Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 7: Just buy the Series 6

Every year, Apple announces a new flagship smartwatch. And every year, it replaces the last-gen model with the one it just announced. It stops selling the “old” watch, whether it’s considered aging technology or not.

This year, the Apple Watch Series 7 is the new hotness. Once the Series 7 went on sale, the Series 6 essentially ceased to exist on Apple’s website, replaced by the upgraded wearable.

But you know what? It’s hardly an upgrade over the Series 6. If you can find an Apple Watch Series 6 on sale somewhere (and aren’t an Android user, obviously), I’d recommend buying it over the Series 7 at full price. Let me explain.

Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 7: The only tangible differences are in hardware

… and there are few of them. Most people wouldn’t notice the differences between the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 6 unless they had both watches in front of them (you can also check out the full comparison specs at the end of this article).

The Series 7 has a 20% larger screen and ~40% smaller bezels than the Series 6. The upgraded display is nice but not a game-changer. The case is also slightly rounder on the Series 7.

The most substantial upgrades have to do with durability. The Series 7 has a front crystal that’s 50% larger than the older watch, making it more resistant to cracks (I have not tested this). The new watch is also rated IP6X for dust resistance. Both watches have the same WR50 water-resistance rating.

Battery life, one of the main smartwatch pillars Apple usually struggles with, is nearly identical on both watches. They’re both rated for 18 hours of use, so one way or another, you’re going to have to charge the watch before bed or after you wake up. The Series 7 charges faster than the Series 6, but only with the new USB-C charging cable. That’ll save you some time, but again, nothing substantial.

Overall performance is, you guessed it, pretty much the same. I personally experience very few bugs or performance hiccups on Apple Watches, and the Series 6 and 7 are no different. The Series 7 is powered by Apple’s new S7 chip, which is based on the same architecture as the Series 6’s S6 chip.

Related: Apple Watch buyer’s guide

As for fitness tracking, there are also no differences, at least on paper. The Series 6 has the same fitness- and health-tracking sensors as the newer watch. You get a pulse oximeter, ECG, standalone GPS, and an optical heart rate sensor on both models. None of these hardware sensors have been upgraded.

In fact, I’ve found heart rate tracking on the Apple Watch Series 6 to be more reliable and more accurate than the Series 7. Throughout a month-long testing period and two different units, the latter spat out more unusable heart rate recordings than I’ve ever seen on an Apple Watch. The Series 6, during the same workouts, performed just as it always has: consistently and accurately.

The Series 7’s heart rate issues could be due to wonky algorithms or some software that needs tweaking. I know other reviewers have had better luck with its sensor. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been my experience.

Software support is one of the biggest selling points of Apple products. It’s also a pretty big reason why people hold on to their devices for so long.

The Apple Watch Series 7 launched with watchOS 8. Its predecessor launched with watchOS 7 and was also updated to watchOS 8 on the day the software was released. Both of them will receive updates for years to come. Apple doesn’t give hard numbers on how many major updates it releases for each wearable, but consider this: The Apple Watch Series 3, which launched in 2017 with watchOS 4, is still receiving software updates (for better or worse).

WatchOS 8 on the Series 6 and Series 7 is the same, except for a few small changes. The Series 7 has two new watch faces — Modular Duo and Contour — the former of which takes good advantage of the larger display. There’s also an on-screen keyboard on the Series 7, so responding to messages is a little easier (if you can deal with smartwatch keyboards). Aside from that, the two software versions are nearly the same.

Both watches come with watchOS 8’s new Mindfulness app, Pilates and Tai Chi workouts, automatic cycling detection, and fall detection during workouts. I think I’ve made my point: Software support really doesn’t need to be a factor when considering one device over the other.

Check out: The best smartwatches you can buy

The Apple Watch Series 6 is cheaper and pretty much the same thing

As mentioned, Apple no longer officially sells the Apple Watch Series 6, so you’ll need to rely on third-party retailers if you’ve decided to go for last year’s model. Luckily, it is still sold at various retailers around the web.

Walmart and Best Buy frequently discount older Apple products. You can also find tons of Series 6 listings from trusted sellers on eBay. There may not be huge Apple Watch Series 6 discounts around at the moment, but they can show up frequently during the holidays. Recently, the watch could be found for as low as $299. Not a bad deal at all.

Our verdicts: Apple Watch Series 7 review | Apple Watch Series 6 review

Let me be clear, if you’re in the market to buy a new Apple Watch and the Series 7 and Series 6 are both offered for the same price, the Apple Watch Series 7 is your best bet. All around, it’s the better smartwatch. But if it’s a decision between paying full price for a Series 7 or saving a good amount of cash on the Series 6, you should absolutely buy the Series 6.