Apple Watch Series 5 Specs and Features

The latest smartwatch in Apple’s collection the Apple Watch Series 5 specs and features include some pretty cool upgrades. Including a compass for navigation in the great outdoors, and ground elevation technology for fall detection, something we hope we’ll never need but can be a useful aid for anyone in trouble. The latest feature in this version is the always-on display so when you’re running, cycling in the gym you won’t need to activate the screen and you can change the setting to gesture awake behavior if you so please.

Design and build quality – with a Retina display and two sizes to choose from 40mm and 44mm, a wide range of bands from sports bands to aluminum or stainless steel – you’re spoiled for choice. If you want the added benefits of Cellular functionality on the watch such as calls and streaming music you can pick the GPS + Cellular version, or you can just go with GPS if you’re happy to just sync with your phone.

Heart Rate Monitor – The heart rate monitor capability has always been good but has taken a major step up with the integration of the new electrical heart sensor and second-gen optical heart sensor with the accompanying ECG app. Now, all you need to do to get an electrocardiogram is put your figure on the crown of the watch and the app will record any irregular heart rhythms. It’s simply brilliant to see technology used in such a constructive way.

The series 5 comes packed with some nice new features. The always-on display using LTPO technology enables the display to stay on without excessive power usage, allowing for much better user experience while exercising. Apple updated the chip from S4 to S5 but provided no info on the spec change so we have no idea what that actually means. Series 5 also comes with Watch OS 6, Women’s health tracker, a built-in compass and a fall detection system.

There is some tough competition for Series 5 such as the new Garmin Vivoactive 4 or the Fossil Gen 5, but due to the highly accurate electric heart rate monitor, a whopping 32Gb of storage and an attentive digital assistant such Siri makes the Series 5 hard to beat.

Workout readiness – When it comes to monitoring you’re wellbeing while exercising it’s really hard to beat Apple’s Watch Series. These watches just keep getting better. Its swim-proof so definitely sweat proof – all you’ll need for tracking your heart rate with the ECG app and detailed notifications, it’s easy to stream your music on the cellular version or from your phone via Bluetooth. Highly reliable GPS for tracking your distance and a large selection of workout app from the app store. So, if it’s within your budget it’s possible the best on the market so far.

Common questions on the Apple Watch Series 5:

Does Apple Watch series 5 have ECG?

Yes, Series 5 has both optical and electrical heart rate sensors which allow for accurate heart rate tracking and make it possible to record electrocardiogram data so that you can monitor your heart at a deeper level when working out.

Does Apple Watch series 5 have fall detection?

Yes, with a built-in accelerometer sensor fall detection is recognized by Apple watch series 5, and if you have a cellular version you can configure it to contact emergency services or a contact list on your smartphone for assistance.

Does Apple Watch series 5 track sleep?

No, Apple has not implemented sleep tracking on any of its smartwatch series to date.

Does Apple Watch series 5 have wireless charging?

No, the series 5 comes with a magnetic charging cable which is connected to the side with the sensors and takes roughly 2 hours to fully charge from empty, when fully charged it has an estimated battery life of 18 hours but less dependent on GPS + Cellular usage.