Apple Watch Series 6 Product Review
May 13th, 2021
Since the release of the Apple Watch Series 6 on the 18th September 2020. It’s not really an overstatement to say that the Series 6 Apple Watch is currently crowned as the king of smartwatches. It’s faster and cheaper than its predecessor, in addition to new accurate sensors.
Compared to other smartwatches, Apple also takes the lead in many areas. However, the new Apple Watch still requires many areas of improvement to match its price point.
It comes in two size variations, 40mm and 44mm, which is certainly quite useful for those who have specific dimension preferences when it comes to wearables. Needless to say, having an iPhone unlocks the true potential of the cross-device features. While Android users can still use the watch, they won’t be getting the full experience. It’s time to take a deeper look at Apple’s Series 6 smartwatch to determine if you should buy it now or wait for the next edition.
Apple Series 6 has good battery life. With a single charge, the watch can last up to 36 hours straight with the always-on active display and sleep tracking overnight. The latter consumes around 12% of battery life, while a 25-minute run consumes only about 4-5%. Bear in mind that the watch can charge from flat to 100% in only 83 minutes using a 2A USB adapter which is a god-send advantage to always be on the move.
The design is the same with rounded edges merging into the screen, a digital crown that spins through the watch’s interface with a simple flick of your finger, and the legendary power button that lets you effortlessly jump between apps.
The heart rate monitor on the rear of the Apple Watch 6 has been upgraded and enhanced with new features such as a blood oxygen sensor and an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor. The latter can come in handy as a useful weapon in the fight against the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
The Apple Watch 6 has earned the 5ATM certificate. This means that it can be used underwater with 50 meters for 10 minutes. For usual swimming sessions, the watch is fully protected and functional.
What’s really unique regarding the design is the vibrant, premium-looking colours which include (gold, silver, space grey, blue, and red). The red one is particularly eye-catching other than the fact that Apple has used this colour for years to raise awareness and support the organization trying to spare the world of AIDs dangers.
As always, you have the option to customize your band. Solo Loop, an expensive high-end brand, is the latest addition to the band collection. Instead of the classic buckle or Velcro, the Solo Loop is made of stretchy silicone that you can easily pull over your hand and onto your wrist.
Previous Apple smartwatches required you to tilt it to be able to check the screen properly, but the new Series 6 makes it very easy to read notifications or view time, in addition to adding more watch faces that allow you to view different stats and metrics.
The always-on display is certainly convenient in specific situations, but it can drain the battery quickly due to its brightness. It’s possible to switch it to theatre mode, which dims the brightness or use the low-light monochrome interface of the sleep tracking mode. Overall, the display is superb and leaves nothing to be desired.
Other than fitness features, the new Apple 6 has the Breathe app which makes meditating and practising mindfulness much easier.
The onboard Breathe app tickles with small vibrations with the right timing to let you know when to breathe in and out. Thanks to the ability to monitor these activities plus monitoring your heart rate. This watch also gives you an accurate estimate of burned calories. This is especially useful for people who are on a fitness kick.
However, there are some shortcomings that the Series 6 hasn’t yet fixed. For example, the heart rate monitor can fall behind during long runs in accurately reading your heart rate compared to the accuracy of a chest strap. However, the persistent issues can all be dismissed by the average user. For fitness enthusiasts, a fitness band would be more suitable and accurate.
It has a great performance that outshines the majority of other watches on the market. It comes with a great display and brighter screen, as well as amazing new health and fitness features and apps.
On the other hand, sleep tracking still requires some improvements, and the battery life needs to last longer. Apple Watch Series 6 is still one of the best smartwatches you can buy.
Performance and Battery
The chip used for Apple Series 6 is the latest S6 chip which surpasses the performance of even the best watches on the market. Theoretically, the S6 chip allows an increase of 20% in the speed. However, upon trial, it doesn’t feel that much snappier than the S5 chip in the Apple Watch Series 5. But when compared to the Series 3, you can easily notice how considerably faster the Series 6. However, the new internal chipset makes activities far more efficient than the past wearable.
Apple Series 6 has good battery life. With a single charge, the watch can last up to 36 hours straight with the always-on active display and sleep tracking overnight. The latter consumes around 12% of battery life, while a 25-minute run consumes only about 4-5%. Bear in mind that the watch can charge from flat to 100% in only 83 minutes using a 2A USB adapter which is a god-send advantage to always be on the move.
READ ALSO: BEST SMARTWATCHES REVIEW
Design
There are not any noticeable changes in the Apple Watch Series 6. In fact, its design follows the predecessors from the same series since Apple Watch 4. This isn’t necessarily a flaw since the design already comes in vibrant new colours and two sizes to be comfortable on your wrist. The 44mm edition only weighs 36.5 grams. Due to its lightweight, you can forget that you have anything on your wrist which is extremely convenient.
