Fitness trackers that help you monitor your exercise and general health are useful, but many people want more from these types of devices. The Apple Watch Series 7 is a smartwatch that not only acts as a fitness tracker but also helps you stay connected even when you aren't near your phone. You can make and receive texts, emails and calls, as well as track your exercise goals, all with an Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 7 claims to give you health insights, measure your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, make you more motivated to move, let you play music from your wrist and help you stay connected with family and friends. We wanted to see if the watch lives up to these assertions, so we put it to the test.
We gave the Apple Watch Series 7 to one of our testers, who used it daily to get a feel of how it performs. They tried out all its main fitness and connectivity features to find out if Apple's claims are legitimate. Our tester is someone who has experience using other smartwatches, including older watches in the Apple Watch series. They exercise regularly, so they used the fitness tracker features of the Apple Watch, but they also used the watch’s other functions, such as email and text.
This Apple smartwatch has three main functions: monitoring your health and fitness, keeping you connected with calls, texts and emails and acting as a streaming device to listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks on the go.
You can choose from two versions: GPS and GPS plus cellular. The GPS version can connect to Wi-Fi but can't use cellular. However, when you're exercising outdoors, its GPS function tracks your routes. The GPS-plus-cellular version lets you use cellular to stay connected when away from Wi-Fi, but you must pay for your own cellular data plan to use this function.
The first step to using your new Apple Watch is to pair it with your iPhone. Although it works without an iPhone, you won't have access to all the features if you don’t pair it with one, so an Apple Watch isn't the best smartwatch for Android users or anyone who doesn't use a smartphone. Luckily, it's easy to set up. All you need to do is follow the instructions on the watch screen and your iPhone screen and you'll have it sorted in no time.
Once you've got the watch set up, day-to-day use is simple. It has a touchscreen and uses apps, so anyone familiar with iPhones will find it easy to navigate and use.
The Series 7 is available in two screen sizes: 41 millimeters and 45 millimeters. Both are larger than the screen on the older Apple Watch we had been using, and we liked the increased size, as it made messages and other on-screen information easier to read. The screen size you choose will likely depend on your wrist size and whether you favor a wider or slimmer watch.
Although the Apple Watch is more than just a fitness tracker, its fitness-tracking features are among its main draws. Since we exercise daily, we liked the wide range of activity types you can log on the watch. During exercise, the screen shows active time, calories burned, heart rate and distance (where applicable). The watch lets you set goals for movement, exercise and standing, which motivated us to be more active throughout the day.
The GPS on the Apple Watch 7 can track your runs, cycles, hikes and walks, as well as give you directions to a destination, similar to a satellite navigation system. The GPS is accurate and ideal for people who want to track their routes when exercising out and about. We also tested it in the car to get directions to our destination, but we found that the screen was a little too small to easily track our route, so you're better off using a phone or dedicated satnav device while driving.
It's easy to stay connected with an Apple Watch without staying glued to your phone. You can call, text and email directly from the smartwatch. We found it great for receiving emails and texts, as well as for sending short replies. You can either select from a range of pre-written responses or compose by drawing out each letter on the face of the watch. Of course, an Apple Watch isn’t a practical device to use when composing lengthy messages, so keep that in mind.
When making and receiving calls, you can use the watch as a mic/speaker, but this can be a challenge in noisy environments, so you're better off using Bluetooth headphones.
You can easily stream music, podcasts and audiobooks directly from your wrist using this smartwatch. However, you can't use its built-in speaker when doing so; instead, you'll need to pair it with Bluetooth headphones or a Bluetooth speaker.
It costs roughly $350-$500, depending on the options you choose. The GPS-only watch is around $100 cheaper than the GPS plus cellular one.
You can buy the Series 7 Apple Watch from Amazon, where it's available in a range of sizes and colors.
If you're looking for a versatile smartwatch and you already use an iPhone, the Series 7 Apple Watch is an obvious choice. However, it isn't the most practical choice for Android users.
This watch lives up to all the claims that Apple makes about it. It's extremely easy to keep in contact with friends and family, thanks to the ability to call, text and email. It easily tracks all your fitness data and makes many users more motivated to be more active. You can track your heart rate while you exercise, which is great when you want to keep your heart rate up during workouts such as high-intensity interval training.
The main drawback of this smartwatch is that it doesn't work well for people who don't use iPhones. Without being paired to an iPhone, it has limited features. Additionally, while there's a family mode that pairs Apple Watches with other family members' iPhones, that feature is really intended for kids rather than adult users.
If you want an Apple Watch but you're looking for a cheaper alternative to the Series 7, the SE is an excellent choice.
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Android phone users should consider buying this smartwatch instead of an Apple model. While it works with all Android phones, it has extra features for Samsung Galaxy owners.
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While you can take calls hands-free with this watch, it's especially focused on fitness tracking, so it's a great choice for anyone with a more active lifestyle.
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This is another excellent choice for fitness tracking, as well as receiving calls, texts and emails. Runners will appreciate the coach system for 5K, 10K and half-marathon training.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
