DECEMBER 2019 MACWORLD 79anything, it’s so good it’s becoming old hat
at this point, and its deficiencies are
becoming more glaring.
All that superiority comes at a steep
price. The Apple Watch Series 5, like the
Series 4 (go.macworld.com/aps4) it
replaces, starts at $399 and tops out at
$1,350, depending on your choice of size,
connectivity, and finish. But if you want the
best, it’ll be worth every penny. You might
be happy with a $199 Fitbit Versa 2 or
$279 Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, but
you’ll be sacrificing something, whether it’s
the ECG monitor or an ESPN app. But most
importantly, you won’t love it like an Apple
Watch Series 5.
ALWAYS ON MAKES ALL THE
DIFFERENCE
While the new Apple Watch looks identical
to the model it replaces, there is some
new tech inside. Apple has added a
compass to power the new app, as well as
twice as much storage for music and apps:
ECG
Optical heart (2nd gen)
GPS/GNSS
Barometric Altimeter
50M water resistance
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Compass
Capacity 32GB
While the compass and extra storage is
nice (Series 4 is 16GB), the only
advancement over the Series 4 watch
worth talking about is the always-on
display. The Apple Watch’s blank screen
when resting has been its biggest
shortcoming since its debut in 2015,
but—and I can’t believe I’m writing this—it
was actually worth the four-year wait.
Time after time, Apple introduces a
feature years after its competitors and long
past its fresh date, and they still manage to
make it feel innovative and new. How does
Apple do it? An always-on display in 2019
shouldn’t be worth more than a line or two
in a review, but on the Series 5, it’s is a
pervasive element that makes the watch
truly feel like a modern timepiece.
Apple has taken a somewhat different
approach than its peers with its first
always-on display. Rather than merely dimThe Apple Watch Series 5 has a second-
generation heart-rate sensor.