Apple Watch Series 7 has been announced, featuring a re-engineered Always-On Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders, making it the largest and most advanced display ever. The narrower borders allow the display to maximize screen area, while minimally changing the dimensions of the watch itself. The design of Apple Watch Series 7 is refined with softer, more rounded corners, and the display has a unique refractive edge that makes full-screen watch faces and apps appear to seamlessly connect with the curvature of the case. Apple Watch Series 7 also features a user interface optimized for the larger display, offering greater readability and ease of use.
The newest Apple Watch continues to offer indispensable tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG app, and a Blood Oxygen sensor and app. watchOS 8 helps users stay healthy, active, and connected through new workout types, the new Mindfulness app, innovative accessibility features, greater access with Apple Wallet, and more capabilities with the Home app, along with enhancements to Messages and the Photos app.
Here’s what’s new
New design
The display of Apple Watch Series 7 offers nearly 20% more screen area and thinner borders at just 1.7 mm — 40% smaller than those on Apple Watch Series 6. Through an innovative design that maximizes the screen area while minimally changing the dimensions of the overall case size, Apple Watch Series 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. While the wrist is down, the Always-On Retina display is up to 70% brighter indoors than that of Apple Watch Series 6, making it easier to see the watch face without having to lift the wrist or wake the display. Also new is a QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped with QuickPath — allowing users to slide a finger to type — and utilizes on-device machine learning to anticipate the next word based on the context, making text entry easier and faster.
Durability
Apple Watch Series 7 features a redesigned front crystal with a stronger and more robust geometry that is over 50% thicker than that of Apple Watch Series 6, making it more crack-resistant without compromising optical clarity. Apple Watch Series 7 is also certified IP6X dust-resistant, making it more durable in environments like the beach or the desert, while still maintaining excellent swimming performance with a water resistance rating of WR50.
Faster charging
Apple Watch Series 7 provides all-day 18-hour battery life on a single charge, and 33% faster charging compared with Apple Watch Series 6, through a new charging architecture and Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C Cable.
watchOS 8
watchOS 8 debuts additional watch faces designed specially for the larger display on Apple Watch Series 7. The new Contour face takes the dial right to the edge of the display and fluidly animates throughout the day, emphasizing the current hour. The new Modular Duo face leverages the extra screen area with two large, data-rich center complications. Separately, the classic World Time face, based on heritage watches and ideal for travelers, tracks the time in 24 time zones around a double dial, and is available on Apple Watch Series 4 and later. The Portraits face uses the depth capabilities of iPhone Portrait mode to compose a beautiful, personalized experience.
New apps
The new Mindfulness app, sleep respiratory rate tracking, and Tai Chi and Pilates workout types can help improve overall wellness. New Wallet and Home app functionality provide more convenient access to the car and places users live, work, and visit. Enhancements to Messages and the Photos app make staying connected to loved ones even easier.
Cycling
watchOS 8 also brings new features to anyone who rides a bike. Apple Watch uses advanced algorithms to analyze GPS, heart rate, accelerometer, and gyroscope data to detect when users begin a ride, and prompts them to start an Outdoor Cycle workout if one was not initiated. As with all automatic Workout reminders, cyclists will see their metrics from when they first started their workout. Additionally, cycling workouts have auto-pause and resume, so metrics more accurately reflect time spent moving versus stationary, like waiting at a stoplight. Plus,
Fall detection updates
Since its launch in 2018, fall detection on Apple Watch has proven to be a valuable safety tool, recognizing if a user is immobile for approximately one minute if a hard fall is detected, and initiating a call to emergency services right from the wrist. With watchOS 8, fall detection algorithms are updated and optimized for detecting falls during workouts — including cycling — and have been tuned to recognize the unique motion and impact of falls from a bike and other workout types.
Apple Watch Lineup
The Apple Watch Series 7 collection unveils five brand new aluminum case colors, including midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED, along with a palette of Apple Watch bands compatible with all models of Apple Watch. Additionally, Apple Watch Series 7 offers backward compatibility with previously released Apple Watch bands. Stainless steel models, Apple Watch Edition, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Series 3 continue in existing colors.
Apple Watch Nike and Apple Watch Hermès also introduce exclusive new bands and watch faces this fall. The refreshed Nike Sport Loop comes in three colors, and features the Nike Swoosh and logo text incorporated into the weave of the band, pairing smartly with the new Nike Bounce watch face, which dynamically animates with the tap of the screen, scroll of the Digital Crown, or move of the wrist.
In addition to the color updates across the Classic, Attelage, and Jumping styles – Apple Watch Hermès introduces two new styles. Circuit H is a bold graphic representation of a signature anchor chain design, printed in Swift leather with a complementary watch face, and the Gourmette Double Tour pays homage to 1930s Hermès collars, with links weaving fluidly together in supple Fauve Barénia leather. This band wraps gracefully twice around the wrist and is an iconic representation of the recurring chain motif.
Environment impact
In line with Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple Watch Series 7 has more recycled content than any other Apple Watch, featuring 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, including in the Taptic Engine; nearly 100% recycled tungsten throughout the product; and a 100% recycled case on aluminum models. Apple Watch Series 7 is also made without harmful chemicals like mercury, PVC, beryllium, and BFRs.
Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net-zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100% carbon neutral.
On the record
“Apple Watch Series 7 delivers significant improvements – from our largest and most advanced display, to enhanced durability and faster charging – making the world’s best smartwatch better than ever before,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Powered by watchOS 8, Apple Watch brings useful new capabilities to help customers stay connected, track activity and workouts, and better understand their overall health and wellness.”
Pricing and Availability
All Apple Watch Series 7 models will be available later this fall starting at $399. Apple Watch SE starts at $279 and Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $199.
watchOS 8 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on Monday, September 20, and requires iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 or later. Not all features are available on all devices and in all regions.