Cutting-edge timepiece ticks most boxes
Time marches on
The fifth version of the Apple Watch is now available, but its most significant new feature, an electrical heart monitor, doesn’t yet work in the UK (it’s awaiting regulatory approval). It will enable you to do a one-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) just by touching the ‘crown’ (the dial on the side) while wearing the Watch. This isn’t as accurate as the 12-lead ECGS used in hospitals, and it’s not suitable for people under 22 or those with some existing conditions, but it can help to spot problems early, partly by detecting irregular heartbeat, which can have serious long-term implications but often has no symptoms.
So much for what your 400-quid watch will do at some unknown point in the future. What can it do now? Quite a lot, it turns out. This is the biggest upgrade yet, starting with a larger and brighter touchscreen, increasing the two available sizes to 40 and 44mm, mm, the latter costing £30 extra. That makes room for more information, even in the customisable clock faces. The speaker is also 50 per cent louder.
If none of this impresses you, other improvements are in the software, and also available on the Series 3, which now starts at £279. Either way, you can push sh the cost into the thousands with alternative finish and strap options, but t the basic models are fine. ECG aside, there are plenty of health features: using the heart-rate monitor to take your pulse, sensors to detect what t you’re doing and how fast, and GPS to track your walks, runs, rides and swims. You now also get fall detection, turned on by default if you’re over 65, which senses if you suddenly collapse to the floor and don’t get up again, and calls 999 or an alternative emergency co contact. That relies on your iphone, of course. Even if you pay £100 extra for cellular data capability (EE or Vodafone only), so your Watch can get online by itself, it still doesn’t make sense to own a Watch without an ip iphone. Besides the price, that’s th the only limitation to its appeal.
SPECIFICATIONS
Larger screen, louder speakers and more health apps
Retina AMOLED touchscreen • Optical heart sensor • Electrical heart sensor • 802.11n Wi-fi • Bluetooth 5 • GPS • Optional 4G • Requires iphone 6 or higher with IOS 12 • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/29432
VERDICT We can’t say ‘Buy it’ until everything works, but this is the best smart watch and justifies its price
★★★★ ★
ALTERNATIVE Samsung Galaxy Watch from £279 No ECG, but this is a good Android rival and has a more traditional look