Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 5: Should you upgrade?

Apple watches are expensive, but they are some of the best smartwatches out there, if you have an iPhone, sure. The Apple Watch Series 6, Apple’s 2020 version, is still a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to splurge on the Series 7. It’s also a decent improvement over its predecessor, but should you upgrade if you already have the Series 5? Here’s a look at the Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 5.

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Apple Watch Series 6 vs Apple Watch Series 5

Specifications

Apple’s last significant redesign happened with the Apple Watch Series 4, but things have remained basically the same since. You would have to take a look at the spec sheet to see the physical differences between the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Series 5. The Series 6 is slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor, but not enough to make a noticeable difference. . The good news? You can use the same accessories, such as cases, with both.

The only differences are in the construction and color combinations, but even most of it is the same. Aluminum, stainless steel or titanium bodies are available for both, while the Series 5 has a ceramic option. There are many familiar color combinations such as silver, space gray, and gold. The Series 6 brings Blue and Product Red into the mix, while you can get a white Apple Watch Series 5 if you get the ceramic version. You can also swap bands with both.

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You’ll have to dive into the hardware to find fundamental differences between the two. The Series 6 comes with a newer processing package that is unsurprisingly more powerful and 20% faster than the Series 5 processor. Other internals remain the same, with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of RAM. GB of storage that completes the specifications. Battery life is about the same too, and Apple says you can get up to 18 hours of battery life with both the Series 5 and Series 6.

Most of the updates with the Series 6 are with the sensors and on the software side. A welcome addition for fitness enthusiasts is a pulse oximeter to keep track of blood oxygen levels. It’s not FDA approved and probably not as accurate as SpO2 medical trackers, but it’s good enough to keep an eye on your heart health around the clock. The Series 6 also upgrades the altimeter to an always-on altimeter. And that’s it when it comes to differences.

The Series 6 retains all the health and fitness tracking features of its predecessor, including all-day heart rate monitoring, an ECG sensor, automatic and manual training tracking, and sleep tracking. Apple introduced the Apple Fitness Plus service, with workouts led by expert trainers and more, with the Series 6, but you won’t have a problem using the service with the Series 5, either. You can get three months of Apple Fitness Plus for free when you buy a new Apple Watch (Series 3 and newer), and is included in select Apple One plans.

Both watches now run WatchOS 8.1, so the software experience is identical as well. You can take advantage of Apple’s unmatched app library and third-party support, get help from Siri, use Apple Pay, control your smart home devices, answer calls and reply to messages, and much, much more.

Price

With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple no longer directly sells the Series 6 or Series 5, but you can find them at retailers like Amazon. The Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $ 399 for the 40mm model with Bluetooth only and $ 499 for the LTE model. However, you can usually find it for sale during the holidays.

It really doesn’t make sense to buy the Series 5 now if you are looking for a new Apple Watch. If you’re expecting a cheaper version, you might want to consider the Apple Watch SE. It’s essentially the same as the Series 5, but without features like an always-on-screen display and an ECG sensor.

The Apple Watch consistently tops our ranks for the best smartwatches. If you already have an Apple Watch Series 5, you may want to look to the Series 7 instead, or the Watch SE if you are on a budget.

The 6 Series has a faster processing package and adds new features like blood oxygen monitoring, but otherwise the experience is identical. Except for the pulse oximeter, you will get the same sensors with both, and both are equally capable on the software side. Ultimately, it’s quite an iterative upgrade, and you should be able to keep the Series 5 for a while longer, unless SpO2 tracking is absolutely a must.