Apple Watch Series 4

The Apple Watch Series 4 comes in different colors and styles in order to suit individual styles and preferences.

The Apple Watch Series 4 offers two way walkie-talkie functions in order to offer a more connected experience.

Editor rating: 9.8 / 10

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By NicoleK

Apple Watch Series 4 Review Facts

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Technology has advanced greatly over the years. It seems that technology is currently heavily focused on convenience for everyday life. This includes wireless technology like headphones and Bluetooth speakers. It also includes trackers like GPS devices to help us get through foreign cities and tracking our animals when in training. This also includes wearable technology that assists and monitor our daily life. Wearable technology used to be more focused more on health and fitness but has since evolved to communication and monitoring. Apple, for instance, is currently working on technology with the American Heart Association that helps monitor heart rates throughout the day in order to assist with the detection of an early heart attack symptoms. Imagine being able to detect something like this in such early stages that it allows the wearer to get themselves or their loved ones to a doctor before a heart attack can actually cause harm! This device has already saved lives since the Apple Watch Series 4 came out. Another benefit of wearable technology is the ability to answer calls through them. One user got into a car accident causing her car to become nearly destroyed in a ditch. Due to the shape of the vehicle the user was unable to access her phone. In that time, though, she remembered that she was wearing her Apple Watch. She was able to call 911 from her watch which helped her safely exit the vehicle with help of emergency workers. The watch quite literally saved her life.

This article focuses on the quality and reliability of the cult favorite- Apple Watch Series 4. We looked at consumer reviews in order to determine if this watch is worth the high cost associated with it. We also looked at the functionality of the watch, its features, and its reliability. This is our review of the Apple Watch Series 4. We hope that this comprehensive review assists you with your next smartwatch purchase.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Tons of features
Intuitive programming
Easy to use
Great warranty
Very comfortable

Cons

Screen durability and smallish size
Short battery life (in comparison to competitive products)

ACTIVITIES

Activities include being able to use this product for ongoing monitoring (for health and wellness purposes). It also includes productivity advancements, GPS services and locational services (like find my phone). It can be useful for travel or at home because it helps monitor phone activity (like calls and texts) via the device itself rather than having to pull out your phone. Additionally, this version of the device is the first with a cellular capability and therefore offers use even when out of phone range. This allows users to go on runs, bike rides and walks without having to bring their phone with them. It also connects to the apple wireless earphones allowing the user to listen to music on the go as well, again, without having their device on them.

BASIC FEATURES

Basic features include heart rate monitoring, calendar updates, and communication notifications. It also allows users to monitor their workouts, sends reminders for meditative breathing and stand reminders for those who sit for extended periods of time.

ADVANCED FEATURES

Advanced features include advanced heart rate monitoring (looking for preliminary signs of heart attacks), sleep monitoring and text messaging directly from the phone. As mentioned earlier, it also allows consumers to use the watch without the use of a phone because it offers cellular services. This is something extremely unique to this type of device and allows users to workout without having to have their phone within range.

CONNECTIVITY

This product connects intuitively through specific chips that are offered by Apple. Those who bought this product found that it connected quite easily and stayed connected. One issue that some found is that in earlier versions of this product the sensitivity with the heart rate monitor wasn't strong enough. Luckily, this is not an issue with this product. Because this product does offer more advanced heart rate monitoring features, the sensor is ultra sensitive and is a huge update to the previous models. Overall, this product, as long as being used with an Apple phone, does not seem to lack connectivity which is very positive.

APPS

This product offers apps very similarly to Apple phones. It also seems to be adding new features every day. All apps can be downloaded from the Apple store and are done via the Apple device it is connected to. There are tons of apps depending on what the user wants to do including monitoring, social media, and games.

COMFORT

The watch itself is quite lightweight in nature which makes it quite easy to use. It also offers an ultra soft silicone band which is very easy to wear on the wrist, even when sweating. The device also latches easily and does not seem to add too much bulk which is an ongoing issue with other competitive products on the market.

STYLE

The Apple watch has a certain reputation and has become a bit of a status symbol in our generation. For this reason, this watch could be considered stylish. That being said, if looking at this watch outside of its status symbol, this watch is a little sporty. The watch is offered in two different sizes, one smaller and one larger. The smaller version is definitely a little more feminine in appearance and could be considered a little more stylish. The band is clearly well made (made of a soft silicone material) which helps with its aesthetic. It is harder to pair with jewelry without clashing. The watch also has the ability to change bands including one that is made by the highly stylish brand Hermes. The band, though, is quite expensive. Pair this with the already high price tag of the Apple watch and its minimal help (in regards to making the band more stylish) makes it hard to justify both costs. The face plate is probably the biggest issue in regards to its sporty aesthetic. The face itself is a little bulky and thick. Though the series 4 is slightly thinner than previous versions. We look forward to seeing what Apple does with this watch. Their other technology has become thinner and thinner. If they are able to somehow make the SmartWatch even smaller, this product will really start to become a force to reckon with. Until then, stylish- yes but fashionable- getting there.

DURABILITY

The durability doesn't seem to be much of an issue with this product except through the faceplate. This is discussed further in the Display area of this article.

