New Apple Watch Series 5 arrives to try to expand Apple's leadership in the smartwatch segment; check out our review
O smartwatch most successful in the market is back. In September 2019, the Apple revealed the Apple Watch Series 5, the fifth generation of the smart watch that has captured the pulses of millions of users around the world, and that has been available in Brazil since the last month of October.
Overall, the Apple Watch Series 5 it did not bring great news compared to the Series 4, but there is at least one feature that should make the owners of the previous versions of the watch envy and convince those who waited for it to finally acquire it: the screen is always active.
Screen
Finally it is possible to see the time on Apple Watch all the time, without having to raise your arm, touch the screen or rotate the Digital Crown. Other brands of smartwatchesOf course, they have been doing this for a long time, but the Apple Watch got there and this improvement is very welcome.
Screen company call Retina Always Active, the display significantly reduces brightness at times when the Apple Watch it is not being used, but it keeps parts of the dial lit, such as the hands, so that you can see the time. When you raise your wrist, the screen lights up and all information is displayed and updated.
Biggest new feature of the Apple Watch Series 5, the Retina Always On display keeps the display visible during exerciseThe information displayed on the dials, whose official name "Complications", such as battery status, weather forecast and calendar, are updated less frequently while the screen is not in use.
The same goes for in-app metrics Exercises; during a run, for example, the minutes and seconds are displayed all the time, but the milliseconds only when the user raises his arm. Third-party applications, however, are covered by a display with the current time when the user has his / her wrist lowered.
THE Apple made some decisions to minimize the impact that a screen that is on all the time has on battery life. The main one is the use of LPTO technology combined with a new driver and light sensor, as explained on the official website:
"The new pixel architecture with LTPO technology allows the refresh rate of the screen to decrease, from the sharpness of 60 Hz to the minimum consumption of 1 Hz when the watch is inactive."
When the user's wrist is lowered, LPTO (Low-temperature Polysilicone and Oxide) causes the screen to update only the pixels that display essential information, such as time, keeping the other areas of the display untouched, which saves energy.
Apple Watch Series 5 Edition with white ceramic caseDesign
it is practically impossible to discern the Apple Watch Series 5 from the predecessor, as the size, thickness and design are identical.
However, this year the Apple returned to offer the line Apple Watch Edition, produced with more sophisticated and resistant materials: white ceramic, also used in Series 3, and titanium, which is a novelty.
Conventional aluminum and stainless steel finishes (gold, silver and space gray) continue to be offered and for the first time they are manufactured with 100% recycled aluminum, something worthy of praise.
As in recent years, the Apple Watch it remains water resistant up to 50 meters and can be used in the bath, in the pool and even in the sea.
Apple Watch Series 5 compass appAnother invisible but noteworthy novelty is the inclusion of a compass at the Apple Watch Series 5. In apps like Maps the compass indicates in which direction the device is pointing, facilitating navigation. This is added to the fact that Apple having made available point-to-point navigation in Brazil (7 years late) and the watch becomes a very satisfactory urban guide.
Finally, a pleasure for those who like to carry a library of sturdy music on their wrist: the storage space of the Apple Watch Series 5 now 32 GB, double the previous generation.
Apple Watch Series 5 showcase the new Meridian dials and Mono NumeralsDrums
How Apple Watch Series 4, launched in 2018, the Apple surpassed the users' expectations with a battery that could hold up to 2 days away from the plug, something that is a good indication of a brand watch until then. However, an always-on screen will necessarily have some impact on energy consumption and that is exactly what happens with the Apple Watch Series 5.
While with Series 4 usually reaches the end of the day with approximately 60% charge available, the Series 5 is between 40% and 50%. The difference is not striking and the user has the option to turn off the screen always active if he values ​​the battery life more than anything, but it is good to keep in mind that the Apple Watch Series 5 must be taken every night.
watchOS 6
The watchOS 6 operating system gives life to the hardware of the Apple Watch Series 5. This year the update focused on improvements that make it easier to use the device on a daily basis rather than revolutionary features.
Among the main ones are the new dials, an eternal tantrum from both the owners and the detractors of the watch. Apple. No, it is not yet possible to install displays developed by third parties in the Apple Watch Series 5, but the seven new face options, added to the existing ones, offer enough alternatives for those who prefer everything from minimalist designs to the greatest possible number of shortcuts and information on the screen.
A novelty widely touted by the Apple, but that still doesn't make a big difference, the arrival of App Store to watchOS. While searching for and installing applications directly on Apple Watch without having to resort to iPhone it sounds like something interesting, in practice there are few apps in the store that are probably no longer installed on the user's phone.
Calculator application on watchOS 6.THE Apple also brought from iOS 13 to the watchOS the utility apps Recorder, Calculator and the redesigned Sticky notes. It is worth noting that the watchOS 6 is available not only in Apple Watch Series 5, but also on all models of the Apple Watch with the exception of the original (2015).
Among third party apps, the lack of support by Whatsapp the most notable. Despite receiving notifications of new messages, it is not possible to view conversations or respond directly via the Apple Watch. The same goes for conversations via Direct Instagram.
