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

Product Information

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Read our editorial mission & see how we test. 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. Throughout the majority of the review I have been switching between the Sport Loop and the Sport Strap, with the Leather Loop thrown in for the classier occasion. The ease of the Sport Loop, with its velcro band, is my favourite of the bunch – it’s just the easiest and the comfiest. It’s made from a slightly elastic fabric and uses a hook and loop fixing, similar to the premium Milanese Loop, to secure around your wrist. Since it uses this strap, it’ll fit pretty much any sized wrist and allow you to alter the fit depending on what you’re doing. That is for shielding and grounding purposes. If you get a spare you can of course replace it. But be careful not to damage the display cables.

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.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.

Emergency SOS requires a cellular connection or Wi‑Fi calling with an internet connection from your Apple Watch or nearby iPhone. A subscription is required for Oceanic+. Available on the App Store. Always follow diving protocols, and dive with a companion and have a secondary device. 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. It is quite annoying having to always the remember the proprietary Apple Watch charger though and it feels like Apple should have, by now, come up with a simpler solution. AirPower – a charging mate that’d juice up AirPods, iPhones and Apple Watch simultaneously – seemed like the solution, but has yet to materialise. Why buy the Apple Watch 4? The basis of this Activity app is three rings, each of which you’re encouraged to fill up during the day. One is Movement, another Exercise and the final, Stand. When you first set-up the Apple Watch you’ll be prompted to enter some basic details – gender, height, weight etc – and then it’ll give you suggested targets for each, You can, of course, alter these manually afterwards. As an example, I selected 800 calories burned in movement, 30 minutes exercise and to stand at least once every hour throughout the day. There’s still no way to include flights of stairs climbed as part of your daily goal, something Richard Easton requested in his Apple Watch 3 review.

The Apple Watch 4 is still one of the top smartwatches

Achievements are available if you hit certain targets and you can share and compete with others if you need to add some extra spice.

Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch SE require iPhone Xs or later with iOS 17 or later. Make sure to update your Apple Watch to watchOS 5 or later (and the paired iPhone to iOS 12 or later) to avoid pairing issues after a display replacement. 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. Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch SE require iPhone Xs or later with iOS 17 or later.

Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic cases

Apple Watch Series 9 has a water resistance rating of 50 meters 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-us/HT205000. 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.

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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.