This feature isn’t being aimed at me though; that’s made clear by the fact it’s turned off by default for anyone under 65. As someone who knows the problems accidental falls can cause, this feature alone would instantly make me want to recommend this to older relatives. That’s not something I would have said about a mass-market smartwatch before.

I still have a big complaint, though, and it’s the same complaint Richard Easton levelled at the Series 3 – why is there no always-on display option so I can constantly see the time? This is something just about every other high-end smartwatch we’ve reviewed this year has implemented and it’s sorely missing here. I understand this would heavily impact battery life and Apple wants to ensure everyone’s watch makes it through the day, but there’s nothing wrong with giving consumers the choice.

I have replaced an original screen from another apple watch and everything seems to have gone well. But when I try to pair with the iphone it doesn't succeed. Is it because I didn't put the NFC chip from the original apple watch? What can be?. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Read our editorial mission & see how we test.

Pair the updated design featuring that gorgeous screen with the vast array of (potentially) life-saving features and you’ve finally got a smartwatch that feels like something other than a luxury device missing a point.

Make sure to update your Apple Watch to watchOS 5 or later (and the paired iPhone to iOS 12 or later) to avoid pairing issues after a display replacement. Released alongside the Apple Watch 4, watchOS 5 brings a handful of software updates and tweaks to all the previous Apple Watch models (aside from the very first version, often dubbed Series 0). This is also the first Apple Watch to play about with the sizing, replacing the 38mm and 42mm sizes with 40mm and 44mm. I was initially sceptical about the 44mm size (this is one I have been using during the review period) as there were times when I felt the 42mm size was a little on the large side for my wrists, but really the difference is negligible and just leads to bigger displays. The difference became much more apparent after using the Series 4 for a few days. You can see more information at a glance, which makes reading easier, especially when it comes to text messages and app notifications. And you can now fit eight complications—applets that do something other than tell time—on a watch face, up from five. The additional screen real estate also helps animations stand out. The effects in the Fire and Water watch face, for instance, are truly mesmerizing.