Battery life is the biggest issue we encountered on the Watch 5, with the always-on display pulling more life out of the smartwatch. The Watch 4 could easily make it past 24 hours, but the Watch 5 struggles to match that, and we were definitely reaching for the charger more regularly here. You can swim, do high-intensity interval training, cycle and even practice yoga with the Watch 5 to fill up those all-important rings that monitor your daily active performance. However, this is all true of the slightly-smaller Watch 3, which is cheaper and still being sold by Apple. Battery life is one of the key things we’re interested in on the new Apple Watch, simply because is has to be worse, right? The display is always on, so that must mean the battery takes a hammering? Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a water resistance rating of 100 metres under ISO standard 22810. It may be used for recreational scuba diving (with compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 metres and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra 2 should not be used for diving below 40 metres. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en‑gb/HT205000. There is one small hardware upgrade here – there’s now a compass inside the Watch, which allows you to see which way you’re going, and which uses GPS to work out your elevation, or height above sea level.

Charge times are from 0–80% and 0–100% using the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2022 using pre‑production Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with pre‑release software, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable (Model A2515) and Apple 20W USB‑C Power Adapter (Model A2305). Charge time varies with region, settings and environmental factors; actual results will vary. In terms of hardware, there isn’t a lot of improvement over the Apple Watch Series 4. A few new chips will make the watch a bit faster, but nothing in the Apple Watch Series 5 makes it vastly superior to its predecessor. How do Apple Watch Series 5 specs compare to Apple Watch Series 4 specs? Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch Series 3 have a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that they may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, they should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth.The fitness and activity features might be beaten by high-end Garmins if you’re a keen athlete, but for the vast majority of people I think they’re ideal – w hether it’s nudges to complete your three daily activity goals (move, exercise, stand), badges for hitting targets or just that satisfying buzz on your wrist. SEE: Apple’s 2019 Event: The essential guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic) What is the Apple Watch Series 5? For a look at the latest Apple Watch, read our Apple Watch 6 review. We also have a guide to the best Apple Watch for you. Design and screen

However, while there aren’t any strong fitness upgrades with the Watch 5 (well, none at all, actually) it’s still a great watch for those who are into exercising.We found that it still excelled in some areas, and it's another hugely competent device for your wrist, but the Apple Watch 5 still feels like an underwhelming upgrade, and we’d point you towards the now reasonably-priced Watch 3 as a great alternative. Apple Watch 5 release date and price If you want the best smartwatch to go with your iPhone, then an Apple Watch is the way to go. It’s deeply integrated, works with all Apple’s services and gets frequent updates. Lastly, the Apple Watch Series 5 adds a much-needed safety feature to its cellular models: Free international emergency calling. No matter which country you’re in, a long press on the Series 5’s crown will dial the local equivalent of 911.

Charge times are from 0–80% and 0–100% using the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable. Testing conducted by Apple in August 2023 using pre‑production Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) paired with iPhone; all devices tested with pre‑release software, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charging USB‑C Cable (Model A2515) and Apple 20W USB‑C Power Adapter (Model A2305). Charge time varies with region, settings and environmental factors; actual results will vary. While the Apple Watch 4 retains the same LTPO display used here, don’t get your hopes up for the arrival of always-on feature via a software update to older watches. The Series 5 benefits from some new display drivers and an updated ambient light sensor – both of which are required for always-on functionality. Meets California Energy Commission’s Energy Efficiency Standards for Small Battery Charger Systems as outlined in the California Code of Regulations. You’re getting the same curved aluminum frame (in the base Watch model) around the outside, a square display, and the Digital Crown – a button you can twiddle or press to scroll through menus or access other functions – on the side.The Apple One free trial includes only services that you are not currently using through a free trial or a subscription. Plan automatically renews after trial until cancelled. Restrictions and other terms apply. Requires Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Ultra or later. For a list of supported countries and regions, see apple.com/uk/watchos/feature-availability. This even includes Apple’s own apps, like timers. We’d have liked to see Apple improve all the relevant apps on the Watch to work with the ambient mode – and enable developers to integrate this functionality into their apps too. You can set up notifications to let you know if you’re in an environment that’s too noisy, although we rarely noticed these when they came through.

I can only assume Apple has held off implementing some form of always-on screen because of the effects it would have had on battery life. Thankfully there isn’t any loss to endurance with this setting enabled and my testing matches up with Apple’s claimed 18-hour battery life. Apple Watch Series 9 has a water resistance rating of 50 metres under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 9 should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en‑gb/HT205000. The Apple Watch Series 5 might not be crammed with upgrades to its excellent predecessor, but the biggest new feature is something I have requested ever since the very first time I strapped an Apple Watch onto my wrist: an always-on display.

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The Apple Watch Series 5’s other new features–the compass and emergency calling–are also great, but situationally so. If you’re going to upgrade your Apple Watch, the selling point is probably going to be its screen. The Apple Watch Series 5 does differ from previous models in three key ways, most notably its always-on screen. That’s right: No more lowering your wrist to turn the display off or on.