Always-on comparison Series 5 vs Series 6

[bbates123]

For those of you with both a Series 5 and a Series 6, how are you finding the always-on to be much brighter on the Series 6? Apple says it's 2.5x brighter but most Youtube comparison videos I've watched showed hardly any difference...but, none of them did this comparison outdoors in the sunlight and I suspect that's where you're going to see the difference...not indoors. Can somebody confirm? Also, one reviewer noted that the always-on was noticeably brighter during workouts.

 

[xxBlack]

I have both. They are nearly the same till you go outside when it’s sunny. Yesterday I was hiking and definitely saw a difference

 

[CosmoPilot]

Brighter when outdoors.

 

[Donnation]

I honestly can't really tell a difference between the 5 and 6. I know others have said they can see it but its not something that I can see a really noticeable difference in.

 

[ukms]

I live in almost constant sunshine and outdoors I have noticed a significant difference although I never thought the S5 was bad. This just makes it a better experience.

 

[CosmoPilot]

Even when outdoors?

I honestly can't really tell a difference between the 5 and 6. I know others have said they can see it but its not something that I can see a really noticeable difference in.

 

[Donnation]

Even when outdoors?

Not really. I mean it may be a very (very) slight bit brighter but I wouldn't call it a noticeable difference.

 

[ukms]

I live in almost constant sunshine and outdoors I have noticed a significant difference although I never thought the S5 was bad. This just makes it a better experience.

To expand .... the significant difference I notice is in direct sunlight rather than simply outdoors.

 

[deeddawg]

To expand .... the significant difference I notice is in direct sunlight rather than simply outdoors.

Here's a screenshot from the AppleInsider video that seems to show a noticeable difference. I don't yet have an S6 so can't do my own comparison.

Of course we're constrained in discussion by what 2.5x is perceived as, plus the impreciseness of words like "noticeable" or "significant".

none of them did this comparison outdoors in the sunlight and I suspect that's where you're going to see the difference...not indoors.

My understanding is that the S6 AOD has a wider range of brightness than the S5 AOD. Thus under conditions within the S5 AOD's brightness range, the two watches will appear similar. Only when you go past the limit of the S5 would you then see a difference. Sort of like the differences between a 1m power cord and a 2m power cord - they work about the same until you need more than 1m of cord. It appears that we are only seeing the S5 AOD's limits as we get into sunlight, and thus that would tend to be the only time we'd see the difference. Not indoors, and possibly not even in outdoor shady/cloudy.

Also - As noted in another thread, human perception of brightness tends to be logarithmic, so a 2.5x linear difference may not seem to 2.5x in our perception.