The design is the same with rounded edges merging into the screen, a digital crown that spins through the watch’s interface with a simple flick of your finger, and the legendary power button that lets you effortlessly jump between apps.
The heart rate monitor on the rear of the Apple Watch 6 has been upgraded and enhanced with new features such as a blood oxygen sensor and an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor. The latter can come in handy as a useful weapon in the fight against the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
The Apple Watch 6 has earned the 5ATM certificate. This means that it can be used underwater with 50 meters for 10 minutes. For usual swimming sessions, the watch is fully protected and functional.
What’s really unique regarding the design is the vibrant, premium-looking colours which include (gold, silver, space grey, blue, and red). The red one is particularly eye-catching other than the fact that Apple has used this colour for years to raise awareness and support the organization trying to spare the world of AIDs dangers.
As always, you have the option to customize your band. Solo Loop, an expensive high-end brand, is the latest addition to the band collection. Instead of the classic buckle or Velcro, the Solo Loop is made of stretchy silicone that you can easily pull over your hand and onto your wrist.
Display
Apple’s new smartwatch cleverly utilizes one of the best-looking displays on the market. OLED technology allows the screen to accurately match the contrast of the display, providing a clear black and white tones, which helps the user quickly identify and read anything on the screen in both dark and bright environments.
Previous Apple smartwatches required you to tilt it to be able to check the screen properly, but the new Series 6 makes it very easy to read notifications or view time, in addition to adding more watch faces that allow you to view different stats and metrics.
The always-on display is certainly convenient in specific situations, but it can drain the battery quickly due to its brightness. It’s possible to switch it to theatre mode, which dims the brightness or use the low-light monochrome interface of the sleep tracking mode. Overall, the display is superb and leaves nothing to be desired.
Health and Fitness
The new Apple Watch features a variety of monitors and sensors to keep an eye on your general wellbeing and activity levels. With every new release from the Apple Watch Series, more ways are added to track your efforts and evaluate how active you really are. These new features also encourage you of trying new ways to stay active. For example, there are added activities besides running such as dancing and “cooling down”.
Other than fitness features, the new Apple 6 has the Breathe app which makes meditating and practising mindfulness much easier.
The onboard Breathe app tickles with small vibrations with the right timing to let you know when to breathe in and out. Thanks to the ability to monitor these activities plus monitoring your heart rate. This watch also gives you an accurate estimate of burned calories. This is especially useful for people who are on a fitness kick.
However, there are some shortcomings that the Series 6 hasn’t yet fixed. For example, the heart rate monitor can fall behind during long runs in accurately reading your heart rate compared to the accuracy of a chest strap. However, the persistent issues can all be dismissed by the average user. For fitness enthusiasts, a fitness band would be more suitable and accurate.
READ ALSO: BEST FITNESS TRACKERS WATCH
Pros
- While there are many fitness trackers and watches that can track your workout and burnt calories, not a lot can do it accurately like the Apple Watch 6. You get to choose between manual or automatic tracking. The app contains 12 different options that give require input from you to start the workout and to pause.
- The design has always been one of Apple’s strongest points, and they really pulled it off with the new smartwatch. Well-rounded corners, swappable straps, and sharp display give it a balanced sporty/classy look.
- You can control smart home appliances like thermostats, cameras, lights, and more with the HomeKit application.
- Those who frequently use Apple Pay will find a lot of use for the smartwatch as it’s compatible with Apple Pay. This means you don’t have to use your smartphone in purchases.
- Apple’s ecosystem integrates the smartwatch well, as it can be used to unlock your Mac and even play music on it. In addition to giving you access to your iPhone’s camera.
Cons
- The first drawback is pretty common amongst almost all of Apple’s products; it’s the price. For a starting price of £379.00, which may be a high entry for those with a tight budget.
- The compatibility of the Apple smartwatch is exclusively limited to iPhones. While it’s possible to use it without one, you’ll be missing out on a lot of features without an iPhone.
- While the smartwatch’s design is certainly appealing and eye-pleasing, it didn’t change a lot from its predecessors’. This can make it sometimes look a bit outdated compared to Android watches.
- Connecting the smartwatch to your iPhone can drain your battery faster, as reported by many users.
- The Apple smartwatch uses an embedded SIM card, eSIM since it doesn’t have a SIM slot. A lot of carriers may not support eSIM, depending on the country and the carrier. You can check Apple’s page to know whether your carrier supports it or not.
Rating and Final Thoughts
Overall, we give the Apple Watch Series 6, 4 out of 5 stars.
It has a great performance that outshines the majority of other watches on the market. It comes with a great display and brighter screen, as well as amazing new health and fitness features and apps.
On the other hand, sleep tracking still requires some improvements, and the battery life needs to last longer. Apple Watch Series 6 is still one of the best smartwatches you can buy. 
