Hands-On With the Apple Watch Series 7

It's Apple Watch Series 7 launch day, which means customers who pre-ordered last Friday are receiving their deliveries. We picked up one of the new Series 7 models and thought we'd go over the features and compare it to the Series 6 for those who are still awaiting their own devices or who are on the fence about purchasing.


Compared to the Series 6, there's not a whole lot new with the Series 7. You're not getting new health features, and even the design is largely the same. The casing sizes are larger, though, coming in at 41mm and 45mm, and there's a noticeably larger display.

Apple has cut down on the size of the display bezels and it's a change that looks nice, plus the expanded size allows for features like new watch faces and a full keyboard for the first time.

The always-on display is brighter than before, and Apple says it's using more durable glass that's more resistant to cracking. There's also IP6X dust resistance certification, which is new and joins the WR50 water resistance rating.

Most people are going to enjoy the larger display, but it could be an issue for those who have smaller wrists and were content with the prior sizing, especially with the 44mm to 45mm jump.

Other than the changes to sizing, the slightly more rounded body, and the tweaked color options, there's not much else new. The Series 7 has all of the same features as the Series 6, like blood oxygen monitoring, ECG, heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and more, with the one other standout feature being a faster charging speed.

Using the new charging puck that comes in the box, the Series 7 can charge at up to 33 percent faster than the Series 6, as long as you have an 18W+ USB-C Apple charger or 5W or greater USB-C PD adapter.

If you're coming from an Apple Watch Series 6, there's no compelling reason to upgrade to the Series 7 unless you want that display increase, but those who have a Series 3, Series 4, or Series 5 will find this a much more notable upgrade that's worth the money. Did you upgrade to a Series 7? Let us know what you think of it in the comments.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

ramallite Avatar
54 months ago
Just put my series 7 on about an hour ago. I will never know the feeling of going from a series 4+ to a series 7. But I can tell you that going from the series 2 I wore for five years to series 7 is niiiiice!
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doctor-don Avatar
54 months ago

Apple says it's using more durable glass that's less resistant to cracking
Is that what Apple really says, "less resistant"?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
54 months ago
It’s a really good day today. Congratulations to all who received their ⌚️
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericschmerick Avatar
54 months ago

I have a 4. The first thing I would do is turn off the always on the MOMENT I got it. Sorry.
Weird, I have a series 4 and therefore haven't upgraded in a few years, but the key thing that almost gets me to do it everyday year has been the always-on display. Not sure why you'd want to turn that off.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rainshadow Avatar
54 months ago

I never understand series 4 people who aren't upgrading yet. The always on display from series 5 was by far the biggest apple watch update ever
I have a 4. The first thing I would do is turn off the always on the MOMENT I got it. Sorry.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bryan Bowler Avatar
54 months ago
Maybe I’m the only one, but I am a little tired of hearing reviewers say there is no compelling reason to upgrade to a Series 7. The larger display is really nice to me and so is the increased durability. But according to many of these reviewers that doesn’t t qualify as a good reason to buy a new Apple Watch.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)