Apple Watch Series 5
50 reviews
absolute con – believed all the hype and got apple watch 5 little over two years ago on telstra plan - always a problem lasting more then 4 hours off fully charge. Now, just past the warranty time frame and only used sporadically - the device won't charge at all now. Further investigation with apple dealer - sorry, that one has to go in the trash but here's the… Read more
newest one which will be so much better. so wrong for this mob to get away with selling such a dodgey piece of tech. PS. bought a garmin fenix 6 in last couple of months - is all over anything an apple watch could do on all fronts.
Reviews with attachments
- +4
Always on Display is a game changer – Loving the new Apple Watch. Very easy to use. Always on display makes life much easier. The battery life is much better then my previous apple watch. Nice desgin, im enjoying having the larger 44 display Love the ability to interchange my bands and read messages at the flick of a wrist. Show details
Stunning look, beautiful practicality but should be more durable – Bought the stainless steel version with the Milanese watch strap. The watch looks and feels amazing around my wrist. It catches the eyes of those around me and I feel it adds a nice classy touch to my day to day look. The watch itself has helped me stay away from my phone, with all notifications going through the watch itself plus with new… Read more
features (as I came from having a s3 model previously) I'm finding I can do so much more with it.
I can watch videos on it now, draw text images and lots of cool nifty stuff which couldn't be done with the s3. Only downside I found is that for the price you pay, it should be much more durable. one or two knocks can show on the watch which shouldn't be the case with the price its asking to be purchased for.
Expensive but you get what you pay for – This review relates to an Apple Series 5 space grey aluminium watch which was purchased as an upgrade/replacement for my previous Apple Watch black stainless steel Series 2. While the Series 2 still looked and performed as well as it did when purchased almost three years earlier, there were a number of improvements that had been made in the newer… Read more
watches and I will detail these shortly. Also, for the benefit of those with an older watch looking to the viability of upgrading, I will note the differing features between the series 2 and 5 models.
Appearance wise, the watch casing was slightly larger than my previous series 2 (around 2mm) however, the screen is noticeably larger. Fortunately, despite the larger casing size, my previously purchased watch bands were 100% compatible with the new watch. Additionally, while my previous watch was made from sapphire crystal glass and stainless steel, the series 5 I purchased was made of aluminium and did not have the sapphire glass. Appearance wise it just means the casing is a little “softer” with a matt grey finish while my previous watch has a shiny black finish that was (supposedly) more resistant to dents and scratching? I was unable to justify a near $400 price difference just to get the additional hardness of stainless steel/sapphire glass nor did I need the cellular functionality so the cheaper watch it was. With nearly six months of (almost daily) use now, the watch appearance remains unblemished. Really, the only discernible difference I could notice was the lighter weight of my aluminium series 5 compared to the steel series 2. This is actually a plus as the heavier watch was a little annoying on the wrist over long periods of wear.
The main upgrade I was after was the “always on display”. This works completely as as advertised with the watch face dimming slightly when not in use (but still perfectly legible). Apple claimed to have modified the watch faces for best legibility with this function and they seem to have been very successful. The screen is clear and bright and generally easy to read outside except in the brightest of direct sunlight. Even when dimmed on “standby”, the watch face will still update every minute. An additional upgrade I was seeking was accessing the increased number of watch faces with a larger number of “data items” shown. Apple calls these “complications”. As an example, one of the most frequent watch faces I use is called an “Infographic” (see picture below) which displays time, date weather icon, air quality, heart rate, temperature, chance of precipitation and UV level. That’s a lot of information to have on a watch face and still remain legible but this is done quite successfully. Almost all the watch faces available are customisable either in colour, complications available or both. You can set these up exactly how you want (using an app on your iPhone), then selecting them is as easy as swiping left or right on your watch face to pick one.
With the “always on” face, you would think the battery life might take a hit. Short answer...no. If anything I get better battery life than my generation 2 watch. As an example, I can put my watch on around 8:00am, use it throughout the day, taking it off around 10pm there is still over 50% power left. Recharging takes around two and a half hours for a full charge from flat however, it should be noted that you can only charge the watch using the supplied Apple watch wireless charger. QI wireless charging is not supported.
To access a variety of functions on the watch is through pressing/ turning the crown or another button adjacent to it. Apps are available directly from the Apple Watch App store and greatly increase the usability and functionality of the watch. Accessing Siri (voice assistant) is as easy as raising the watch, saying “Hey Siri” and requesting information. Totally without any physical contact required.
