Apple Watch Series 4 review in progress: First impressions – CNET

The Apple Watch Series 4 was unveiled just last week, and it stole arguably stole the spotlight from the three new iPhones with which it shared the stage. While those were “S” year evolutions of 2017’s iPhone X, the Apple Watch Series 4 is the biggest makeover Apple’s wearable has seen in its 5-year history. 

New for 2018 is the Apple Watch’s first big redesign ever: The screens are bigger, the body is thinner. And the watch’s already-impressive heart and health tracking gets a truly groundbreaking addition: A built-in electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG), the first-ever to be integrated directly into a smartwatch. The feature is already FDA cleared in the US, where it will be activated by a software update later this year. 

The Apple Watch Series 4 start at $399, £399, AU$599 for the standard model, and $499, £499, AU$749 for the LTE model. Models climb up from there depending on size, material (stainless steel versus aluminum), band choices and additional styles (Nike+, Hermes).  

I just got my hands on the Apple Watch Series 4, in the new stainless steel gold option. This will be an ongoing review looking at the watch and its features. I’m already liking the new, larger watch faces and their additional customization options, so let’s start there.

First impressions: All-new design, larger screen

The Apple Watch S4 is the biggest design update since the watch launched in 2015. Apple followed the model of its recent iPhone designs here: The Series 4 cuts down the bezel surrounding the screen versus last year’s Series 3, effectively squeezing larger screens into the same size chassis. It’s still a squircle but the look is much more refined. It’s thinner, too: Apple cut the depth of the Watch from 11.4mm to 10.7mm, so it’s less bulbous on your wrist.

New sizes: The Apple Watch still comes in “small” and “large,” but thanks to the economy of sizes from the redesign, the smallest new Apple Watch has a display that’s close to the size of the previous large one. The new watch sizes are 40 and 44mm, vs. the previous 38 and 42mm.

New watch faces: New watch faces come with the larger display, and many existing Apple Watch faces have been subtly upgraded to be bigger or otherwise take full advantage of the new real estate. Some add a lot of new complications, or bits of information. Complications are basically at-a-glance pieces of watch information that double as app launchers. The watch’s richer complications show more info, now, and even some graphics. More shortcuts means launching apps faster — or not having to launch them at all, because the info you need is already on the screen. The S4-exclusive new faces, called Infograph and Infograph Modular, are fantastic.

The rest of Apple’s watch faces end up being pretty familiar, though. Apple still doesn’t have a watch face store, meaning that you’re limited to the ample but contained collection of faces Apple has on-watch. These can be customized, but the limits become clear fast. Apple’s main competitors — Fitbit, Samsung, Google’s WearOS — all allow third-party watch faces: When will Apple allow this to happen?

Other thoughts on the new design: The fuller display and its iPhone X-like curved edges is a big upgrade, and the slightly thinner design makes the older S3 watch look more square and bulbous. The digital crown on the side has subtle haptics now, so turning it produces realistic-feeling click mechanisms. It’s satisfying, but not necessary. The side button below lies more flush now. More importantly, the onboard speaker is louder and clearer, making Siri and phone calls a lot more useful (especially in emergencies).

Good news on your old accessories: Bands fit the same as the older Apple Watches. I swapped my old ones in and traded bands to check. (Make sure you have the right size, though: 42/44mm fit the same, and 38/40mm.) The gold-colored steel Milanese band on my review model is a bit over the top for me.

Fitness promises some big boosts

The rear heart rate sensor has been completely redesigned this time around, with a lot of heart rate potential. This Apple Watch promises more accurate heart rate sensing, step-tracking, fitness detection, and even fall detection, which will automatically call 911 and your loved ones if you fall while walking, or on a bike (testing on that to come).

And the wildest thing is an embedded EKG sensor, allowing FDA-cleared electrocardiograms. It will enable spot detection of more detailed heart rate and rhythm, and spot possible arrhythmia. That feature is not being unlocked until later this year, though. In the meantime, the Watch indicates drops in heart rate, in addition to the elevated heart rate warnings available in earlier models. Even before the EKG launch, the Apple Watch is taking on the role of a true medical evaluation tool. Vanessa Hand Orellana and I will be looking at these new fitness features in more depth in the upcoming days and weeks.

Read: The Apple Watch Series 4 takes heart monitoring to next level

Battery life: Stay tuned

The Apple Watch S4 doesn’t promise better battery life, really, except during GPS-enabled workouts (six hours, which still is a lot less than dedicated GPS fitness watches) For better or worse, Apple’s victory here was maintaining the battery life of the Series 3, despite slimming down the size of this model. In everyday use, it sounds like the day and a half I usually get on the Apple Watch S3 may hold true here. But I’ll be wearing mine and will report what happens.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm is promising longer smartwatch battery life on Google WearOS watches, with lower-power modes measured in weeks not days. If Apple has any desire to add sleep tracking to the Apple Watch’s bag of health tricks, it’s going to need to go down the same path for future models.

Should you upgrade?

I’ve just been using this watch for less than a day, so I’m not close to making a buying recommendation yet. Here’s what I’d say in the meantime:

Series 1/2/3 users should upgrade to WatchOS 5 first: The latest version of WatchOS became available earlier this week alongside iOS 12. It adds it a bunch of nice extras to those 2016 and 2017 watches, including downloadable podcasts, a walkie-talkie mode, and more watch faces. Try that out first — It could help pep up your older Apple Watch.

2015 Apple Watch owners have the most to gain: The original “Series Zero” Apple Watch can’t be updated to WatchOS 5. A Series 4 will be a compelling upgrade for anyone who wants a bigger screen and more speed.

Series 3 owners will have the most difficult decision: You don’t need to upgrade, although you might want to. But the Series 3 is really the best value pick: at a reduced price, it’s still really good.

Otherwise, the basic Apple Watch proposition, for the most part, is pretty similar to what it was last year.

We’ll be updating this review-in-progress with a lot more tests to come as we wear it across both coasts.