- Are you debating whether to get the Apple Watch Series 5 or Apple Watch Series 6? Here is an overview of the Apple Watch Series 5 vs. Apple Watch Series 6 to help you decide which one to get.
Apple recently announced the Apple Watch Series 6 smartwatch device. Before the Apple Watch Series 6 was announced, the Series 5 was one of the best selling smartwatches over the past year. Are you debating whether to buy the Apple Watch 6 or the Apple Watch 5? Here is an overview of the Apple Watch 6 vs the Apple Watch 5 to help you understand the differences:
Design
The measurements of the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch 5 are still very similar. Both the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch Series 5 have a 40mm or 44mm case — which is over 30% larger than the Apple Watch Series 3.
The 40mm versions of both smartwatches have a 1.57-inch display (324 x 394 resolution). And the 44mm versions have a 1.78-inch display (368 x 448 resolution)
Display
The Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch Series 5 both have Always-On Retina LTPO OLED displays. And the brightness on both is 1000 nits.
The Always-On Retina LTPO allows you to see your most important notifications without having to tap on the display or raise your wrist.
Materials
The Apple Watch 5 has an extra option over the Apple Watch 6 when it comes to the differences. Specifically, the Apple Watch 5 has a sapphire crystal display on stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic cases. The Apple Watch Series 6 has the same options except for ceramic. And the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch Series 5 have an Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases.
Processor
The processor in the Apple Watch Series 6 has been upgraded as follows:
— Apple Watch Series 6: S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 wireless chip, and U1 chip (Ultra Wideband)
— Apple Watch Series 5: S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor and W3 wireless chip
The S6 SiP in the Apple Watch Series 6 makes it 20% faster than the Apple Watch Series 5.
Sensors
Here is a comparison of the sensor specifications of the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch 5:
— Apple Watch Series 6: Blood oxygen sensor; electrical heart sensor and third-generation optical heart sensor
— Apple Watch Series 5: Electrical heart sensor and second-generation optical heart sensor
— Both Devices: High and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, and ECG app, International emergency calling, Emergency SOS, and fall detection
The blood oxygen sensor expands on the health capabilities of previous Apple Watch models with a new feature that measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood so they can better understand overall fitness and wellness.
Oxygen saturation (SpO2) represents the percentage of oxygen being carried by red blood cells from the lungs to the rest of the body. And it indicates how well this oxygenated blood is being delivered throughout the body.
And the Blood Oxygen sensor employs four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs along with the four photodiodes on the back crystal of the Apple Watch Series 6 in order to measure light reflected back from blood.
The Apple Watch Series 6 uses an advanced custom algorithm built into the Blood Oxygen app, which is designed to measure blood oxygen between 70% and 100%. And on-demand measurements can be taken while the user is still and periodic background measurements occur when they are inactive, including during sleep. This data will be visible in the Health app and the user will be able to track trends over time to see how their blood oxygen level changes.
Built into the Apple Watch Series 6 is an always-on altimeter. This provides users with real-time elevation data. And it can detect small elevation changes down to a measurement of just one foot. This provides a whole new level of accuracy.
Water Resistance
Both the Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch Series 6 have 50 meters of water resistance support.
Audio
Both the Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch Series 6 have a 50% louder speaker. And both devices have a built-in mic.
Battery Life
The Apple Watch Series 5 and the Apple Watch Series 6 both have a battery life of up to 18 hours. The Apple Watch Series 6 has faster charging as it can complete a full charge in under 1.5 hours and there is improved battery life for certain workouts like indoor and outdoor runs.
Storage
Both of the smartwatches have a storage capacity of 32GB. This gives you a decent amount of space to store your favorite music and apps.
Price
The starting price of the Apple Watch 6 is $399 for the 40mm version. And the starting price of the 44mm version is $429. This was the same starting price for the Apple Watch 5.
Want To Buy The Apple Watch Series 5 Or Apple Watch Series 6? Here Are Some Options:
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