Supplied with the watch is an Apple Sports Loop band and there are a variety of colours available at time of purchase. Other types (leather etc) are also available at additional cost. The Sports Loop band (or strap?) appears to be of the quality you would expect from Apple and has velcro fastenings which work well and help in making the band very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. I have never felt the band loosen or other-wise feel insecure while wearing it. To their credit, Apple has not forced owners to only be able to use their own expensive bands and you are easily able to source a variety of cheaper bands from third party suppliers that integrate with the quick release system employed by Apple. This makes it exceedingly easy to swap bands on the watch quickly and easily for differing occasions.
Overall, it is difficult to fault the watch. It has to be one of the best smart watches out there. If I was to be hyper critical, the only issues would be the requirement that you must use Apple’s proprietary charging system and that it will only work in conjunction with an Apple iPhone ...sorry Android users.
This just became a new way of life! – My wife bought this for me as a gift for Christmas and within days this just became the most useful thing in my life. The watch itself is so informative and being connected to your phone, it just gives you a lot of functions that doesn’t require you to bring out your phone. Charging it isn’t as bad as everyone says because the 18 hour battery life… Read more
is true. This became a new way of life for me and it has really changed how I use wearable technology in my life.
In-depth reviews
A watch is only a small part of what it does,...its like a personal assistant!!! – If you thought your iPhone was a game changer, wait till you try an apple watch with it. It will...."deep breath"....hit the siri button...Hey siri call jae...calling Jae. Hey siri send a text to Jae, it will then use its voice to text dictation with about 99% accuracy, I find it best to TALK LIKE A ROBOT OR A TELEPROMPTER. Its a built in timer… Read more
that set up quick for 10-15-30 mins or custom time. Measures your steps and energy. Every hour it tickles your wrist. It will beep on your wrist with an id of the person calling....you can choose to send a "I'm too busy to talk to you" text. Without even taking your phone out of your pocket. It has a "Range" of upstairs office, with your phone down stairs. If you REALLY want to you can use the watch as a phone and look like one of the cool CIA body guard types...or in my case a wierdo talking to his wrist. Also "hey siri" show me how to get to Railway pde vet?"...ding dong here it is all open on your phone in imaps AND a turn by turn advice displayed on the watch as well. Charging I get 2 days out of 100%....its a magnetic charger which boasts water resistance.....I dont believe in tempting fate and swimming with a watch. So haven't tried it. I never used to wear a watch for 30 yrs. But now it goes on my wrist. To call it a watch ISNT CORRECT its a digital assistant!!! A tip: get a clip on cover from Amazon or Ebay to protect the screen....it wraps around the bezel and doesnt make it look tooo weird and the touch screen works perfectly. Its pricey but worth it. After you use the voice to text a few times you'll "you'll smile to yourself and wonder...how the hell did I live without this in my life!!"
Seamless integration – I've been waiting for the right smart watch for years and although the original 4 versions of the watch seemed good, they were all still lacking water resistance which in my opinion is crucial when it comes to a watch. After shelling out $750 for the watch and a magnetic band (which is great!) I found the setup as seamless as most Apple products… Read more
when adding them to your little Apple universe. Integration with my iPhone was instant. Lots of pro's for this product; ~when calls come in I can see who is calling on it without pulling my phone out. I can also tap it to answer. (This works in tandem with Airpods). Also iMessages show on the watch and you can reply by drawing letters. ~While listening to music or Podcasts you can change the volume of your Airpods with a turn of the crown. ~When using Airplay with Spotify etc you can use it to change tracks or adjest the volume of your bluetooth speaker. ~By raising your wrist you can tell it to turn on lights or unlock smartlocks (or anything Siri controlled) without saying "Hey Siri" ~I have found its notifications have been good for motivating me whether it's to stand up or exercise or even breathe. I really never thought I'd use the watch as much as I have and it's something I don't leave home without. The only con is the short battery life. I have found that it will last around 16-18 hours but the charge time is very good. I would have liked a longer battery than this to make use of the various sleep tracking apps. I would buy another once that time comes.
Apple will not repair. They offer me a refurbished watch instead for a price – Before I start with my review I would just like to say this. I received this watch from my son for my 70th birthday as a gift. I really liked it and I treated it with extreme care. It seemed so delicate that I even wrapped it in a soft cloth before putting it on charge. I know that it cost my son a lot of money and I know that I took good care of… Read more
it. How the watch got damaged is a mystery to me. However it was damaged and this is what happened after. This review is not about the watch itself but about apples policies and business model. Is it legal and how do they get away with it in Australia.
