Apple Watch Series 7 review: Small improvements go a long way

Price: Rs 41,990 for 41mm; Rs 44,900 for 45mm
In the Box: Apple Watch, charging cable
 
Slowly yet gradually, Apple is making the best smartwatch for iPhones a little better. This time around, Apple has focused on offering more screen estate – a great value addition for the tiny device on the wrist – that I use to not just track fitness and health features but also for a quick glance, and most of the time, respond to the notifications. But it still lacks the common automatic sleep tracking.
 
The Apple Watch Series 7 boasts the same squarish design since it was first announced but the case size has been increased for the second time, after the Series 4 in 2018. This time around, Apple has moved from 40 mm and 44mm to 41 mm and 45mm, respectively. And as I love wearing watches with bigger dials, my review unit was the latter. Even with the slightly bigger case, my old watch bands worked perfectly with the new case. Changing the bands is a child’s play - gently hold down the band, release the button, then slide the band across to remove it.
 
Apple has reduced the bezels too, making more room on the screen. I always loved the ease of responding to messages and WhatsApp by scribbling when I had to reply with something beyond the preset options (I am not a fan of using voice dictation on the watch.) And the more screen estate brings the QWERTY keyboard to the compact screen, which surprisingly, I found comfortable to type and swipe for short replies. I was able to type on each key to type, or swipe between letters without lifting my finger. Also, the app icons are big and so is the font size that I can also change from the watch settings. Finally, I entered the passcode without errors when in a rush, and my heart rate and activity was better readable.
 
One thing I love about Android Wear Watches over Apple is the option to add custom faces. With this, you are stuck with what Apple offers. But Apple offers a great level of customisation with what’s available, for one to customise. This year around, for a bigger display, Apple has added new Watch faces giving access to more information like the Modular Duo that uses the bigger screen estate to display two large, data-rich complications. There’s also a Contour Watch face which looks classy – has clock’s digit towards the edge blending into the side bezels, emphasising the current hour. I was able to change the colour of the background from the Watch app. I also love using the World Time clock face that displays the time of 24 countries.
 
And with brighter always-on mode, when your wrist is down it gives instant access to time, eliminating the need to wake the watch screen just for a glance. The Apple Watch Series 7 is IP6X rated, making it ideal for outdoor use as well as fitness tracking.
 
While there was a lot to talk about the design and watch faces, under the hood is a dual-core S7 System in Package (SiP), which is based on the S6 processor from the previous-gen Apple Watch. Performance seems to be somewhat similar. However, the overall experience of using the watch and various apps was smooth, similar to the previous-gen Series 6. The new watch continues to be good at recording workouts, measuring EGC, heart rate, and breathing sessions. 
 
There are no new add-ons for health and fitness tracking, but at the same time, existing ones work well. I have been using Apple Watch for a few years now, the activity rings offer a quick glance of the day’s workout/activity and what I love the most is when the watch reminds me to walk a little more to complete my day’s activity. The Breath app is great for mindful breathing and relaxing, something I use a lot when I feel stressed. The blood oxygen measurement, heart rate monitoring and ECG are bang on (mind you, this is not a medical device).
 
But the thing I still am not a fan of here is the sleep tracking feature introduced last year. It still does not record sleep logs automatically. Apple still wants users to develop a healthy sleeping pattern and sleep cycle and as a result, it includes setting up sleep schedules, activating sleep mode and winding down (to reduce distractions and help relax). Both sleep mode and wind down activate Do Not Disturb. When sleeping, in addition to time asleep, heart rate, and blood oxygen, now measures respiratory rate – the number of breaths per minute.
 
The Apple Watch Series 7 is accompanied by a magnetic charging dock minus a power adapter. And it continues to charge relatively slowly, around two hours for a full charge. And every time the Watch was charged fully, I got a notification on my iPhone.
 
With the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple hasn’t reinvented the watch it launched 7 years ago. But the small improvements on-board certainly makes it a little better.

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