Apple Watch series 5 - Review (Consumentenbond)

The Apple Watch is already in its fifth generation. The most important innovation? The screen is always on. But what makes the Apple Watch

series

5 worth the money? Little has changed in the design of the Apple Watch. The screen is the same size as the

series

4 and the

watch

case has also remained the same size. However, the case is available in new titanium and aluminum versions. The biggest change is that the Apple Watch Series 5 screen is always on. With earlier editions, the screen goes completely black when the wrist hangs down. Previously you saw a black square around your wrist.

The light is now dimmed and the colors and information on the

watch

face are visible. As soon as you look at the watch, the light shines brighter and the colors are brighter. The Apple Watch gives more of a 'real' watch feel. The first Apple Watch was primarily a good device for the iPhone. Especially useful for getting notifications on your wrist, so you don't always have to reach for your phone. The Apple Watch has now become a full sports watch. With the heart rate monitor and GPS, you can easily record a run or bike ride. Plus, it tracks your activities, such as the number of steps, throughout the day.

It is even possible to make a movie from the heart. This way you get a complete picture of your general condition and, if you wish, your watch challenges you to be active every day. Also, you can use more and more functions of your iPhone. Think about listening to music, making calls, giving Siri a command and (depending on your bank) also making contactless payments. But what about battery life now that that gorgeous screen is always on? Apple claims that the battery should last up to 18 hours on a charge. With moderate use, that seems about right. That's at the lowest possible screen brightness (brightness has 3 settings).

You may need to charge your Apple Watch every other day. Our extensive smartwatch test shows that the Apple Watch series 3 and 4 are not very successful in terms of battery life. They last on average much less time on a charge than other smartwatches. Whether this also applies to the Apple Watch 5 will be clear from our test in the lab. With the clock, you can now navigate even more easily. It has a built-in compass so you can easily see your viewing direction on the map. Just like the maps app on your phone, the maps rotate with the movement of your watch.

The Apple Watch series 5 has a new version of the operating system. Look OS6. This version has a number of new features that are now available for Apple Watch Series 3 and Series 4 and later this year for Series 1 and 2. For example, new watch faces. An app store, so you can download apps without the intervention of your iPhone. Cycle – a menstruation app. And a decibel meter: with the microphone you measure how many decibels the sound is in your environment. As is often the case with software updates, not all new features will work on older models. Finally, you should know that the Apple Watch series 5 can be used with an iPhone 6s with iOS 13 and higher.

The Apple Watch series 4 disappears from stores. The Apple Watch series 3 is offered for €229. Are you an ING client? Starting this year you can pay contactless with your Apple Watch and Apple Pay. ABN-AMRO and Rabobank have indicated that they will also support Apple Pay in the future. There's not much new under the sun with the Apple Watch Series 5, especially when you compare it to the older model. The screen is always on, so you no longer have a black surface on your wrist when you're not looking at the screen. That looks great. New features like a decibel meter and compass are nice extras.

The Apple Watch Series 5 is a big step up from the Apple Watch Series 3. With the Series 4 disappearing from the lineup, the Series 5 is a very attractive candidate if you're looking for a new smartwatch. The 40mm model has been available since 449. The larger 44mm model has been available for three more decades. Do you want to know more about smartwatches or are you curious about the test results? Please visit our website for more information. www.

consumentenbond

.nl/smartwatch