The Apple Watch Series 4 Review – Is It Really Worth The Money?

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

You really cannot discuss smartwatches without discussing the latest one from Apple. The Apple Watch Series 4 is the most popular smartwatch (according to Apple), and in the apple watch series 4 review we will do our best to deliver as much detail as possible to help you decide if this watch is for you, and if so, which one, for Apple does offer different choices as we will soon discover.

The main difference from the last version (Apple Watch Series 3) is definitely in the design itself. Apple offers a larger screen with more rounded edges and certainly has an appealing look to it. In fact, it offers us the largest Apple watch display yet.

It is a bit bulky for a woman’s wrist, but if you are in need of the Apple exclusive safety features, it may be the best pick. This is strictly for the one who actually needs these features, such as the improved accelerometer and gyroscope for fall detection, which we will discuss later.

It is nice that Apple is offering some choices here, since some people may want the cellular feature and some may not. For those who may not, they have a lower price point. Let’s go ahead and dive into more details concerning Apples newest smartwatch.

About The Apple Watch Series 4 Review


First of all, Apple offers the Series 4 in two different categories:

  • GPS or
  • GPS + cellular,

Apple also offers two different display sizes for both of these versions. This is Illustrated by the pic below, and, of course a price difference between the two, depending on which size face you choose.

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

As mentioned before, Apple offers two versions of this amazing smartwatch. One with GPS and one with GPS plus cellular. There are quite a few great features for both of these versions that I would like to discuss in more detail in addition to discussing the difference between the Apple Watch Series 4 and the Apple Watch Series 3. Apple has introduced some new features and it may be necessary to discuss whether these features are worth the increase in price.

It will also be helpful to know that there are really four different price points to discuss and we will try and simplify this as much as possible. Remember, we have two price differences depending on whether you want cellular or not and two price differences relating to screen size.

Let us first dive into the differences between the series 3 and the series 4. What does this new version really offer, besides the higher price tag. Take a look at the image below for guidance:

Apple Watch Series 4 verses Apple Watch Series 3


The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

Two of the main differences between the series 4 and series 3 is the series 4 has the electrical heart sensor and the fall detection feature. There is a lot to be said about the fall detection feature. In fact, it has been reported that a Norwegian man who was 67 years old, was found “bloody and unconscious” by emergency authorities, where the fall detection feature automatically alerted emergency services.

The man fell when he went to the bathroom and was found on his bathroom floor NRK reported.
This is an amazing feature. When wearers of the Apple Watch Series 4 fall, the device actually checks in to ask if they are fine. If they do not respond within a minute, the fall detection feature automatically calls the emergency services and shares the uploaded information of the wearer’s location. More details on this feature along with the others in the feature section listed below.
The other differences are revealed in the case size. The Apple Watch Series 4 offers the 40mm and 44mm case size whereas the series 3 offers the 38mm and 42mm case sizes respectively. The case is thinner for the series 4 at 10.7mm verses 11.4mm. This allows for a more sleek look and feel. This is much better, especially from a woman’s perspective.

We will discuss the electrical heart sensor in more detail below in the features section, but this is the other added feature that Apple offers us on the Series 4.

Who Is The Apple Watch Series 4 For?


The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

The Apple Watch Series 4 is for someone who wants the features that this smartwatch has to offer that are not available in other smartwatches. Plain and simple.

One of the Apple Watch Series 4’s main features is the electrical heart sensor, for example. It gives the ability to take an ECG measurement of your heart’s electrical pulses to gauge your internal heart health and then gives you a vague baseline for your overall wellness. It’s been approved by the FDA. But, unless you really need this feature, you may be sacrificing other features available in other smartwatches for a lower price.

The other feature mentioned above, the fall detection, also comes at a price. Not just the price itself, but you get a much larger smartwatch, that lacks the sleep monitoring features available for other models in addition to a very short battery life. For example, the Apple Series 4 has an 18-hour battery life verses 4 plus days for the Fitbit Versa.

Of course, you get the cellular option, so if you are someone who really does not want to carry their cell phone with them and needs full feature GPS, then this watch may be your best bet, otherwise, the FItbit Versa may be a better fit for you.

From a woman’s perspective, if you are looking for a more comfortable and smaller elegant design, then this may not be the smartwatch for you. However, if you are a serious runner and really like the idea of having a full fledged GPS and serious heart rate monitoring that this is the Apple Series 4 is for you.

