen look smaller side-by-side. Not to mention that the Series 7 comes in two slightly bigger case sizes — 41mm and 45mm — making the device just a bit bigger than the Series 6. Apple hasn't provided any significant additions to the health features on the Apple Watch Series 7. The Apple Watch Series 7 offers blood oxygen saturation tracking using a built-in Blood Oxygen sensor.

It is also capable of tracking heart rate using an electrical heart rate sensor that was first introduced on the Apple Watch Series 4. The smartwatch can also detect atrial fibrillation and can provide an electrocardiogram report, same as the Apple Watch Series 6. Speaking of the battery, the Series 7 promises the same runtime as its predecessor, which is to say, about 18 hours. I generally found myself getting about half a day more from the new watch than the SE, despite the lack of an Always On display on the SE.

The Series 7 usually stuck around for a day and a half, almost two, with the screen set to Always On, and tracking between three and five workouts. I also used the device to send plenty of messages and map my walks while I ran errands with the GPS on. That endurance is impressive given the larger screen, but it's worth noting that I haven't used the watch for sleep tracking yet. Compared to the Watch SE though, the Series 6 only adds an always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, a faster processor and the U1 chip. In terms of the Series 7, a bigger display is added, but otherwise the features are almost identical to the Series 6.

All the Watch models being compared here have built-in GPS, optical heart rate sensor, speaker, microphone, water resistance up to 50 metres, emergency SOS, gyroscope and an ambient light sensor. There is also the Apple Watch Series 3, which Apple sells for $199. This older model offers substantially fewer features and has a smaller screen.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is still a capable device, with 8GB of storage, water-resistance up to 50 meters, an altimeter, Emergency SOS, and an optical heart sensor. Functionally, it is more pared back than the ‌Apple Watch SE‌, being thicker with larger bezels. Apple finally announced on launch day that the Series 7 has the same S6 processor as the Series 6 (though it's calling it the S7 due to some slight changes). But it's notable in that it's the first time Apple has 't updated the processor in a new model. The watches also both have the same LTE chip for cellular connectivity, so if you're looking for 5G, you'll need to wait for the Series 8.

Apple claims 18 hours of battery life on the Apple Watch Series 7, and I was able to get about a day and a half worth of use on a single charge. It was set to monitor my heart rate throughout the day, with the always-on display mode enabled, and SpO2 tracking on by default. During this time, the watch was connected to my iPhone at all times. I did also manage to get just about two days' worth of battery life with the always-on display switched off. Using the Series 7's cellular capability resulted in a drop in battery life as I expected.

Though the differences between the Series 6 and 7 seem minor, it's worth a reminder that most people who own last year's model likely aren't looking to upgrade yet anyway. For anyone else who's looking for a new smartwatch, the Series 7 will be a satisfying purchase, especially if you've never used one before. It's not the best at sleep-tracking, though, so if that's a priority you might prefer a Fitbit. Despite its relatively high starting price of $400, what Apple offers is currently the best in the market, especially for the iOS ecosystem. On the inside, the Apple Watch 7 boasts a 70% brighter Always-On display, IP6X dust protection, and similar water-resistance as previous models, as well as greater durability.

There is no difference in battery life , however, the battery recharges 33 percent quicker. The Series 7 features several advanced health-tracking features Apple introduced on the Series 6 that you don't get on the SE, including sensors for blood oxygen saturation and electrocardiogram readings. The ECG function checks for signs of atrial fibrillation , an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other serious complications.

Those features, plus the larger screen and always-on display option, justify the Series 7's $120 markup from the SE. The Apple Watch SE, in contrast to its more expensive counterparts, packs an optical heart rate sensor, fall detection, an always-on altimeter. Unlike the last few generations of flagship wearables, it does not have a blood oxygen sensor or an electrocardiogram. Thanks to the larger display on the Series 7, it also offers a full keyboard with QuickPath for replying to messages.

Secondly, in the case of the Series 7 , the Digital Crown has an electrical heart rate sensor built into it, which is in addition to the optical heart rate sensor on the underside of the watch. The Watch Series 7 also has a blood oxygen sensor, like the Series 6, and it has reduced bezels surrounding the display, as well as an IPX6 dust resistance. The bigger screen does look great and gives the Series 7 the ability to have a full QWERTY keyboard on your wrist. Yet, there aren't any new sensors or standout features to really wow us. A faster charge is a welcome addition, even though the battery life is still only about 18 hours.