Other sources of frustration are the application Apple Podcasts and the digital assistant Crab. In the case of Podcasts, O download new episodes for the Apple Watch done – theoretically – during the battery charging period. But several times I left the watch charging all night to find out the next morning that no podcast had been downloaded.
J a Crab continues without adding value to the user's experience. Sometimes I didn't even remember that the assistant is present in the Apple Watch, because the dependence on internet connection for basic tasks and the limitations in the use of commands in the Portuguese language generate a lot of frustration (it is practically impossible to order, for example, a song in English when Siri is configured to speak and listen in Portuguese).
Something undeniable, however the excellent performance of the Apple Watch, thanks to the marriage between the S5 processor and the watchOS 6. The loading of the apps and the fluidity of the system contribute a lot to the experience of using the device.
Health and Exercise
In the field of health care, the Apple finally realized that half of the world's population menstruates and included a new app in the watchOS 6 called Cycle Monitoring focused on female reproductive health.
This app allows women to register with Apple Watch menstrual period, flow level, clinics and other symptoms. The application uses this data to make a prediction of when the next menstrual period or fertile period will be and notifies the user. An Apple support page explains how this forecast is calculated and alerts you that the Cycle Monitoring it should not be used as a contraceptive method.
New application for monitoring the menstrual cycle.THE Apple guarantees that this information is not shared with third parties and cannot be accessed even by itself Apple. All health data are processed on the device and, if integrated with the iCloud is enabled, they are encrypted before of being sent company for storage.
For buyers from Apple Watch Series 5 with 4G connection (GPS + Cellular), the Apple it also started to provide the service of international emergency calls. This means that the watch can be used to call for help in emergency situations "in most countries", according to the company, without having to be connected to a iPhone or an active data plan.
The emergency call is initiated automatically in the event of a fall detection or can be activated manually by holding the side button.
International emergency services available for all Apple Watches with 4G connection.A great new feature launched in the Apple Watch Series 4 and that is also present in the Series 5, but it cannot yet be enjoyed by Brazilian users. Electrocardiogram (ECG). The release of the resource depends on the approval of the health authorities of the countries where it is made available and the Apple it took a long time to contact the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
However, in December 2019 the Brazilian agency confirmed to the website that representatives of Apple in Brazil met with Anvisa's technical team and were informed of the requirements to regularize the ECG of the Apple Watch Series 5 (and Series 4) in the country. If all goes well, the function may be released in the first half of 2020.
Apple Watch Series 5 trendsThere is not much news in the field of physical exercises watchOS how much in Apple Watch this year, but an interesting addition was the Trends in the app Activity. In the words of Apple, at Trends show “The increase or decrease of your metrics over time, including minutes of exercise, speed when running and cardiovascular conditioning. So, you know if you keep the pace or if you need to change habits ”.
Price
The price of Apple Watch varies considerably depending on the size (40mm or 44mm), case material (aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic or titanium) and also the bracelet (nylon, leather, etc.) chosen.
Beautiful and expensive: Apple's partnership with the Herms brand remains firm with the Series 5.That said, the minimum charged for Apple by one of the new models R $ 3,999. This value buys the Apple Watch Series 5 in the GPS version (without 4G connection), 40mm aluminum case and sports bracelet.
The GPS + Cellular version has an e-SIM for 4G connection compatible with the operators Vivo and Claro, but it is necessary to contract a specific data plan to use it.
Completed
If you have one iPhonedoes not exist smartwatch better, because no one else can compete with everything that Apple Watch does and the way it does.
O Apple Watch Series 5 it has a great operating system with rich native apps and the best library of third-party apps, numerous options for models and designs, an accessories ecosystem, competent battery, excellent performance and a vibrant screen.
Almost everything you want in a smartwatch (as long as you also have an iPhone)There are also problems, starting with the not very accessible value, the lack of compatibility with smartphones Android and some omissions and bugs in the software (non-existent sleep analysis, slow automatic exercise detection, lack of support for some apps, etc.), but the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
For those who already have a Apple Watch Series 4, the update to Series 5 not urgent. The screen is always great, but hardly justifies a new investment in such a short time. For owners of Apple Watches but older, this is probably the update you've been waiting for.
Liked the Apple Watch Series 5? It is available in several options starting at R $ 3,519 in our official store. Showmetech at the Magazine Luiza.
Apple Watch Series 5 makes what was good even better
- Design – 9.5 / 10
- Screen – 10/10
- System – 9/10
- Drums – 9/10
- Price – 9/10
9.3 / 10
Final considerations and cons and cons
There's a lot to like about the Apple watch… and a few things to dislike too.
Pros
- Always Active Screen;
- Design with bold finishes;
- Water resistance up to 50 meters;
- Compass and shift navigation significantly improve the Maps experience;
- WatchOS 6 applications and features;
- Excellent performance.
Cons
- Battery smaller than the previous generation;
- Salted initial price;
- No third-party dials, for now;
- Lack of support for WhatsApp and Instagram.