The Apple Watch Series 4 Features


All things said, the Apple Watch Series 4 is absolutely loaded withe features and it is worth talking about the more prominent ones separately.

So, let’s take a look at a few of these features along with their appropriate descriptions:

All New Design


On the Series 4 Apple offers the largest watch display to date. It has a new electrical heart sensor and has re-engineered its digital crown with haptic feedback. This haptic feedback is one of Apple Watch’s very cool features. It is what is known as the Taptic Engine, which sends the user a haptic feedback, or a very light tap on your wrist when you receive a notification. Unlike the very annoying vibration or chime you get with other devices.

The design offers curved corners that match the radius of the case. This creates a more pleasing overall appearance. This allows the touch surface to extend to the farthest reaches of the screen.

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

Proactive Health Monitor


The intent of this design feature is to improve your health on a daily basis and is actually powerful enough to help protect it. It can do this by helping you manage everything from everyday stress to calories burned. It obviously monitors your heart and lets you know if it detects something of concern. Then, there is the fall detection and emergency SOS. Let’s discuss each of these aspects separately.


ECG (Electrocardiogram)

In conjunction with the ECG app, the series 4 can generate an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. This can provide critical data for doctors and, of course, peace of mind for the user.

So, how does all of this work? Well there are electrodes built into the Digital Crown and the back crystal that work together with the ECG app that reads your heart’s electrical signals. You just touch the crown and that generates an ECG waveform in a matter of just 30 seconds or so.

The app can then indicate whether your heart rhythm shows any signs of atrial fibrillation, which is a serious irregular heart rhythm. Or, it will detect a sinus rhythm, which indicates your heart is beating in a normal pattern.

The information resulting from the ECG, its classification, and any additional notes that have been entered on related symptoms are automatically stored in the Health app on your iPhone. This, of course, can be shared with your doctor which allows a better-informed conversation about your health.

As a Cardiac Nurse I find this to be an amazing feature and great information to be shared with medical professionals. But, if you think that is amazing, check out the next aspect of the proactive health monitor, fall detection. In fact, along with the Emergency SOS, this deserves a completely separate heading of its own.

Fall detection and Emergency SOS


With the help of the accelerometer and gyroscope, the Apple Watch Series 4 can actually detect that you fell. When an accident like this occurs, a hard fall alert is delivered, and you can either initiate a call to emergency services or dismiss the alert. However, If you’re unresponsive after a minute, the emergency call will be placed automatically. The emergency contacts that you entered, will then be notified and sent your location. As mentioned above, there are examples where this has potentially saved lives.

The Emergency SOS feature works with the fall detection and allows you to quickly get help. It calls 911, notifies your emergency contacts, sends your current location, and displays your Medical ID badge on the screen for emergency personnel. The advantage of the Apple Watch Series 4 with cellular is that it does all of this even when you’re miles away from your phone.

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

 

Ultimate Workout Partner


The Apple Watch Series 4 is really more than just a sports watch. It’s like having a personal trainer on your wrist that actually understands the way in which you work out. All the way from swimming to running to even yoga. It puts in every metric you need at your immediate access.

The workout app literally works every way you choose to exercise. It allows you to set individualized goals, tracks your progress over time in the Activity app on your iPhone and measures calories burned.

Now, let’s take a look at what the Apple watch series 4 does for the serious runner. The series 4 is full of great features to help the user get more out of his or her run. It has a pace alert that allows one to choose a target pace and will even send out a gentle tap on the wrist to let you know if you are ahead or behind where you want to be.

There is a metric that is referred to as cadence. This lets you observe your steps per minute that helps you refine your running technique. A quicker cadence can mean faster run time and reduced injuries, for example. Another metric that is used is rolling pace. This is a metric that constantly updates and allows one to see your split for the preceding mile at any time.

Connected Gym and Automatic Workout Detection


In addition to the ultimate workout partner, the Apple Watch Series 4 has the ability to pair your watch with certain compatible gym equipment. This way you can keep important stats and metrics like speed, calories burned and heart rate in sync between your watch and stair climber, treadmill, or spinner bike for example.

Now for your more popular workouts, the Series 4 actually can sense when you are moving and can alert you to start the workout app. This is smart technology at its finest. It can even give you credit for exercises that you have already started and will even remind you to stop or end your workout, in case you got distracted while you are cooling down.