The heart rate monitor started malfunctioning on my watch during my daily workout at the gym. I took it of to see if my perspiration was blocking the signal, but what I discovered was some hairline cracks on the back glass. (As I said it seemed too delicate and it obviously is) I called apple to make an appointment to take the watch in, but because of covid9 lock-down, they suggested that I send the watch in to them. I explained to them about the cracks in the back glass and they told me over the phone that it could be repaired under the warranty, "just send it in". I was expecting a call back from them after posting the watch off to them. That never happened. They returned my watch to me not-repaired saying that they discovered some hairline cracks in the back glass that I had not mentioned. SIC I then called them to discuss. They told me that they could not repair the watch but that if I paid them $480 then they would send me another one. I then decided to take a trip down to "The Genius Bar" after the lock-down to have a face to face. During my discussion with the Genius at the Genius-Bar, I specifically asked him if they would replace the watch with a new one. He said 'no" it would probably be a refurbished watch. I was surprised at this because they said that the apple watches could not be repaired, so why give me a refurbished watch, why not just repair the one I have. He "Genius" then said that It would take a long time for the repair. I said that that would be OK because I can wait. No he said. we do things this way and that was that. The question is. "Are they scamming their customers? They charge an exorbitant standard rate for a replacement, they take the watches that are damaged, cannibalise them, and use the parts to repair other watches . "Is this legal?, Would it not have been cheaper for me if they simply replaced the back glass like any other decent watchmaker would do, and charge me a reasonable price. After all they know exactly what the problem is with the watch that I have. The watch is now lying at the bottom of my drawer, $480 for a repair that would probably cost say $100 on the top side.
Recent reviews
The best watch for your home – I purchased an Apple Watch Series 5 Space Gray 44M LTE/GPS so I can text and talk with this using my Mobile Phone and track my sleep at night and monitor my heart rate. Show details
I literally can’t function without this – I bought this a little over year ago, after my series 2 finally kicked the bucket after 3 years. I LOVE the always on display, one of the small gripes I had with the old watch was how occasionally it wouldn’t detect that you’ve raised your wrist, forcing you to do an exaggerated ‘watch check’ to get it to light up so you can actually tell the… Read more
time, that was irritating, no problem with that now since this display is always lit up, though it dims slightly when it detects your arm is by your side which I assume is just to save battery so probably a good thing.
I like the extra little widgets and options you have with this series too, I love that it’s customisable, you can literally set it up to have all the information you could possibly want to see at a glance, I have mine set up to show the day and date (I can never remember what day it is!) I also can see the temperature, my step count so far, the watches battery levels and of course the actual time. I added fast access to timers and a calculator to the front too since I use those a lot.
Those timers are what makes this such a useful part of my life. I have ADHD and the attention span of a 5 year old sometimes! I work night shift hotel security and I need to submit hourly reports on the happenings in my current job, I’ll set a timer to go off every hour to remind me, I find it preferable to the phone because I set it up to silently vibrate on my wrist every hour so I don’t wake the sleeping guests with my alarms and reminders. I also use shorter timers in my day to day life, put a drink in the freezer to cool faster? I just KNOW I’m going to forget that and find an exploded can later, so any time I do a little thing like that I’ll tap the timers on the front screen of my watch and set it for whatever, its saved me a lot of hassles! Put the washing on, whoopsy, forgot about it, now it smells and i have to wash it again! Not anymore, timers to the rescue.
I also love how you can control your music from the watch, I’ll be walking to work listening to music with my phone in my pocket and can just change the song or easily pause it while I order my coffee, and also adjust volume all from my wrist.
The battery is quite quick to recharge, I wear it fully charged for a 12hr shift, by the end it’s about 40% battery remaining- thats using no battery saving modes. I then charge it when I get home, it charges in about 20 minutes so that I can wear it to sleep because of the sleep tracking apps I use, I also like that it vibrates on my wrist with my alarm when I wake, I sleep with a very loud white noise app through a speaker because I sleep during the day (night shift worker) and sometimes I’m out so hard I don’t hear the alarm over my noise so the vibrations help with that. I’ll then charge the 10% I’ve lost during sleep (I turn cinema mode on for sleeping so the display is off) that only takes a few minutes to recharge then I’m off to work again with my fully charged teammate.
Another function that can’t be overlooked is the ability to ping your phone from your watch when you’ve misplaced it, I am always putting my phone down and forgetting where! Just swipe up from the home screen and you’ve got a few options at your fingertips, one of them being the phone ping. Another option is the torch, basically it lights up your watches screen 100% bright white, so it’s not as good as the phone torch but it is surprising bright and definitely useful, I have used it on occasion while talking on my phone and needed to read something in the dark.
