Apple has announced when you’ll be able to snag an Apple Watch Series 7. Pre-orders start this Friday, October 8th at 8AM ET. The device, which starts at $399, will be available one week later on October 15th.
The biggest change this year is a larger, always-on display. Apple has bumped up the case size options to 41mm and 45mm while reducing the bezel to 1.7mm. The user interface takes advantage of the larger screen, with a full, swipe-based QWERTY keyboard and two additional watch faces.
Battery life is the same as in Apple Watch Series 6. It should last up to 18 hours on a single charge, according to Apple, though the Series 7 will charge up to 33 percent faster. There are more colors to choose from too.
This year’s Apple Watch is a bit more rugged than previous versions. It’s the first time Apple has made a smartwatch with an IP6X dust resistance rating. The screen is said to be more crack-resistant because of the new design, and Series 7 is still water resistant to 50 meters.
Other new features arrive by way of watchOS8. The latest OS has deeper iPhone integration, additional wellness and fitness features and upgraded messaging tools. There’s a new Contacts app, for instance, as well as more options for Messages. As in iOS 15, you can add your driver’s license to Wallet. Apple said last month that eight states have signed up to let residents use IDs stored on iPhone or Apple Watch.