Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 doesn’t make any big changes to its predecessor’s winning formula, but it still reigns supreme as the smartwatch king for iOS users. The bigger display is a subtle upgrade that crams more into your view and the faster charging goes some way to making up for the battery life, that’ll still only just get you through a day. There might be more feature-packed watches out there for the running and fitness die-hards but for most people the Apple Watch 7 ticks all the right boxes.

It might not be the redesign some had hoped for, but the larger display really makes a difference to the Apple Watch experience on offer - and improved charging speeds are a nice touch too. There isn't enough here for Series 6 owners to upgrade, but it'll provide a nice change for older Apple Watch owners and those new to the wearable.

The Apple Watch 7 is basically the Watch 6 with a slightly larger screen and the ability to charge faster – most people will likely choose the Watch 7 because of the new attractive colors it comes in, rather than any new features. While it still packs a wide variety of impressive features, and is a superb second screen for an iPhone user (as well as being genuinely useful to anyone who needs the ECG or blood oxygen monitor regularly) the Watch 7 doesn’t offer the battery life, fitness or design overhaul that it needs to inspire an upgrade.

I have said this every year for several years now because it’s true every year: the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for iPhone users, by far. There are fitness trackers that fulfill niches not filled by the Apple Watch like Garmins for more serious athletes or Fitbits for people who want something simpler. But as a general computer-on-your-wrist, the Apple Watch Series 7 is challenged only by older Apple Watches.

WatchOS is a capable and comprehensive system that can help you track your workouts, automatically log your sessions, prompt you to be more active and mindful of your mental health all while being a great extension of your smartphone. It’s not the best at sleep-tracking, though, so if that’s a priority you might prefer a Fitbit. Despite its relatively high starting price of $400, what Apple offers is currently the best in the market, especially for the iOS ecosystem.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is essentially a more refined version of the Series 6. If you already have a recent watch like the Series 5 or 6, there's no reason to upgrade just yet -- especially since you can get many new features through software updates. But if you have an older watch like the Series 3 or Series 4, you'll have a lot to gain from the bigger screen, speedier performance and additional sensors that come with the Series 7.

Many were hoping that this would be the year that the Apple Watch would get rumoured enhanced health monitoring features like blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar, but that hasn’t happened. And given that Series 5 and 6 also only saw incremental updates to the line, it’s now becoming harder to hide my disappointment. Still, none of these detract from the fact that the Apple Watch Series 7 is a very solid and polished smartwatch. Nothing has changed, it is still the best smartwatch iPhone users can buy.