Activity trackers are getting more powerful, and smartwatches are getting healthier. With the convergence of features, what is the best wearable that will fit all your needs?
APPLE WATCH SERIES 4
The Apple Watch Series 4 might look the same as last year’s model but it has numerous improvements.
The two case sizes available now are 44mm and 40mm - 2mm larger than their predecessors. But case thickness has actually been reduced from 11.4mm to 10.7mm. On the wrist, the difference is surprisingly pronounced, with better comfort and proportions.
The display is over 30% larger too. Apple even designed two exclusive Series 4 watch faces (Infograph and Infograph Modular) that can show up to eight complications to track of more stuff.
Also new are a haptic Digital Crown and louder speakers. Haptic feedback provides a more intuitive experience scrolling through long lists, while the louder speakers comes in extremely useful for the Walkie-Talkie feature in watchOS 5.
The Series 4 watches are powered by Apple’s 64-bit S4 processor. A new W3 wireless chip supports Bluetooth 5.0 for quicker wireless transfers and improves power consumption.
Series 4 also comes with improved sensors. The accelerometers and gyroscope are now more sensitive and can detect double the dynamic range. This allows it to detect if the wearer has a serious fall, and automatically notifying emergency services with your location, a nifty feature for the elderly.
Talking about sensors, the last big improvement comes in the form of new electrical heart rate sensors capable of taking an electrocardiogram using the ECG app. Note that this feature requires regulatory approval from relevant health authorities to work, and may not be available in your location.
I’m not a particularly heavy user, and I find myself left with about 50% to 60% battery at the end of the day. Using cellular data, however, will put a huge drain on battery life so use judiciously. In short, Series 4 will still require nightly charging to get the best out of it.
AT A GLANCE
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