For Apple fans, Apple Watch 5 is probably one of the most disappointing upgrades that the company has unveiled. 

Essentially, it is just the Watch 4 with more cellar bands, a compass, and call emergency services worldwide and not much more.

The screen now will never turn off. Instead, it will dim to an ambient, always-on display whenever you aren’t raising it. The always-on display is useful. However, it is a little bit too bright and it glows alarmingly in dark conditions.

The design of the Watch 5 is exactly the same as its predecessor. The 40mm and 44mm model now have ceramic and titanium options but at a premium price.

Watch 5 hasn’t seen many improvements regarding its fitness capabilities. Regardless of this, it is still an excellent health tracker. It monitors heart rate accurately. There is an ECG feature offering further heart health monitoring. The onboard GPS is accurate as well.

You can take the Watch 5 along with you to almost any exercise, from swimming, cycling, to high-intensity interval training and yoga. However, the slightly-smaller Watch 3 can also do that. Plus it is cheaper and can still be purchased.

With the Watch 5, you have 32GB of internal storage compared to 16GB last year. You can download more podcasts and load up more music.

The new WatchOS 6 introduces some new cool features like a noise meter and women’s cycle tracking.

The biggest problem with Watch 5 is its battery life with the always-on display being the cause. Watch 4 could operate over 24 hours while the Watch 5 struggles to reach that number of hours.

Apple Watch 5 Release Date & Price

Apple unveiled the Watch 5 alongside the iPhone 11 series on September 10, 2019.

The price for the smaller 400 GPS-only models is $300 while the 44mm model costs $429.

The starting price of the 40mm cellular model is $499 and the 44mm size costs $529. If you always carry your phone with you, there is no need for the LTE version. But usually, the larger size offers better battery life and larger touchpoints with its slightly bigger screen.

These starting prices are for the aluminum case with three different colors: Silver, Space Black, and Gold. This year’s case is made using 100% recycled aluminum.

Stainless steel models are also available but at a higher price. A stainless steel Watch 5 with a sport band or sport loop costs $699 while one with a Milanese loop costs $749 and one with a leather loop costs $799.

Meanwhile, the all-new titanium model in dark and light finishes has a starting price of $799. The price can go up to $799 for a model with a leather loop.

There is a white Ceramic model with a starting price of $1,299 for the model with a sport loop and $1,399 for the model with a leather loop.

There are Nike models with additional faces, loops, and bands, and new Hermes models with noir leather bands and Space Black stainless steel cases.

Apple Watch 5 Design and Always-on Display

The always-on display is a brilliant upgrade. You won’t have to raise your hand to see the time. Instead, all you have to do is to glance down at the watch. When not in use, the display dims. But it isn’t enough. If you are in dark conditions, the watch still shines brightly. So if you plan to wear it at night, it is highly distracting.

Apple mentioned its new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide technology as the reason to help the Apple Watch 5 run longer. But it is technically the same tech used in Apple Watch 4’s OLED display.

The Apple Watch does have an improved light sensor and new display drivers so that the screen dims more efficiently, thus saving battery. However, there is one problem with always-on functionality. It doesn’t work with every app. Beyond the workout app or the home screen, the feature will just blur out what is underneath and only shows a digital clock.

Regarding the Apple Watch 5’s design, it is hard to say anything about it since it is so similar to other smartwatches of Apple. You will have the same curved aluminum frame around the outside to a square display as well as the Digital Crown. By twiddling or pressing this button, you can scroll through the menus or access the smartwatch’s other functions.

Below that is a lozenge-shaped button with which you can see your recent apps and activate Apple Pay to buy things without having to take out your purse or waller.

Apple Watch 5 Fitness

In terms of hardware, the watch has seen zero upgrades for its fitness capabilities. It still has the same GPS, accelerometer, and heart rate monitor like the Apple Watch 4.

Apple Watch 5 Compass

Apple adds a new compass allowing you to see where you are going using GPS. This could come in handy for hikers.

There is one thing missing here. It is sleep tracking. According to Apple, this isn’t really an issue as there are plenty of third-party apps than can do this.

Apple Watch 5 WatchOS 6

WatchOS 6 brings several new features. With the new feature Activity Trends, you will need to use the watch for a minimum of 90 days so that it can track what you are up to.

With the noise meter, your hearing is protected since the ambient noise surrounding you í constantly tracked.

You can set up the smartwatch to send you notifications if you are in a too noisy environment.

For Cycle tracking, women can receive a notification whenever their period is approaching or monitor fertility windows. You can tap on a stylish icon to log in your period whether it is light, medium, or heavy. IT is also possible to log your sexual activity to monitor possible fertility.

With the App Store, you can download and install apps right to the watch. However, you do need to have your iPhone around to log in with your Apple ID.

Apple Watch 5 Battery

Apple claims that the latest model of the smartwatch can reach 18 hours of use with one full charge.