Apple today announced Apple Watch Series 5, debuting an Always-On Retina display that never sleeps, so it’s easy to see the time and other important information, without raising or tapping the display. New location features, from a built-in compass to current elevation, help users better navigate their day, while international emergency calling1 allows customers to call emergency services directly from Apple Watch in over 150 countries, even without iPhone nearby. Apple Watch Series 5 is available in a wider range of materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic and an all-new titanium. Combined with the power of watchOS 6, users are empowered to take charge of their health and fitness with new features like Cycle Tracking, the Noise app and Activity Trends.
“We’ve seen Apple Watch have a meaningful impact on our customers’ lives and we’re excited to deliver even more capabilities with Apple Watch Series 5 and watchOS 6,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “The seamless integration of new hardware and software delivers an enhanced experience that makes it even easier to stay active and connected to the people and information users care about.”
Starting today, Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) is available to order in 41 countries and regions and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) is available to order in 22 countries and regions. Both models will be available in stores beginning Friday, September 20.
Always-On Retina Display
Apple Watch Series 5 features an innovative new display that allows the time and important information to remain visible at all times. Each watch face has been carefully optimized for the new display and to preserve battery life, the screen intelligently dims when a user’s wrist is down and returns to full brightness with a raise or a tap. Several advanced technologies work together to deliver this new feature, including the industry’s only low-temperature polysilicone and oxide display (LTPO), ultra-low power display driver, efficient power management integrated circuit and new ambient light sensor. This combination of hardware innovation and incredible software design allows Apple Watch Series 5 to offer all-day 18-hour battery life.
Navigation
Updated location features on Apple Watch Series 5 provide customers with greater navigation tools to use throughout the day. The new built-in compass and updated Maps app allow users to see which way they are facing. With Apple Watch Series 5, customers can use the new Compass app to see heading, incline, latitude, longitude and current elevation. Users can even add one of three new Compass complications to their watch face to see direction at a glance.
International Emergency Calling
For added personal safety while traveling, users with cellular models of Apple Watch Series 5 can now complete international calls to emergency services, regardless of where the device was originally purchased or if the cellular plan has been activated. International emergency calling also works with fall detection, if enabled, to automatically place an emergency call if Apple Watch senses the user has taken a hard fall and remains motionless for about a minute.
watchOS 6
Additional health and fitness features come with watchOS 6, including the new Cycle Tracking app, which gives customers the ability to log important information related to their menstrual cycles, and see predicted timing for their next period and fertile windows using the convenience of Apple Watch. The Noise app helps users understand the ambient sound levels in environments such as concerts and sporting events that could negatively impact hearing, and Activity Trends on iPhone provides a long-term view of their activity patterns to help them understand their progress. watchOS 6 also brings dynamic new watch faces, including Meridian, Modular Compact and Solar Dial, which can be easily customized for quicker access to favorite apps.
Apple Watch Studio
For the first time, Apple Watch customers can enjoy a more personalized experience when purchasing Apple Watch Series 5 in Apple Stores, from apple.com and in the Apple Store app. Exclusively at Apple, the new Apple Watch Studio gives customers the opportunity to pick their preferred case and band combination to create a look that is uniquely their own.
Apple Watch Lineup
Apple is introducing a new case material made of titanium, a prized material in watchmaking that has superb strength-to-weight ratio and is lighter than stainless steel. Available in two beautiful brushed finishes, the natural titanium has a custom-engineered surface which helps maintain its color and resist staining, while the space black titanium achieves its deep color from a diamond-like coating (DLC).
Classic styles like the stainless steel case in gold, silver and space black remain, while the aluminum case in silver, gold and space gray is now made for the first time from 100 percent recycled 7000 series aluminum. This fall, the highly scratch-resistant and beautiful white ceramic case is also available, along with a new sport loop and a wide range of great new band colors, which work with any generation of Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Nike features a new watch face inspired by the classic Nike Windrunner jacket design, accompanied by new colors of the Nike Sport Band and reflective Nike Sport Loop. Apple Watch Hermès introduces several new styles, including an update to last fall’s popular color block band, now in a new Della Cavalleria print, and an all-black version with an exclusive Hermès gradient watch face.
Pricing and Availability
• Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) starts at $399 (US) and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499. The popular Series 3 (GPS), with built-in GPS, optical heart rate sensor and water resistance, starts at a new low price of $199 and Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) is $299.
• Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 20 in the US, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and 38 other countries and regions.
• Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 20 in the US, Puerto Rico and 20 other countries and regions. For carrier availability, visit apple.com/watch/cellular.
• Apple Watch Nike is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, October 4 in the US, Puerto Rico and more than 51 other countries and regions. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-watch-nike or nike.com/applewatch.
• Apple Watch Hermès is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 20 in the US and more than 14 other countries and regions. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-watch-hermes or hermes.com/applewatchhermes.
• New Apple Watch bands are available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
• watchOS 6 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on September 19 and for Apple Watch Series 1 and 2 later this fall.
• Customers in the US can trade in their eligible device for an Apple Store Gift Card, or a refund on their purchase. If their device isn’t eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free.6
• Customers get 3 percent Daily Cash when they buy Apple Watch Series 5 from Apple with Apple Card.
• Customers can get up to two years of technical support and accidental damage coverage with AppleCare+.
• Customers who buy Apple Watch from Apple will be offered free Personal Setup, in-store or online,7 to help set up and personalize their new Apple Watch with calendars, notifications, apps and more.
MacDailyNews Take: Finally, always-on! These new Apple Watch Series 5 models will sell like hotcakes. If you haven’t got yourself an Apple Watch yet, what are you waiting for? These are the ones you want!
When they announced the always-on display, I jumped out of my seat. I didn’t know such a thing was possible. Raise to Wake can be a pain oftentimes. Now it looks like those days are over.
Too bad they killed the Series 4. That’s pretty much an admission that this update is minimal. Basically, if the 4 were still around for $50 or $75 less, most people would go for that model. They have to put it next to a Series 3 (with bezels the size of the Series 0’s) to make it look appealing.
Series 5 will be able to be “always-on”, that’s a great and silly improvement at the same time…
Btw, someone knows if this “always-on” option will be available only in series 5!? Why not in the next software update to series 4 either? I’m pretty sure the battery has not been improved so much, so series 4 could of the same. I need to buy a new watch only to be “always-on”? Disrespectful.
It might be nice if you read the article before you commented on it. If a Series 0-4 was always on, the battery would last a couple of hours. The 5 has a LTPD display that is visible even when it isn’t fully powered up, which you can’t do with an OLED.
Its a completely new display technology. That’s why. Watch the Keynote so you get a clue.
Regarding “always on” as a software update… The event made it clear the “alway on” feature required significant hardware innovation. The display is engineered to use significantly less energy than the previous watch display. While I assume Apple could add a setting to let the series 4 Watches use the “always on” feature, however, that would probably significantly reduce the run time for the series 4 Watch. I can’t imagine Apple would do it. Would you really want ‘always on” if it reduced your watches runtime from “18 hrs” to 9 or less?
I honestly don’t know if I would want a watch that’s permanently emitting light on my wrist.
For me it is not a reason to upgrade.