One of the most common questions asked is whether I should upgrade my Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 7. What could be the differentiator in terms of upgrading from an Apple Watch 5 to an Apple Watch 7?
Let us look at the key differences between an Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 5. The idea is to help you make an informed decision on spending incremental money on getting the new Apple Watch 7.
Processor Specifications
Each new release of Apple watches arrives with a new chipset and processor. Expectedly, an Apple Watch 7 comes with a new chipset and a faster processor. Apple Watch 7 houses an S7 with a 64-bit dual-core processor. An Apple Watch 5 works on an S5 SiP with a 64-bit dual-core processor.
S7 chip is almost 20 percent faster than the S5 chip. So, Apple Watch 7 ought to boost performance by almost 20 percent in comparison with Apple Watch 5.
Both watches carry Apple’s W3 wireless chip. An Apple Watch 7, however, has an in-built U1 wideband chip for network connectivity.
Display specifications
Apple Watch 7 has a slim bezel, resulting in a bigger screen area. The watch looks sleek. An Apple Watch 5 and Apple Watch 7 differ in the overall screen area on the watch models.
- 44 mm model of Apple watch 5 has a display area of 977 sq mm; 45 mm Apple Watch 7 has a 1143 sq mm display area.
- 40 mm model of Apple watch 5 has a display of 759 sq mm; 41 mm Apple Watch 7 has a 904 sq mm display area.
- Apple watch 7 has a screen area of 1.9″ and an Apple Watch 5 has a screen area of 1.78″.
- Display resolution of Apple Watch 7 is 396 x 484 pixels, and an Apple Watch 5 has a display resolutions of 368 x 448 pixels.
In terms of finish, both watch models have aluminium, stainless steel, and titanium finish. Apple Watch 5 did have an additional finish in ceramic.
Heart Health monitoring – Apple Watch 7 Vs Apple Watch 5
Both, Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 5, have ECG functionality. They track the heartbeat on a perpetual basis. Alerts for irregular heart rhythm and high and low heart rates are sent by both models.
The difference lies in the heart sensors on both watch models. Both do have an electrical heart sensor.
But, an Apple Watch 7 has a third generation optical sensor; an Apple Watch 5 has a second generation optical sensor.
Health Monitoring – Apple Watch 7 Vs Apple Watch 5
Apple Watch 7 has sleep monitoring and blood oxygenation monitoring on the watch. It is based on watch OS 7 that will soon get updated to watch OS 8. An Apple Watch 5 lacks both these features.
SpO2 monitoring has assumed greater significance over the past year. SpO2 tracking has been made possible on the Apple Watch 7 with the additional blood oxygenation sensor on the watch. It takes readings from the wrist.
Aside from this, the Apple Watch 7 also helps in managing water intake and tracking water consumption during the day.
Other health monitoring features remain unchanged between the Apple Watch 5 and Apple Watch 7.
Fast Charging – Apple Watch 7 Vs Apple Watch 5
Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 5 have a battery life of 18 hours. This battery backup dwindles very fast on using GPS or while listening to music.
To get around the battery backup issue on Apple Watch 7, Apple has come up with fast charging on the watch 7. An Apple Watch 7 can go from zero to eighty percent in 45 minutes.
Full charge, obviously, take two or more hours. But, the fact that you can go over 50 percent charge in less than 45 minutes reduces the hassle of charging to a great extent for an Apple Watch 7. Fast charging will happen over a C cable attached to the USB port.
Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 5 also support wireless charging. You will need to buy a charging dock station or charging station to engage in wireless charging of an Apple Watch 7.
Conclusion
There are not many differences between an Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch 5.
Bigger screen area, sleep monitoring, blood oxygenation monitoring, and fast charging are the gain points for an Apple Watch 7 over the Apple Watch 5. Faster processor and the next generation optical sensor are the hardware improvements from an Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 7.
Do you really gain much with an upgrade from Apple Watch 5 to Apple Watch 7? Or, would you prefer to see the watch OS 8 being launched before taking the plunge and getting a new Apple Watch 7? These are the answers that would help you take a balanced view of the upgrade from the Apple Watch 5 to the Apple Watch 7.
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Rajesh Dhawan is a technology professional who loves to blog about smart wearables, Cloud computing and Microsoft technologies. He loves to break complex problems into manageable chunks of meaningful information.