For users who already have an Apple Watch Series 6, the Series 7 probably does not offer enough to warrant upgrading unless you particularly want a larger display, faster charging, or improved durability. The design changes and new features are iterative rather than transformative, and there are no new major capabilities, so many Series 6 users may prefer to wait a little longer to upgrade. Apple's new watch supports fast charging via a new USB-C charging cable, which Apple claims will charge 33 percent faster than the Series 6. When you need to charge it, Apple says it only needs to be connected to its charger for eight minutes to be able to cover eight hours of sleep tracking. However, in our testing, we didn't find it was all that much faster than the Series 6, which needed about 10 minutes. If you have used an Apple Watch in the past, the experience will be very similar.

Pressing the digital crown opens up the app drawer on the Apple Watch, and this can be set to zoom in/out and also be used to scroll through menus and notifications. Apple has also added a sensor on the digital crown for measuring ECGs using Apple Watch Series 7. I found the watch to be quick to respond to touch inputs, and the bigger display compared to previous models did make content a little easier to read. The Contour watchface highlights the new rounded screen edges of the Series 7, while the Modular Duo face shows details of three complications at once. The Series 7 Apple Watch is more durable than any previous version. Apple says the screen is more crack-resistant (both on the glass version and on the more expensive sapphire models.) The watch is also dust resistant for the first time.

That's a feature I'm excited about since I've always worn the Apple Watch to the beach but have worried about getting sand in the area around the crown, or in the speakers. The Series 7 is still rated for up to 50 meters of water resistance anywhere, including in the ocean or pools, so you can swim pretty much wherever you want with it. However, the Apple Watch 7 does take advantage of fast charging. Apple claims the watch is capable of charging 33% faster than previous Apple watches, offering around eight hours of sleep tracking from a quick eight minute charge. The watches will only offer fast charging with this cable and not the older USB-A cable. The latest watchOS8 runs on the Series 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and SE models.

This means they all provide similar experiences, apart from any additional features on the later watches (e.g. ECD functions or fall detection sensors). The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a new QWERTY keyboard and QuickPath to help users type and send messages easier. You're also getting faster charging support to slightly make up for sticking to the same 18 hour battery life. If you already own an Apple Watch Series 6, you're probably fine sticking with it for now.

Aside from a larger display, enhanced durability, and faster charging, the Series 7 doesn't offer any revolutionary new features that aren't already available on last year's flagship. Essentially, the Apple Watch 7 is the Apple Watch 6 with a slightly larger screen and slightly faster charging. It runs on the same chip , benefits from the same all-day battery life, and looks largely the same.

If you find that you have little time to charge your Apple Watch during the day, the Series 7's faster charging could be an important reason to upgrade for you. Even so, both devices still have the same "all-day" 18-hour battery life and will need to be recharged every day. The Apple Watch Series 6 is still a reliable and excellent Apple Watch. With all the features you love, like an always-on display, blood oxygen sensor, ECG app, and more, it isn't missing any major features compared to the Series 7. Although it doesn't have a new larger display and still uses the same old case size — 40mm and 41mm — you can actually order the Apple Watch Series 6 right now and maybe even find some great deals. The larger display of the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ models allows it to show more content and Apple has optimized watchOS 8 to take advantage of the additional space with larger menu titles and buttons in apps.

There are two additional larger font sizes and a new QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath. Apple's breakdown shows that the two models share an overwhelming majority of features. Even so, there are a number of important differences between the Series 6 and the Series 7 that are worth highlighting, such as casing sizes, fast charging, and color options.

Apple doesn't provide capacity specs, but the Series 7 Apple Watch has the same 18-hour battery life as prior models. That's enough to get you through the day, but if you want to do sleep tracking, you're going to have to charge the watch. The Apple Watch Series 7 has a 1.9-inch LTPO OLED display with a resolution of 396x484 pixels for the 45mm model. It has a peak brightness of 1000 nits when it's active and upto 500 nits when it's in the always-on state. This watch has an IP6X rating for dust resistance and is also water resistant upto 50m. If you are planning to go for a short swim, you can take this new Series 7 along to track it as well.