Apple Watch Series 6 vs Apple Watch Series 7

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Watch Series 6 compared with Watch Series 7
AppleWatch Series 6AppleWatch Series 7
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2020October 2021
Display
Case sizes40 mm or 44 mm41 mm or 45 mm
PanelLTPO OLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness1,000 nits1,000 nits
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detailAlways-On Retina LTPO OLED; 40mm 324 x 394 pixels and 759 sq mm; 44mm 368 x 448 pixels and 977 sq mm; wrist-down outdoor brightness up to 2.5 times Series 541mm 352 x 430 pixels, 904 sq mm; 45mm 396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm; 1.7 mm borders; QWERTY keyboard with QuickPath; wrist-down brightness indoors up to 70% higher than Series 6
Screen protection–Redesigned front crystal over 50% thicker than Series 6, according to Apple's launch announcement
Health and fitness
ECGYesYes
Blood oxygenYesYes
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionYesYes
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandSingle-band
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsBlood oxygen sensor; electrical and third-generation optical heart sensors; compass, always-on altimeter, accelerometer up to 32 g-forces, gyroscope and ambient light sensorElectrical and third-generation optical heart sensors, blood oxygen sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, accelerometer up to 32 g-forces, gyroscope and ambient light sensor
Health featuresECG and Blood Oxygen apps, irregular-rhythm notifications; sleep tracking and automatic handwashing detection in watchOS 7; oxygen readings are for general wellness rather than medical useECG and Blood Oxygen apps; watchOS 8 adds sleeping respiratory rate and Mindfulness; oxygen measurements are for general wellness rather than medical use
Fitness featuresGPS/GNSS and GymKit; always-on elevation tracking; dance, core training, functional strength training and cooldown workouts in watchOS 7GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou; GymKit; Tai Chi and Pilates workouts; cycling start reminders and auto-pause
Safety featuresFall detection and Emergency SOS; international emergency calling on cellular versions in supported regionsFall detection and Emergency SOS; international emergency calling on cellular versions in supported regions
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
Mobile data optionYesYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS6S7
Storage32 GB32 GB
Battery life detailBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteryBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging1 m magnetic charging cable; full charge in under 1.5 hours, according to Apple's launch announcement1 m Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable; up to 33% faster charging than Series 6; USB-C power adapter required
ConnectivityW3 wireless chip and U1 Ultra Wideband chip; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Bluetooth 5.0; cellular versions add LTE and UMTS; requires iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14 at launchW3 wireless chip and U1 Ultra Wideband; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Bluetooth 5.0; cellular versions add LTE and UMTS; iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 at launch
Design
Weight (lightest version)30.5 g (better)32 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materialsAluminium, stainless steel or titanium; ceramic and sapphire crystal back; 50 m rating under ISO 22810:2010 for shallow-water swimmingAluminium, stainless steel or titanium; ceramic and sapphire crystal back; IP6X dust resistance; WR50 water resistance for shallow-water swimming
Size40mm 40 x 34 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 30.5 g, steel 39.7 g or titanium 34.6 g; 44mm 44 x 38 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 36.5 g, steel 47.1 g or titanium 41.3 g; case weights exclude bands41mm 41 x 35 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 32 g, steel 42.3 g or titanium 37 g; 45mm 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 38.8 g, steel 51.5 g or titanium 45.1 g; case weights exclude bands
BandsApple Watch Studio offers case and band choices; Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop introduced with Series 6; Nike and Hermès bands and faces also offeredApple Watch Studio case and band combinations; Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop; Nike and Hermès editions with exclusive bands and faces; compatible with earlier Apple Watch bands
ColoursSilver, Space Grey, Gold, Blue or (PRODUCT)RED aluminium; Silver, Graphite or Gold stainless steel; natural or Space Black (DLC) titanium; Nike Silver or Space Grey; Hermès steel or Space Black steelMidnight, Starlight, Green, Blue or (PRODUCT)RED aluminium; Silver, Graphite (PVD) or Gold (PVD) steel; natural or Space Black (DLC) titanium; Nike Midnight or Starlight; Hermès Silver or Space Black (DLC) steel
In the boxWatch, band or loop and 1 m magnetic charging cable; no USB power adapterWatch, band or loop and 1 m Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable

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