Apple Watch Series 3
At its launch event, Tim Cook announced that the Apple Watch grew 50% year-on year following the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2. It’s also overtaken Rolex as the number 1 watch in the world, although it wasn’t clear by what criteria.
It now adds in LTE connectivity, so you'll be able to stay connected on the move, which will make it a better standalone device if you don't fancy lugging a massive handset with you.
With these cellular capabilities built in, Apple said that the Apple Watch Series 3 means users can “go anywhere with just the watch”, using the device to make and receive calls, use maps to get directions, and the phone number of the connected iPhone will remain the same.
You’ll also be able to stream music thanks to the cellular connection through Apple Music directly from your wrist. This is going to be fantastic news for fitness fans.
Here's everything you need to know about the new Apple Watch Series 3...
The Stuff office is a little underwhelmed by the red crown. Surely an exclusive case colour, like the 2006 black MacBook, would have been a better bet? Perhaps that would have been too polarising and limited its appeal.
Still, the new grey ceramic option for the Watch Edition (which starts at £1299) is welcome – pretty as the white ceramic watches are, grey is harder to dirty, especially if you intend to take your Apple Watch travelling.
The good news for owners of more affordable Apple Watches is that you’ll be able to transfer your existing bands to the Series 3 too. Apple has been consistent in updating its watch bands, adding new colours and styles over the last couple of years, but it’s nice to not have to start from scratch again.
In my time with watchOS 4 on the Series 3, I found it to be, visually, a lot kinder to the eyes too, with better contrast and easier-to-read text, something my ageing, probably-need-bifocals eyes appreciate.
Apple is still pretty controlling about how much you can customise your interface but the new Watch faces, Toy Story faces among them, almost make up for that. Almost. We’d still like third-party watch faces sometime this decade, though, Apple.
From now on the specs are the same as the last generation, but we include them here for completeness. The display on the Series 3 has a resolution of 272 x 340 (38mm model) or 312 x 390 (42mm), a pixel density of 326ppi, and a brightness of 1,000 nits. These specs are identical to the Series 2, and mostly identical to the first-gen model, which only had a dimmer screen (450 nits).
Apple Watch Series 3 LTE Connectivity
The way Apple has integrated it into the Watch 2 LTE is neat - there's a toggle in the Control Center to disable data, complications on the watch face will show your signal strength and you'll be able to navigate instantly using the inbuilt GPS.
However, it's going to come at a cost and be a bit confusing depending on your territory - some countries are still getting to grips with offering multiple connections to the same contract, and it's going to cost extra as well.
The LG Watch Sport offered the same thing, and in the US this cost $5 to $10 per month... that's a fairly large extra outlay for a standalone device, so we assume Apple will put this Watch available on contract.
There's another slight upgrade in that there's a barometric altimeter in the mix now, which means the Watch 3 can tell when you're heading up and down stairs more effectively - although that's something rivals have had for a while, so this is just tidying up.
Will that be enough to make people want to upgrade to the new Watch? Being able to go for a run and be connected and navigate without the iPhone is cool (especially as you can stream Apple Music on the go, which is a really nifty upgrade) but it's an added expense that some may balk at. Especially if they're also buying the expensive iPhone X...
Other than cellular, you get Wi?Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2.
During the keynote event, there was an emphasis on health – as the Apple Watch is now the most popular watch in the world, surpassing Rolex, Apple claims that the wearable device is one of the most-used heart-rate sensors in the world. Due to this, Apple ships the new watches with watchOS 4. The updated Heart Rate app provides notifications of irregular heart rate, which is useful if you have a heart condition and would like to track your changes during your daily grind.
To further emphasise Apple's commitment to health, Apple also revealed the Apple Heart study, a partnership with Stanford University that uses data from Apple Watches and notifies users of any potential heart problems. It will be available later this year in the US on the Apple App Store.
Apple already announced watchOS 4 at its WWDC event earlier in the year, revealing the new operating system will become available for existing Apple Watch devices around the autumn. The new Apple Watch 3 will come with the new operating system straight out of the box.
The updated OS will include new features such as a Siri watch face, which will proactively bring useful information to your watch’s screen. There will also be new watch faces such as a number of Toy Story-themed options. You’ll also be able to pay person-to-person Apple Pay payments. The Music app has also had a revamp and will now auto-sync certain playlists, meaning you’ll have access to your most listened to tunes from your watch.
Verdict
Leaving the cellular question aside for the moment, is it worth upgrading to the Watch Series 3 if you’re existing Watch owner?
It’s easy to think in the hype of (any) Apple Watch event that Apple will instantly wipe all the competitors off the face of the watch earth. After all, Apple proclaimed to be the “#1 watch brand in the world” (of any type, not just tech watches). And likely that’s true. They also noted they’ve got the most used heart rate monitor in the world, and that’s probably true on the technicality of a single watch model – but I’d wager that Fitbit probably has more of a single sensor type.
But keep in mind that since Apple announced the first Apple Watch, other brands have had blockbuster years. Fitbit’s sold more devices than ever before, as has Garmin. In effect, a rising tide lifts all boats. And what everyone has come to realize is that with greater interest in smart watches, everyone in the industry is winning – especially consumers with greater choice. For hardcore endurance athletes, the Apple Watch still likely won’t be your first choice. But for many others the option gets more and more compelling.
Most of what Apple showed today is seen on other units. Almost all of it (resting heartrate, cellular) has been done elsewhere in the industry, albeit usually with less finesse. But what Apple is really good at is that finesse, the cellular is a prime example of that. This finesse is why people buy and love their devices.