These are probably little things, but these many little things add up to big conveniences for me and I truly love it, I absolutely gush about it like a complete applefan weirdo to anyone who’ll listen.
I do recommend a bumper case for it, I had the series 2 without a bumper and perhaps its just because I do move a lot in my job but I was always banging it into walls and doors etc and it became scratched, chipped and cracked quite easily, I hated how that looked, so when I got this one, I bought a bumper case from Spigen at the same time and just over a year later the watch still looks brand new. It does add a little bit of chunk to the watch which many may not like so I guess you have to consider that, but if you’re a very active person or have an active job, I think its worth it.
Heart rate monitor not working – My heart monitor is not picking up my pulse when I am going for a run it takes 5-10min before it reads my pulse, call apple a few times and they said to wait until the update comes through who know when and it will fix the issue other than that sell the watch which is still under warranty... Wants jb hifi to foot the replacement cost not cool at all....
Non-functioning features – This is my second Apple watch and I am generally a fan. However, some "functions" simply do NOT function. The heart-rate monitor is so random as to be basically unusable. I've often checked it against reliable monitors and it's is very often not even close. the latest "fix", to allow my watch to open my MacBook, is not a fix at all. So while I generally enjoy the product, several of its "functions" are very random AND THIS IS ANNOYING. Show details
Don't know what I'd do without it – Came over from Samsung's ecosystem to Apple's to try it out and test it. Overall, the experience with the Apple Watch Series 5 is objectively a much better one than with Samsung's counterpart. The experience is simple, fluent, and reliable. There have been times when I haven't been able to have my phone on me and have been able to call / text / do… Read more
whatever I need to on my Apple Watch (providing you have the cellular one. It is miles ahead of the Galaxy Watch in teams of user experience and the reliability of it is great.
Toughness was a big factor for me, and I wasn't sure how it would hold up over time. I decided to buy this watch through Telstra and get Apple care on the side rather than Telstra's dodgy insurance. Have banged, scraped, and scratched it over the last nine months, and unless you look for it, you can't see any wear and tear. If you're concerned about cosmetics, there are always third party cases you can get to protect it, but I have been there and done that and the extra bulkiness was not worth it for me.
Worth every cent in my opinion and I won't be upgrading for years to come.
As for cons, the only one I can think of is the battery life or lack thereof. Coming over from the Galaxy Watch series, I was shocked that this only lasted a day. After a few weeks of use though, I realised that that's all it needs to last - at least for me. I wear my watch all the time except for when I am showering. Forty minutes of charge a day for two decently long showers is plenty to keep you going for the day or night ahead.
Find out how Apple Watch Series 5 compares to other Smart Watches / Fitness Trackers
Know better, choose better.
its ok for me – I am not a watch person but got this as a gift. it looks good to wear one, stylish. I don't always wear it. most of the time i wanted to wear I found it no charge. so i put it on charge for next time. Battery life not good. other than that, very handy options, like heart rate monitor which is pretty good. So far I like the product. But I wont give it a 5 star. Show details
Absolute rubbish – Watch keeps disconnecting from phone, and apple support team is helpless. Don't waste your money, its not worth it. Apple is not willing to help. Dont waste your money please Show details
VERY BAD BATTERY LIFE – I bought this to replace my FitBit so I can get calls and messages through the watch. The battery life of Fitbit is really good, takes at least 4 days to need recharging. iWatch is no where as good as Fitbit. It only takes less than 24 hours to need recharging, which is very cumbersome. Will try to sell iWatch and get a Fitbit that has cellular function. ECG app DOES NOT work or NOT Available in Australia Show details
Fitbit much better than Apple Watch – Fitbit much better than Apple Watch and much cheaper, Apple Watch doesn’t have one app with different applications and you have to charge it every day while Fitbit not, Fitbit can last for 7 days and has one simple app
Great product – Apple does it again. Great product, connects effortlessly with my iphone. the only complain i have is that the watch series 5 here, in Australia, doesn't have the ECG feature, which was the main focus of their advertising. other than that, great product. Show details
Healthy style product – I bought this apple watch to replace my previous Xiao Mi watch. It works great, I like the following functions especially: it prompts for you to breathe during the day, each breathing takes 1 minutes and it relaxes me during working in the office, the daily goal with 3 rings is fantastic, it helps me to keep my daily walking exercises, it records… Read more
the length, heart beat, etc. When bluetooth turned on with my iphone, I can access to email, phone, sms and all other apps. The only thing is that the blood pressure and heart beat monitoring is not accessible in Australia, so no access to these 2 is a pity.
