Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 44mm) - Space Gray Aluminum with Black Sport Band (Renewed)

Product Information

The ECG app and irregular rhythm notification require the latest version of watchOS and iOS, and are not intended for use by people under 22 years old. The ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 or later (not including Apple Watch SE). The irregular rhythm notification is not designed for people who have been previously diagnosed with AF. The ECG app and irregular rhythm notification require the latest version of watchOS and iOS, and are not intended for use by people under 22 years old. The ECG app is available on Apple Watch Series 4 or later (not including Apple Watch SE). The irregular rhythm notification is not designed for people who have been previously diagnosed with AFib. Apple’s vision of this watch is clearly something you wear during the day and plonk on the magnetic charger at night. That’s fine by me, even though I would appreciate it eventually becoming a multi-day wearable. This is also the first Apple Watch to play about with the sizing, replacing the 38mm and 42mm sizes with 40mm and 44mm. I was initially sceptical about the 44mm size (this is one I have been using during the review period) as there were times when I felt the 42mm size was a little on the large side for my wrists, but really the difference is negligible and just leads to bigger displays.

A subtler design change is that the sensor array that sits on the bottom of the watch has been shrunken down, resulting in a less bulbous look. This means the Apple Watch 4 sits closer to the wrist than before. It’s a small design tweak – one you’ll only notice if you’re upgrading from a previous model – yet it’s something I have constantly been impressed with. Apple Watch Series 1 has a water resistance rating of IPX7 under IEC standard 60529. Apple Watch Series 1 is splash and water resistant, but submerging it is not recommended.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. 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. LTE calling depletes the battery faster than hammering the GPS. This reaffirms the point that this is purely meant as an addition to your phone, rather than a futuristic wrist-based replacement for it. Apple Watch All-Day Battery Life testing was conducted by Apple in August 2018 using preproduction Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS) and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular), each paired with an iPhone; all devices were tested with prerelease software. Battery life varies by use, cellular coverage, configuration, and many other factors; actual results will vary. See www.apple.com/batteries and www.apple.com/watch/battery.html for more information. Siri’s skills are also built into its own watch face. The Siri face debuted on WatchOS 4 and has received a boost this time around with some ‘machine learning’ skills. Supposedly it’s meant to throw things like music playlists and directions into the stream of cards, but i’ve found it’s still rather useless. Unless you like your watch being taken over by a random picture you took last year, that is.

Flanking the improved screen are the usual selection of buttons: the Digital Crown for navigation and a secondary, side button. The Digital Crown now has haptic responses when you twist it, slightly bumping your finger with a subtle vibration. As with so many design tweaks here, it seems small at first but the result is terrific. The resistance offered when you’re scrolling through menus, or jumping between options in the Workout app, adds that tangible feeling so often missing from techy watches. 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 preproduction Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with prerelease 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. 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 preproduction Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS) and Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS + Cellular), each paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with prerelease 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. 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 preproduction Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS) and Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular), each paired with an iPhone; all devices tested with prerelease 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.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a water resistance rating of 100 meters under ISO standard 22810. It may be used for recreational scuba diving (with compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 meters and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra 2 should not be used for diving below 40 meters. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information see support.apple.com/HT205000.

Battery life is one of the few areas of the Apple Watch Series 4 that hasn’t received a huge update. Apple makes the same ‘all-day, 18 hours of usage’ claim it made for the Series 3 and during my time with the watch it has met, and often exceeded, that. Requires an iPhone and Apple Watch with second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. Ultra Wideband availability varies by region.I still have a big complaint, though, and it’s the same complaint Richard Easton levelled at the Series 3 – why is there no always-on display option so I can constantly see the time? This is something just about every other high-end smartwatch we’ve reviewed this year has implemented and it’s sorely missing here. I understand this would heavily impact battery life and Apple wants to ensure everyone’s watch makes it through the day, but there’s nothing wrong with giving consumers the choice. Perhaps the most important new feature here is the FDA-approved electrode-based heart rate monitoring. When the ECG app arrives later this year, you'll be able to put your finger on the digital crown for 30 seconds to receive an ECG reading that you can export to PDF to share with your doctor. Since this feature isn't yet available, we didn't test it, but we'll update this review with our findings as soon as it comes out. There’s been little change in the design of the Apple Watch since its introduction – until now. The Series 4 is the first real reinvention of the wearable. I say reinvention, but if you’re familiar with previous Apple Watches then you’ll instantly feel at home with the Apple Watch Series 4. More passively, you also get notifications if your heart rate is too low or too high while at rest. This is a more precautionary feature, and since I'm in relatively good health, I never received a warning. Call quality is even better. We really liked the Series 3, the first Apple Watch with standalone cellular capability, but it was plagued by dropped calls and poor sound quality. In testing the Series 4, I made several phone calls, none of which dropped. And the new microphone placement does indeed help with call quality, as does the louder speaker, for a more intelligible experience on both ends.