If you can find it on sale, buy the Apple Watch Series 6 instead of the Series 7

Every year, Apple announces a new flagship smartwatch. And every year, it replaces the last-gen model with the one it just announced. It even stops selling the “old” watch, whether it’s considered aging technology or not.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is the latest hotness. Accordingly, once the Series 7 went on sale, the Series 6 essentially ceased to exist on Apple’s website, replaced by the upgraded wearable. But you know what? The Series 7 was hardly an upgrade over the Series 6. More importantly, if you can find an Apple Watch Series 6 on sale somewhere (and aren’t an Android user, obviously), we’d recommend buying it over the Series 7 at full price.

Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 7: The only tangible differences are in hardware

Most people wouldn’t notice the differences between the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 6 unless they had both watches in front of them (you can also check out the full comparison specs at the end of this article).

The Series 7 has a 20% larger screen and ~40% smaller bezels than the Series 6. Its case is also slightly rounder. These upgrades are nice but not game-changers.

The device’s more substantial upgrades have to do with durability. First, the Series 7 has a front crystal that’s 50% larger than the older watch, making it more resistant to cracks (I have not tested this). The new watch is also rated IP6X for dust resistance. However, both watches have the same WR50 water-resistance rating.

Battery life, one of the main smartwatch pillars Apple usually struggles with, is nearly identical on both watches. They’re both rated for 18 hours of use, so one way or another, you’re going to have to charge your watch before bed or after you wake up. The Series 7 charges faster than the Series 6, but only with the new USB-C charging cable. That’ll save you some time, but again, nothing substantial.

Overall performance is, you guessed it, pretty much the same. I personally experience very few bugs or performance hiccups on Apple Watches, and the Series 6 and 7 are no different. The Series 7 is powered by Apple’s new S7 chip, which is based on the same architecture as the Series 6’s S6 chip.

Related: Apple Watch buyer’s guide

As for fitness tracking, there are also no differences, at least on paper. The Series 6 has the same fitness- and health-tracking sensors as the newer watch. You get a pulse oximeter, ECG, standalone GPS, and an optical heart rate sensor on both models. None of these hardware sensors have been upgraded.

In fact, I’ve found heart rate tracking on the Apple Watch Series 6 to be more reliable and more accurate than the Series 7. Throughout a month-long testing period and with two different units, the latter spat out more unusable heart rate recordings than I’ve ever seen on an Apple Watch. Meanwhile, during the same workouts, the Series 6 performed just as it always has: consistently and accurately.

The Series 7’s heart rate issues could be due to wonky algorithms or some software that needs tweaking. Other reviewers have had better luck with its sensor but, unfortunately, that hasn’t been our experience.

WatchOS 8 is nice, but it’s not a Series 7-exclusive

Software support is one of the biggest selling points of Apple products. It’s also a pretty big reason why people hold on to their devices for so long.

The Apple Watch Series 7 launched with watchOS 8. Its predecessor launched with watchOS 7 and was also updated to watchOS 8 on the day the software was released. Likewise, both of them will receive watchOS 9, and other updates for years to come. Apple doesn’t give hard numbers on how many major updates it releases for each wearable, but consider this: The Apple Watch Series 3, which launched in 2017 with watchOS 4, is still receiving software updates (for better or worse). Only recently did we learn it will finally be left out of update eligibility when watchOS 9 is released.

WatchOS 8 on the Series 6 and Series 7 is the same, except for a few small changes. The Series 7 has two extra watch faces — Modular Duo and Contour — the former of which takes good advantage of the larger display. There’s also an on-screen keyboard on the Series 7, so responding to messages is a little easier (if you can deal with smartwatch keyboards). Aside from that, the two software versions are nearly the same.

Additionally, both watches feature watchOS 8’s Mindfulness app, Pilates and Tai Chi workouts, automatic cycling detection, and fall detection during workouts. I think we’ve made our point: Software support really doesn’t need to be a factor when considering one device over the other.

Check out: The best smartwatches you can buy

The Apple Watch Series 6 is cheaper and pretty much the same thing

As mentioned, Apple no longer officially sells the Apple Watch Series 6, so you’ll need to rely on third-party retailers if you decide to go for this older model. Luckily, it is still sold at various retailers around the web.

Walmart and Best Buy frequently discount older Apple products. Similarly, you can find tons of Series 6 listings from trusted sellers on eBay. There may not be huge Apple Watch Series 6 discounts around at the moment, but they can show up frequently during the holidays. Recently, the watch could be found for as low as $299.

Our verdicts: Apple Watch Series 7 review | Apple Watch Series 6 review

Let’s be clear, if you’re in the market to buy a new Apple Watch and the Series 7 and Series 6 are both offered for the same price, the Apple Watch Series 7 is your best bet. All around, it’s the better smartwatch. With the upcoming launch of the Apple Watch Series 8, this point might soon be moot. But if it’s a decision between paying full price for a Series 7 or saving a good amount of cash on the Series 6, you should absolutely buy the Series 6.

Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 7 specs

Apple Watch Series 6 vs Series 7 FAQs