The Apple Event is one of the most anticipated tech shows globally; people are eager to find out what new hardware Apple is bringing. The 2020 edition saw the arrival of the new Apple Watch 6 series among other devices. So how does it compare to the Watch 5 series? Should you consider upgrading? Let’s talk about that now.
Design and Display
The Apple Watch has had the same design ever since it hit the market in 2015. The Apple Watch Series 6 has the same rectangular design that we saw in the Watch 5 and previous editions. Just like the Watch 5 series, the Watch 6 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes with slim bezels, rounded corners, and compatibility with Apple’s entire lineup of watch bands. It comes with new colors though; Blue, Classic Gold, Classic Graphite, and Red. Whereas the Apple Watch Series 5 was available in aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic, the Apple Watch Series 6 comes in aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium — there’s no Ceramic version for the Series 6.
The display on the Apple Watch 6 is identical to that of the Watch 5. They both have an Always-on retina screen with a 368×448 resolution. The difference between the two displays is the brightness. Apple says that the new display is 2.5 times brighter. The Apple Watch 6 has also done away with the Force Touch feature which is available on the Watch 5.
Related Article: Samsung Watch 3 vs Apple Watch 5: Specs Comparison
Software
The Apple Watch Series 6 comes with a new S6 chip which is significantly faster than the Watch Series 5. It also has a built-in ‘Pulse Oximeter sensor’ which can measure blood oxygen levels in a few seconds and send the results to the Blood Oxygen App.
When you purchase the Apple Watch 6, you will get free three months of the newly introduced Fitness+ subscription service within the watch. Here, there are a variety of workouts including yoga, cycling, dance, treadmill run among others. There is also a beginner program included to cater to people just starting out their workout routine.
Just like Watch 5, the Apple Watch Series 6 also features ECG functionality, fall detection, emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and noise monitoring. However, the Watch 6 has a tone of new features thanks to the WatchOS 7 system. These include;
- More Workout app modes i.e., Core Training, Dance, Functional Strength Training, and Cooldown.Watch face sharingHand-washing detectionCycling directionsMore than one Complication per app can be shown on a watch faceHeadphone listening duration trackingSleep tracking
Battery
Apple Watch Series 5 has a 296mAh that offers about 18 hours of battery life. The battery capacity for the Watch Series 6 is not yet known though leaks say it is about 303.8mAh. The introduction of new features may mean that this battery capacity will likely offer the same 18 hours of battery life although improvements to power efficiency in the watchOS7 could mean increased battery life. The Apple Watch Series 6 can charge 20% faster than the Apple Watch Series 5 according to Apple.
Price
The price of the Watch Series 5 is starting to drop on many online platforms owing to the fact that Apple introduced two new watches at this year’s Apple event — Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399, while Apple Watch SE model starts at $279. The Watch 5 Series costs about $329.