Now there are other features that are typical of other smartwatches such as music and podcasts as well that you can check out on Amazon, and of course it is water resistant up to 50 meters and tracks both pool and open water workouts.

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review
The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

Not all the features have been covered in this section for I just highlighted the one’s that are more exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 4. Not only that, but there are really 4 different watches to choose from since the GPS version offers two sizes and the GSP + Cellular also offers two sizes as well. To see each one individually with features, benefits and prices, click on the appropriate image below. The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review – Amazon’s Take


I think everyone would agree that reviews from people who have owned the product count. Yes indeed, I believe this is a valid place to discuss reviews from Amazon’s site from owners.

For example, the Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS, 40mm) Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band had 445 customer reviews and out of those reviews 85% gave a 5 star rating of this smartwatch. There was 5%, however that gave a 1 star rating and that was mainly because they compared it to a previously owned Fitbit that “cost a fraction of what this cost” and felt that the Fitbit had a better activity tracker. This one review did not state which Fitbit they had though.

Now the more expensive model, the Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular, 44mm) – Space Gray Aluminum Case with black sport loop had 175 customer reviews and out of those 82% gave a 5 star rating and 7% gave a one star rating. The lower rating seemed to attribute the short battery life as the main complaint.

So, overall, it seems owners of this product like it and feel it was worth the money they paid for it.

Now, since this is a woman’s fitness site, as we always ask,

Is This The Best Smartwatch For Women?


At this point let us go ahead and take a look at the Pros and Cons.

Pros

  • Fast performance
  • Awesome Health Features, ECG
  • Nice Looking Display
  • Fall Detection saves lives
  • Emergency SOS
  • Awesome Workout App

Cons

  • Short battery life, 18 hours
  • No Sleep monitoring (most likely because of the short battery life)
  • Expensive
  • Fitness tracking is not as good as some of the lower cost Smartwatches, such as the Fitbit Versa.
  • Quite Large for women

So, to answer the question above, if you are really interested in the GPS and/or cellular feature, or you have a need for the ECG and Fall detection, we believe that the Apple Watch Series 4 may be the best smartwatch for women. It is a great smartwatch and, as mentioned before, it is for the person who is specifically interested in the features mentioned above.

If, on the other hand, you do not really want these features and you want a smaller more “out on the town” look, then we recommend the Fitbit Versa as  your best selection.

 

 

 

 

The Apple Watch Series 4 Review

starts at $399
9

Style and Looks

9.5/10

Smartwatch Features

10.0/10

Fitness Tracking Features

8.0/10

Overall Value

8.5/10

Pros

  • Fast Performance
  • Awesome Health Features, ECG
  • Nice Looking Display
  • Fall Detection saves Lives
  • Emergency SOS
  • Awesome Workout App

Cons

  • Short Battery Life, 18 hours
  • No Sleep monitoring
  • Expensive

21 thoughts on “The Apple Watch Series 4 Review – Is It Really Worth The Money?”

  1. This is brilliant. I am a big fan of apple and I already own the Apple Watch series 3. I don’t know if I will for sure upgrade yet, but if I get a new smart watch it’s going to be the Apple Watch series 4.  Do you know where I can get the best deals on smart watches? Gotta be only me right? 

    Reply
    • Hi Kenny, thanks for the feedback, right now Amazon has “more buying choices” available for both the Apple Watch Series 4 GPS version as well as the Apple Watch Series 4 GPS+cellular. The “more buying choices” link can be found on my review when you click on the check Amazon price images on the review. Right now they are showing about a $70 savings on both versions. Again, thanks for the feedback. 

      Reply
  2. This is an informative and educative article. You have thoroughly put everything in perspective for anyone reading this post to understand the points. I have used several apple products but this apple watch series 4 is a top notch and I think its a must for me to purchase. From your article its glaring the product is highly durable and not too expensive to purchase. Obviously its pros outweighs its cons which makes it much more recommendable 

    Reply
  3. Hi julie,

    Thank You very much for sharing such an informative review with all the necessary information about “The Apple Watch Series 4 Review – Is It Really Worth The Money?”

