Apple Watch Series 7 May Feature Smaller Double-Sided S7 Chip

[PaladinGuy]

I own an AW5 (Wi-Fi) and my watch will die in approximately 15 hours with the following:

1. AOD turned on
2. Light email usage throughout the day
3. 1.25 hours of workouts (using AirPods to listen to music downloaded to the watch for about an hour of that time)

I'm a bit conflicted because I want better battery life but I don't want the the watch thicker then it already is. I'd rather have them improve the cellular modem on the device (even at the cost of battery life) so I can use that functionality with confidence. I'd be willing to charge my watch twice a day for better functionality. It will be interesting to see what the marketplace dictates Apple do.

That’s close to what I get. It just annoys me that I have to be so careful to not use a lot of the features, if I want to make it through the day.

When I asked Apple about it last week, they suggested I turn off AOD, turn off the HR sensor, disable wake to raise…. I told the guy I bought the watch to use it! If I have to turn off all the features, it’s not very useful to me.

 

[justin0712]

Yeah I'll admit, the Series 3 is a terrible experience in 2021. The Apple Watch tech is advancing too fast.

The Series 3 should have been shelved by Apple when the Series 5 came out. I could never figure out why they kept selling it in 2020 and still are selling it in 2021!

But then...I realized in true Apple fashion that the 4 to the 5 was such a small upgrade they had to axe the 4 or sales would have pretty much been DOA if the 4 was kept in the lineup at a reduction in price. Going forward I cannot see the S3 getting anything beyond WatchOS 8 which is going to piss off people that are barely purchasing the watch brand new today.

 

[xyz01]

My guess is that battery size is mainly unchanged, Apple has been sticking to 18hrs from the get go and they are not going to double that.
I would hope for new sensors but we will have to wait

Battery time has gotten far more annoying after they added sleep monitoring...

 

[Techwatcher]

The Series 3 should have been shelved by Apple when the Series 5 came out. I could never figure out why they kept selling it in 2020 and still are selling it in 2021!

But then...I realized in true Apple fashion that the 4 to the 5 was such a small upgrade they had to axe the 4 or sales would have pretty much been DOA if the 4 was kept in the lineup at a reduction in price. Going forward I cannot see the S3 getting anything beyond WatchOS 8 which is going to piss off people that are barely purchasing the watch brand new today.

Agreed. Series 3 currently doesn't even get the full benefits of watchOS 7.

 

[futurist101]

That’s close to what I get. It just annoys me that I have to be so careful to not use a lot of the features, if I want to make it through the day.

When I asked Apple about it last week, they suggested I turn off AOD, turn off the HR sensor, disable wake to raise…. I told the guy I bought the watch to use it! If I have to turn off all the features, it’s not very useful to me.

There are many of us that share your frustration. When I was using an AW3 I got so frustrated with battery life that I started looking for an alternative option (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Watch). However, after reading online reviews I discovered that there were people making similar complaints about "actual" battery life for that watch as well. It only makes sense when more functionality is added and utilized it will drain the battery faster. For me, it's an acceptable compromise to charge it twice a day on the few times I utilize it more than usual.

 

[lartola]

Going forward I cannot see the S3 getting anything beyond WatchOS 8 which is going to piss off people that are barely purchasing the watch brand new today.

I didn’t even see the S3 getting watchOS 8, yet surprisingly it will get the update. Users have already been suffering to install all the watchOS 7 updates on the GPS S3, even the minor ones, due to its lower storage capacity.

 

[lartola]

Agreed. Series 3 currently doesn't even get the full benefits of watchOS 7.

The GPS version can’t even handle the software updates because of its lower storage capacity. Since watchOS 7 users of that model have to reset the watch to install the updates (and Apple releases updates very often, barely a month between updates now, so it’s a pain for GPS S3 users).

 

[PaladinGuy]

There are many of us that share your frustration. When I was using an AW3 I got so frustrated with battery life that I started looking for an alternative option (e.g. Samsung Galaxy Watch). However, after reading online reviews I discovered that there were people making similar complaints about "actual" battery life for that watch as well. It only makes sense when more functionality is added and utilized it will drain the battery faster. For me, it's an acceptable compromise to charge it twice a day on the few times I utilize it more than usual.

Good perspective.