FACE

The face of the Apple Watch Series 4 presents a clear display and several options in regard to utilizing its features. An issue that reviewers found is that the watch does have a fairly soft face. This makes consumers concerned about its durability. It seems to scratch relatively easily and at its cost, it makes consumer nervous. There are apple watch screen covers on the market that would help with this but probably won't help with bangs and scrapes against walls and surfaces. This is particularly concerning for the less coordinated that find themselves running into corners and door frames more frequently. Considering this watch is specifically designed for athletic wear as well, the fact that the watch face is fragile is confusing. The screen is also relatively big for a watch face but still a little small considering the functions that the watch is expected to do (like returning text messages and opening apps available on the main (unlocked screen). Though this is the case, smaller to average fingers did find that the watch is intuitive enough to know where the finger is attempting to touch and pulls up applications correctly for the most part. Overall, though the watch face is quite smooth and seemingly fragile, a screen protector helps with this issue and the intuitive nature of the screen helps with the small(ish) display, both of which are positive.

BAND

The band offered by this product is made of a really soft silicone material. It is also offered in two different sizes (and comes with both sizes) in order to help fit nearly all wrist sizes. The connection between the two parts of the band offers a small opening in which the other side enters and a knob to connect to the other band's holes. The inserted band does not annoy the user due to its increased thickness because the design is quite impressive and the silicone is quite soft. It's hard to know when the watch is on the wrist due to the weight of the watch as well. Overall, the band of this product is quite impressive and comfortable. Also, as mentioned in the Style section of this article, the band is interchangeable with alternative, more customized bands. This includes more sporty versions offered by Nike, as well as much more fashionable alternatives offered by Hermes. This watch is quite customization which is kind of something that Apple is criticized for (offering products that do not offer customization) so the fact that this watch does offer some different aesthetic features is quite positive.

EASE OF USE

The biggest issue with the ease of use with this product is that though it seamlessly connects and works with other Apple products, it does not work with other smartphones. This product automatically becomes unusable to nearly 88% of the world (statistics roughly show that about 12% of the population in 2018 owned Apple smartphones). Outside of those who do not own apple phones, this product is extremely easy to use, connect and work with when owning an Apple phone. All Apple products seem to connect quite seamlessly with each other. This is actually something that is done on purpose by most product. Apple specifically has chips that work seamlessly with each other and are usually only found in Apple-related products like all Beats headphones which teamed up with Apple back in 2014. The watch allows for users to seamlessly view their calendar, monitor their lifestyle and receive communications (via text, email, calls, etc.) with very little effort. The notifications can also be customized in order to avoid distraction during times that require concentration like studying, in class, during a workout or at night when in bed. Overall, this product does seem to be quite easy to use and offers Apple users a convenient and easy experience.

BATTERY

The battery is probably the biggest issue with this watch. Because this watch is truly constantly monitoring, the battery does drain quite quickly with this product. The watch is known to drain even if not fully connected to the charger but not actually being used. This is frustrating to those who thought it was charging but it died right before a workout or for those who want to wear this item to bed. This watch does offer technology that helps assist with sleep monitoring but this also means that the watch would need to be charged before bed. Other comparable products on the market, like Garmin smartwatches, live a lot longer than this watch. This is a point of contention with most reviewers. It is understandable, however, as this watch (again when directly comparing to watches like Garmin watches) does offer several very impressive features (two-way walkie talkie, heart attack monitoring, 911 call features, etc.) Overall, the battery doesn't last long and this should be considered especially by those with very busy lifestyles or by those who want something that can continually monitor over extended periods.

PRICE

Probably the biggest hesitation for those who considered buying this watch is the price. The price tag on this watch is quite high. Unlike the other higher priced product through Apple, this product is less readily available through payment plans and contracts. The watch is also being offered with much bigger and better options every other year making this product obsolete despite the potentially still feeling the sting from the price tag. The watch does come with a far better warranty than comparable products and is covered under its own Apple additional warranty, however, the price is still a hard one to stomach.

ACCESSORIES

The watch comes with a charging cable, two bands (for different sized wrists) and the device itself. This watch also has a ton of additional accessories available on the Apple website and via Amazon. There are also tons of third-party manufacturers offering additional accessories in order to add convenience and customization. This is a huge advantage of buying an Apple watch over less popular brands which is a wider variety of accessories both on the name brand side, as well through more of the inexpensive off brands.

KEY FEATURES

-Wireless connectivity for use outside of Bluetooth range of your cell phone and tablet
-Real application functionality directly through the device itself
-Continuous monitoring for health reporting (like heart rate and sleeping patterns)
-Works just as well for everyday use as it does for athletic use
-Comfortable and stylish design
-Reliable brand name
-Heart attack prevention
-911 accessibility even when the phone is out of reach

BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line is that this is a great product. As with all products, Apple seems to strive to outdo themselves with every product they release. This product offers a noticeable improvement from earlier versions of the product line. In addition to this, the ability to use the cellular function of the watch without having to be within the range of a cell phone is something that is completely unique to watches available on the market. This feature alone seems to make the watch worth the high price tag associated with it. Some found that the face plate might not withstand some drops or swings, and some really didn't like the battery length of the watch but outside of this product really has great reviews. This watch is definitely worth a consideration.