Battery life and some function could be made better – I have been using this watch around 6 months and mostly i like it. Fitness track function and synchronisation with mobile is great. but the battery life is the worst part of it. if you keep your most of function on, you hardly get one-day battery life. i am able to wear it because i forget to charge every day. so battery life could be made better.… Read more
i don't know why apple watch has no inbuilt sleep track app? why it removed google map from apple watch os ? there are very limited watch faces to download. so i wish these are the things to be improved
Love it – Yes it does tell the time but it does soo much more than I expected. It’s very easy to use, it’s stylish, and now I never take it off whereas before I got the Apple Watch I haven’t worn one in years. Show details
Love Apple – Have been using this for a while now and no issues at all. Apple products are always bit pricey but quality speaks for itself. I can't wait for my next upgrade
Find out how Apple Watch Series 5 compares to other Smart Watches / Fitness Trackers
Know better, choose better.
Cant live without it – I upgraded from a fitbit to an Apple Watch recently and it does everything I need and more! Wear it everyday for exercising and I love the walkie talkie feature Show details
Love this watch it’s fantastic – This watch is great i absolutely love this watch been saving up for this for a while so thrilled that I have it Does everything I need out of a watch and more Show details
Everything I need in a smart watch – Got the series 5 when my series 3 broke down, I don’t see much of a difference but I’m very happy with my purchased. I couldn’t do without it. Very helpful at the gym to track your workout and also to stay phone free while doing your session as you can control everything with the watch Show details
I use this watch every single day! – I never thought I needed a watch as my Iphone has capabilities of everything! However, this watch quickly became an every day must have as I soon depended on it for everything and less so from my phone. It’s only downfall is that you aren’t able to go on Instagram or Facebook of see more messages, you can only get notifications or reply to direct ones. Battery life could be better as I need to charge it every night, but that’s not a drama. Show details
Good watch for daily use! – Its a fantastic watch, got it for my mum who is a teacher so she can go on yard duty and leave her phone in her classroom. She loves tracking her fitness too. Easy to use and looks good too! Show details
Perfect watch – I loved Apple Watch series 5 it was all the function that is required for me Easier to use Battery life depends how you use it Has accurate heart beats rates and breathing functions which frequently I use Reminds you when to stand and rest Easier to install other app and use The screen size is perfect for me and can easily changed the bands I… Read more
love this series 5 and I am enjoying my watch I recommend Apple Watch series 5 if you are looking to buy Apple Watch You can keep track of your running and steps which is so accurate
Amazing purchase – I got my husband his Apple Watch for Christmas and he loves it so much it’s also helped on his fitness journey and he loves tracking his exercise for the day Show details
Pricey but thats apple – I am an apple fan and happy to pay the price and get what it is amazing quality. I had series 3 before but now this is upgrade. Have been using for a while now and no complaints Show details
Very easy to use and beautiful inside and out – Very stylish and very easy to use. Very versatile and useful as you can just leave your phone behind and take your watch with you and still have access to all the basics calls and messages. I never realised how helpful it is I just thought it was a fashion statement. I also found that it wasn’t annoying as well and sometimes I just forget it’s… Read more
even there. I bought the larger one too so if anyone has concerns if it would get annoying or not... it’s definitely not annoying for me. I’d suggest to also google any tips or tricks as well I really like the feature of the watch face and how you are able to change wallpaper... I also love pillow the sleeping app and it keeps track of my sleeping cycle. Say bye to fit bit as well with this gadget.
My Timepiece and Assistant – The Apple Watch has been a companion, whether it be telling time, being selective in the notifications are important and a constant reminder of my fitness. It's become part of my everyday life - empowering me to live my best life. Show details
Best birthday present ever – I was given this as a birthday present and I love it! It is stylish easy to use and has great functions. Its large screen is easy to see and the battery life is pretty good too. Show details
Sapphire glass prone to scratches – The S5 Apple Watch is comfortable and easy to use, and the black stainless steel is very attractive. The glass is no where near as durable and scratch resistant as Apple claim, with mine showing several scratches despite not knowing as to how they happened as I’m always very cautious. Show details
Apple Watch MWD2XA series 5 – 44 mm silver white slate band, brilliant watch , love it. I’m not good with technology but have managed to work my way around this. Large screen not bad battery life . Many abilities I’m yet to learn . Does all I want it to do. This was a gift
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