The Apple Watch Series 5 looked similar to the Series 4, but had an “Always-On” Retina display “that never sleeps,” a faster processor, and more storage. The GPS model required an iPhone tether to use the phone features (higher-end models had built-in wireless cellular). This watch added international emergency calling that allowed calling “emergency services directly from Apple Watch in over 150 countries, even without iPhone nearby.”
Like all previous Apple Watch models, the Apple Watch Series 5 uses a Digital Crown and a touch display. The screen is OLED at 368×448 with haptic feedback and a Force Touch display. New health and fitness features with Series 5 included Cycle Tracking, the Noise app and Activity Trends.
Previous Apple Watch models used screens that went black to conserve power. The Always-On screen in the Series 5 was made possible by the OLED display and other hardware and software. According to Apple:
“Each watch face has been carefully optimized for the new display and to preserve battery life, the screen intelligently dims when a user’s wrist is down and returns to full brightness with a raise or a tap. Several advanced technologies work together to deliver this new feature, including the industry’s only low-temperature polysilicon and oxide display (LTPO), ultra-low power display driver, efficient power management integrated circuit and new ambient light sensor.”
Three different stainless steel options were available: gold, silver, and space black—all three available on the previous model. The Series 5 introduced the “Apple Watch Studio,” both on the Apple website and on the Apple Store app. The Apple Watch Studio allowed the opportunity for buyers to select a “preferred case and band combination to create a look that is uniquely their own.”
New materials were also offered with the Series 5, including natural titanium and space black titanium. Aluminum cases in silver, gold, and space gray were offered in “100 percent recycled 7000 series aluminum.”
This unopened Apple Watch Series 5 is Space Black Stainless Steel in the 40 mm (a rare inclusion in my collection of mostly large-size Apple Watch models). This example includes a matching Space Black Milanese Loop.
