6 Biggest Differences Between the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 3
Credit: Digital TrendsApple on Wednesday unveiled its next-generation iPhone and Apple Watch models at its keynote event. And while the show was short but sweet (and many questions unfortunately remain unanswered), what Apple did have to show us was quite impressive, to say the least.
Alongside a trio of equally gorgeous and powerful new iPhone models — the 5.8-inch iPhone XS, 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max, and all-new 6.1-inch iPhone XR — Cupertino took the wraps off a new, and beautifully redesigned and highly-sophisticated collection of Apple Watch Series 4 devices, which boldly represent the company's most advanced and innovative new flagship wearables since the original Apple Watch.
While the Apple Watch S4's feature list includes game-changing new innovations — like its inclusion of a built-in ECG monitor enabling on-demand electrocardiograms — most of us are probably wondering, quite simply, how different the Apple Watch Series 4 truly is compared to the Series 3. Continue reading to learn about the 6 Biggest Differences Between Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 3!
6 Industry’s First FDA-Approved ECG Monitor on Your Wrist
In addition to a revamped and more functionally advanced heart rate monitor, the Apple Watch Series 4, unlike the Series 3 before it, features the addition of an FDA-approved electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor. Functionally, this game-changing new ability allows Apple Watch S4 owners to scan and measure their heart rhythm so as to detect for any underlying or abnormal heart conditions.
5 Updated Design, Larger Display
While the Apple Watch Series 4 largely resembles the same form-factor of the Apple Watch Series 3, Cupertino’s brilliant engineers were not only able to slim down the wearable’s aluminum chassis, but also incorporate a nearly edge-to-edge AMOLED Touchscreen display that’s said to be 35 percent larger than the Apple Watch Series 3’s.
4 New Solid State Digital Crown and Side Buttons
For the Apple Watch Series 4, Cupertino introduced a re-engineered Digital Crown and new side buttons that adopt the similar vibrating "phantom haptic feedback" introduced on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
The Digital Crown on the Series 4, additionally, features a new aesthetic — being outlined in red, as opposed to the center being entirely in red, as with the Series 3.
And its body has not only been reduced in thickness, but boasts a completely redesigned speaker system capable of producing 50 percent louder audio with reduced echo.
3 New Sleep-Tracking Features
The Apple Watch Series 4 ships with a number of new sleep-tracking and advanced health-monitoring features. First and foremost is a new sleep-tracking utility made possible by Apple's 2015 acquisition of sleep-tracking firm, Beddit, which has resulted in the Apple Watch Series 4’s new low-power mode — allowing the wearable to track its user’s sleep patterns throughout the night.
2 Better Cellular Connectivity
Apple noted that the back-side of its Apple Watch Series 4 is constructed of an all-new black ceramic and sapphire material, which not only works to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the wearable’s built-in heart monitor, but also will allow Cellular radio waves to flow more seamlessly, with less resistance, thereby improving LTE reception over previous Apple Watch models.
1 Built-in Fall Detection
A truly innovative new feature for Cupertino’s flagship wearable, the Apple Watch Series 4 boasts a new Fall Detection feature, which Apple COO Jeff Williams described as being able to detect when you’ve taken a hard fall. Using a complex series of sensors and a powerful new 64-bit S4 CPU, the Apple Watch S4 would then trigger an alert, prior to automatically issuing an SOS to emergency services if said alert is ignored. The feature will also issue text or iMessage notifications to your registered emergency contacts informing that that help is needed.