Apple Watch 5 review – the best smartwatch just got better…and could even save your life
ANOTHER year, another Apple Watch vying for the space around your wrist – but is the new model any good?
I've spent a week testing the Apple Watch 5 – including its new always-on screen, compass and watchOS6 – and reckon it’s the best smartwatch on the market. Why? Find out below…
Apple Watch 5 – what is it?
The Apple Watch Series 5 is Apple’s sixth smartwatch since 2015.
When the Apple Watch first launched, its usefulness was rightly questioned.
But four years on, the Apple Watch is a feature-packed essential for many iPhone owners.
It’s the most popular watch in the world, so the new model is no surprise. It’s also really ruddy good, which is hardly a shock either.
Apple Watch 5 design – does it look good?
The design hasn’t really changed. Why should it? It works, and it’s popular.
Instead, Apple has introduced new design options to tempt you in to a purchase.
There’s a new case made from titanium, which is lighter than the stainless steel models.
This comes in two brushed finishes – natural and space black – both of which look great.
And there’s also a ceramic case available.
It’s not the smash-prone dish kind of ceramic – it’s actually the toughest material of the Apple Watch lot, surprisingly.
It means you’re less likely to end up with a scratched case.
I’m not sold on the white colouring, but others absolutely are. That’s important, because the Apple Watch is all about customisation.
Pick what you like. And ignore what is probably my complete fashion ignorance.
Older designs are sticking around too.
You’ll still have stainless steel in gold, silver and space black.
And aluminium cases are offered in silver, gold and space grey.
Apple Watch 5 specs and features – what’s new?
The headline news Apple wants you to know about is the new display.
Apple has added an always-on display, which is actually a really big deal.
To save battery, the Apple Watch screen has always remained off unless you lift your wrist or tap it.
It was a move to preserve battery life, and made clear sense.
But it meant you could never glance at the screen to tell the time. Apple Watch 0, wristwatch 1.
Now that’s all fixed with the Apple Watch 5.
Thanks to major changes to the systems driving the display, the screen can stay on all the time without gobbling too much battery life.
I found it more useful than I thought I would, but it’s not revolutionary and I could live without it.
In the end, I’m glad it exists – but no one will be upgrading for this feature alone.
In my experience so far, the battery life is about the same as the Series 4 – if perhaps marginally lower.
That’s an impressive feat given the always-on display. And if you don’t care for the feature, you can simply turn it off.
In any case, it’s not a huge issue.
Battery life would either need a huge boost to make it through two days, or it doesn’t matter. You’ll charge it nightly anyway.
My favourite feature is the addition of a proper compass.
Apple has fitted the Apple Watch 5 with a magnetometer, so it can detect true north.
To take advantage of this, there’s a new Compass app on the watch. This shows your heading, incline, elevation and even latitude and longitude.
There’s also a Compass widget that can be added to the Apple Watch face so you can see where you’re going at a glance. Handy, particularly in bad weather.
The Apple Watch 5 can also work out your actual current elevation at a given location.
Previously, the Apple Watch only used pressure to calculate elevation. This gave a readout for change in elevation, but not your actual elevation from sea level.
Now the Apple Watch can gobble up data from a bunch of sources to work out elevation, including GPS, the barometric altimeter, map data and WiFi.
Apps can take advantage of all of this data to give you proper directional navigation out in the hills.
It's a hiker's dream, basically.
Lastly, Apple has added International Emergency Calling.
It’s a bit niche, but it could genuinely save lives so it’s hard to knock.
When you’re travelling, users with a cellular Apple Watch 5 model can now make international calls to emergency services in 150 countries.
It doesn’t matter if you know the right phone number, where you purchased the device, or even if you’ve activated a cellular plan.
The feature also works with fall detection, so if you’re in an accident and are left motionless, Apple can place an emergency call for you without any action on your part.
Apple Watch watchOS 6 – what’s changed?
Apple has also loaded its latest smartwatch with the new watchOS 6 software.
This is available to almost all Apple Watch models, so it’s now an Apple Watch 5 exclusive – but still makes up a large part of the experience.
For a start, there’s no a Noise app that tracks ambient sound levels around you.
It’ll warn you if you’re hearing noise that is too loud, in a bid to protect your hearing.
You can check out your historical noise levels through the Health app, which is pretty cool.
For female users, watchOS 6 adds the Cycle Tracking app.
It’s for logging menstrual cycles, and will predict your next period and fertile windows if used correctly.
Other apps already do this, but it’s added convenience and lives right on your wrist.
Lastly, there are some fancy new Watch Faces including Meridian, Modular Compact and the confusing but very attractive Solar Dial.
As always, all of the faces are colour- and feature-customisable.
Apple Watch 5 review verdict – should you buy it?
After reading this review, you may think that not much has changed since Series 4.
And you’re not wrong: for most Series 4 owners, the Series 5 is a poor upgrade.
Unless you’re a hiker desperate for the new navigation tech, none of the other changes are really “must-have”.
I love a mountainside trek so it’s a no-brainer upgrade for me – but that won’t be true for everyone.
But that’s not the point.
Most people don’t upgrade their Apple Watch every year. So anyone with an Apple Watch 3 or older is getting an enormous upgrade with the Apple Watch 5.
From an original Apple Watch, this will feel like stepping in to the future.
And if you don’t have an Apple Watch (as most people don’t) then this is a great excuse to get involved at the height of its design.
Apple can’t (and absolutely shouldn’t) reinvent the watch every single year.
So this is what we’ve got: a better version of what was the best smartwatch available. And for the same £399 starting price tag.
The Sun says: The Apple Watch 5 is undoubtedly the best smartwatch you can buy right now – and leagues ahead of Android rivals. New navigation feature and an improved display will rightly tempt Brits to buy the latest model. Plus...it can save your life!
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