I don’t have the 6, but maybe faster charging has negated some of this. I just know I for one will be super happy if they make increased battery life a priority this year. I hope they even make it a tiny bit thicker, like they did for the 11 Pro, to add battery life. Not sure how much more efficient they can make the processor to make up for all the added features.

 

[FrozenInferno]

Battery time has gotten far more annoying after they added sleep monitoring...

Is sleep monitoring something you actually need to use though?

If anyone is having a hard time sleeping, or snoring heavily, or tossing and turning constantly at night, to the point they feel they need to have their watch monitor their sleep, I would strongly recommend getting tested for sleep apnea. My CPAP machine has done wonders for me and I cannot recommend it enough for people who struggle to sleep. Having a watch monitor you is one thing but it’s not going to actively do anything to improve the situation.

As for earlier comments in the thread regarding the Apple Watch being too big or thick, are we wearing the same thing? lol. I’m new to the AW world and my SE feels absolutely tiny already. And I don’t have big wrists either. I can’t imagine this thing being any thinner.

 

[xyz01]

Is sleep monitoring something you actually need to use though?

If anyone is having a hard time sleeping, or snoring heavily, or tossing and turning constantly at night, to the point they feel they need to have their watch monitor their sleep, I would strongly recommend getting tested for sleep apnea. My CPAP machine has done wonders for me and I cannot recommend it enough for people who struggle to sleep. Having a watch monitor you is one thing but it’s not going to actively do anything to improve the situation.

As for earlier comments in the thread regarding the Apple Watch being too big or thick, are we wearing the same thing? lol. I’m new to the AW world and my SE feels absolutely tiny already. And I don’t have big wrists either. I can’t imagine this thing being any thinner.

Do you actually need anything beyond a good quality mechanical watch?

On a more serious note: I like data, that's why I wear it. I don't have any problems like you describe, at least to my knowledge. I wish the data was used more by Apple, though - like Polar and Garmin do. Sleep should be used, in conjunction with activity and workout data, to give recovery status and help target your workouts better.

There is one critical thing I need it for during the night time, though - alarms. It was a big feature for me - one that had been missing since I used Polar watches - that they added a useful alarm for waking up, one that doesn't automatically wake up my wife the same way a traditional alarm does.

 

[FrozenInferno]

Do you actually need anything beyond a good quality mechanical watch?

On a more serious note: I like data, that's why I wear it. I don't have any problems like you describe, at least to my knowledge. I wish the data was used more by Apple, though - like Polar and Garmin do. Sleep should be used, in conjunction with activity and workout data, to give recovery status and help target your workouts better.

There is one critical thing I need it for during the night time, though - alarms. It was a big feature for me - one that had been missing since I used Polar watches - that they added a useful alarm for waking up, one that doesn't automatically wake up my wife the same way a traditional alarm does.

Can’t argue about the alarm thing for sure.

 

[WeatherWeasel]

Can’t argue about the alarm thing for sure.

My dad carried one of those pocket watches instead of wrist watch, said the bands pinched the wrist and impaired circulation. Actually he watched Gunsmoke and Doc Adams had a pocket watch and he would take his watch out when Doc did his. Dad was one of those old fashioned doctors. Oh and the watch kept perfect time. I have an apple watch . I wonder what dad would have thought being able to call and talk on the watch like Dick Tracy or if he had a cell phone.

 

[Patricio27]

why is anyone excited about a smaller chip package? why would that be a reason you all need to say "well that's exciting! i must upgrade this year!"

Obviously...smaller S7 chip will allow more space for bigger battery size inside...means more battery life. And smaller chip means it will be more power efficient as transistors are closer..more power efficient means more battery life.

 

[Patricio27]

I didn't realize you were a tech sadist.

If you only use it for pinging your iPhone if misplaced, for time, for not missing a call or text when your iPhone is away even few meters or rooms away esp at home, for controlling Apple music etc, for other basic stuffs...then there's no reason for you you to upgrade.

 

[Patricio27]

Let's hope Apple will release their products sooner with their patent for smart bands like smart battery bands for new Apple watch with docks for smart bands.

New sensors would be great, I agree, but I really think more battery would be good too, especially for those that want the sleep tracking. I really just want it so I could wear it for a couple days without recharging.