What I’m most interested in though is seeing the accuracy of some of the new technology in the Series 3. For example – with the movement of the cellular antenna to the display, will that impact GPS accuracy? Or how will the addition of the barometric altimeter improve things? And has Apple made any quiet changes to optical HR accuracy behind the scenes?
The Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $329 in the Us (for the GPS-only models) or $399 (if you want cellular capabilities).
The Latest Edition of the Apple Watch Series 3
Apple has announced the latest version of its smartwatch: the Apple Watch Series 3, also known as the Apple Watch 3. You can pre-order the watch now and it'll ship and appear in shops on 22 Sept. The Apple Watch didn't need to evolve its design – after all, there’s a reason why it’s now the world’s best-selling watch.=
At its launch event, Tim Cook announced that the Apple Watch grew 50% year-on year following the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2. It’s also overtaken Rolex as the number 1 watch in the world, although it wasn’t clear by what criteria.
You’ll also be able to stream music thanks to the cellular connection through Apple Music directly from your wrist. This is going to be fantastic news for fitness fans.
Apple Watch Series 3 Design
The Series 3’s case is pretty much identical to its predecessor. The only difference is an extra 0.25mm thickness to the rear crystal bump (which is pretty much unnoticeable) and, for the cellular version, a red digital crown.
The Stuff office is a little underwhelmed by the red crown. Surely an exclusive case colour, like the 2006 black MacBook, would have been a better bet? Perhaps that would have been too polarising and limited its appeal.
Still, the new grey ceramic option for the Watch Edition (which starts at £1299) is welcome – pretty as the white ceramic watches are, grey is harder to dirty, especially if you intend to take your Apple Watch travelling.
In my time with watchOS 4 on the Series 3, I found it to be, visually, a lot kinder to the eyes too, with better contrast and easier-to-read text, something my ageing, probably-need-bifocals eyes appreciate.
Apple is still pretty controlling about how much you can customise your interface but the new Watch faces, Toy Story faces among them, almost make up for that. Almost. We’d still like third-party watch faces sometime this decade, though, Apple.
Apple Watch Series 3 Display
The screen is the same, the shape the same, the band connector the same - it's impressive that Apple has managed to lump in so much tech without increasing the thickness from the Apple Watch 2, but some design upgrades would have made this feel like more than just a slight evolution.
Apple Watch Series 3 LTE Connectivity
The flagship feature of the new Apple Watch is cellular connectivity. You can get a data connection on your watch even if you leave the companion iPhone at home: it's a truly independent device for the first time.
The LG Watch Sport offered the same thing, and in the US this cost $5 to $10 per month... that's a fairly large extra outlay for a standalone device, so we assume Apple will put this Watch available on contract.
There's another slight upgrade in that there's a barometric altimeter in the mix now, which means the Watch 3 can tell when you're heading up and down stairs more effectively - although that's something rivals have had for a while, so this is just tidying up.
Apple Watch Series 3 Health
To further emphasise Apple's commitment to health, Apple also revealed the Apple Heart study, a partnership with Stanford University that uses data from Apple Watches and notifies users of any potential heart problems. It will be available later this year in the US on the Apple App Store.
Apple Watch Series 3 Processor and Battery
This is now the S3 chip. It's a dual-core processor, much like the S2 in the Series 2, but Apple says it's 70 percent faster, which should lead to apps opening quicker, and smoother graphics.
Battery life is a claimed 18 hours, or "all day". We look forward to testing this out, because the Series 2 (which was also advertised as having 18-hour battery life) was actually capable of lasting for two days, and because of the inclusion of cellular we can't see how the Series 3 can possibly do as well.
Apple Watch Series 3 OS
Apple already announced watchOS 4 at its WWDC event earlier in the year, revealing the new operating system will become available for existing Apple Watch devices around the autumn. The new Apple Watch 3 will come with the new operating system straight out of the box.
The updated OS will include new features such as a Siri watch face, which will proactively bring useful information to your watch’s screen. There will also be new watch faces such as a number of Toy Story-themed options. You’ll also be able to pay person-to-person Apple Pay payments. The Music app has also had a revamp and will now auto-sync certain playlists, meaning you’ll have access to your most listened to tunes from your watch.
Verdict
Leaving the cellular question aside for the moment, is it worth upgrading to the Watch Series 3 if you’re existing Watch owner?
It’s easy to think in the hype of (any) Apple Watch event that Apple will instantly wipe all the competitors off the face of the watch earth. After all, Apple proclaimed to be the “#1 watch brand in the world” (of any type, not just tech watches). And likely that’s true. They also noted they’ve got the most used heart rate monitor in the world, and that’s probably true on the technicality of a single watch model – but I’d wager that Fitbit probably has more of a single sensor type.
But keep in mind that since Apple announced the first Apple Watch, other brands have had blockbuster years. Fitbit’s sold more devices than ever before, as has Garmin. In effect, a rising tide lifts all boats. And what everyone has come to realize is that with greater interest in smart watches, everyone in the industry is winning – especially consumers with greater choice. For hardcore endurance athletes, the Apple Watch still likely won’t be your first choice. But for many others the option gets more and more compelling.
Most of what Apple showed today is seen on other units. Almost all of it (resting heartrate, cellular) has been done elsewhere in the industry, albeit usually with less finesse. But what Apple is really good at is that finesse, the cellular is a prime example of that. This finesse is why people buy and love their devices.
What I’m most interested in though is seeing the accuracy of some of the new technology in the Series 3. For example – with the movement of the cellular antenna to the display, will that impact GPS accuracy? Or how will the addition of the barometric altimeter improve things? And has Apple made any quiet changes to optical HR accuracy behind the scenes?
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