    Really this is an amazing review.I like this review very much.I was thinking to buy an apple watch.One of my friend suggested me to buy this apple watch series 4. So, in this regard i was looking for the details of this watch.After reading this review i have gained all the details perfectly as you highlighted the review so nicely.I have learn that this apple watch series 4 has so many wonderful and updated features. Proactive health monitor feature has impressed me the most.I would like to buy gps+cellular system watch.But i have little concern about the warranty of this apple watch series 4.I will share this review with my friends and relatives so that they can be familiar with this apple watch series 4.

    Reply
    • thanks for visiting my website. Yes, I agree with you regarding the proactive health monitoring feature. Regarding the warranty, there should be no concern for the warrany if pretty good. Apple includes one year of hardware repair coverage and two years of support over the phone or online complimentary out of the box. 

      Reply
  4. I absolutely love what I read in this insightful article because it is full of great information. This is fascinating and interesting to me. Apple is my best choice in phones, tablets, mp3 and watches. I would love to get this for myself soon. I so much love it’s features, this review has shown his pros and cons.thanks for the review. Best regards 

    Reply
  5. This is an awesome review on Apple watch series 4. I am a user of apple smartphone products but never used any of the smart watches. This review article is well articulated for proper understanding highlighting the pros and cons the various smart watches. I think am going for this watch to add to my collection of apple products I have. Good job!  

    Reply
  6. Hey Julie,
    The Apple Watch Series 4 is a Significant Blessing of Technology and science. I’m encouraged by reading your informative reviews. Apple is a reputable company as we know. Most of its products are the best of quality as well. The feature that I like most about the product is the automatic emergency service. Soon I want to be a proud owner of it. Thank you so much for your valuable reviews with an important video.
    Sincerely,
    Rgpratap.

    Reply
    • Thanks so much for the feedback. Yes, I really like the SOS feature as well. The Fall detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 4 is pretty cool as well. 

      Reply
  7. Awesome information!

    Nice work you have done for this thorough review on the apple watch series 4. The review was carefully analysed that it helps one to make quick decisions whether it worth it.  I love the fact that it comes with two different sizes and categories, it looks great. This is really an upgrade version of series 3. I love it and I would like to go for the one with cellular feature. 

    Reply
    • Thanks so much Tunde, yes it is definitely an upgraded version of the Apple Watch Series 3 with a great number of added features. The cellular feature is pretty awesome as well. 

      Reply
  8. Hi,  

    I am not an Apple fan. I have read your article on the comparison of Apple Watch series 3 and 4.  And it really picked my interest. The features are so satisfying for the use.  At first the sensor picked my interest. I would recommend all of my friends to buy it and if they have any question I’ll tell them to read your article.  

    Thanks for letting us know.      

    Reply
  9. I want to really commend you for taking out time to write about The Apple Watch Series 4 Review – Is It Really Worth The Money… Well this review is very informative about the product .my elder sister  has been wanting to buy a good quality watch. According to her it should be expensive. Well,  I don’t know which to recommend for her, seen that both have great features just some little different but then I still like the Apple Watch Series 4

    Reply
    • Thanks Barry, yes the Apple watch series 4 review is a great watch. As far as your elder sister, is the GPS and cellular features is something she would be interested in then I would recommend it. Otherwise, I would recommend the Fitbit Versa. It is also an awesome smartwatch at a more reasonable price. 

      Reply
  10. This is really a great review on Apple Watch Series 4. I am an Apple fan I personally like this type of article of Apple devices review. That’s really appreciable that Apple making its devices greater day by day. Great design I have ever looked on Apple watches! This series 4 Apple watch is really amazing on its looking and configuration. But if I purchase this one I’ve to suffer for its battery life. As I travel a lot, it is quite tough for me to charge this device in a day. Overall, I liked this watch and also your article. 🙂
    Have a great day!

    Reply
    • Thanks for the feedback Tushar. Yes, I do agree, the battery life on the apple watch series 4 review is a shortcoming indeed. I would recommend in that case to check out the Fitbit Versa Smart Watch Review on my site and take a serious look at that one. It has similar features to the Apple Watch series 4 at a much lower price point. 

      Reply
  11. Wow! What a great informative and educative product review about the best smartwatch. I have just finished reading your article and learned the important knowledge of the Apple watch series 4. I have already compared it with the other available brands and I will definitely tell that this is the perfect and best choice for the smartwatch. I love its health monitoring and fall detection feature. I am going to buy one of those soon. Thanks for writing this helpful review.

    Reply

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