Expert review Apple Watch Series 4

When I open the box, the first thing I notice is the larger display. Before, I used to wear the Apple Watch 38mm, and the new sizes of the Series 4 are 40 and 44mm. I was afraid this would look very bulky on my wrist, but it's really not bad. The screen is larger, but the design is slimmer than before. This makes it more compact. Despite the model being only 2mm larger, I can see everything more clearly. Icons and text are larger, so it's easier to read notifications.

What I'm super curious about is fall detection, a new feature on the Series 4. This means the Apple Watch recognizes when I make a big fall. Don't respond within 1 minute? In that case, the Watch will automatically send out an SOS emergency call. Of course, this is mostly intended for older users, but I want to see if it works, so it's time to fall! I quickly notice that faking a fall doesn't work. I'll need to plant my face on the ground pretty hard if I want to test this feature. Which I didn't. Which is good, because I still have to go to the gym.

The Apple Watch Series 4 is ideal for working out. I can monitor statistics and start new workouts like yoga and hiking. What I really like is that the Apple Watch Series 4 automatically starts workouts. This is ideal, because I sometimes forgot to start or stop a workout. When going for a walk, I receive a notification asking if I want to start a workout only after 15 minutes. That's a little late, but I also don't want to constantly be asked whether I want to start a workout whenever I'm walking. But especially with exercises, the automatic workout detection works perfectly.

After my workout, I receive a phone call. Answering phone calls on my wrist is really convenient, as long as it's a conversation everyone's allowed to hear. The speaker of the Series 4 is 50 percent louder than before, and I notice that right away. Even if it's windy outside, I can hear my friend on the other end of the line much more clearly. As a result, making phone calls with the Apple Watch is a lot better.

Everything I do on the Apple Watch 4 proceeds smoothly without any problems. Compared to the Series 3, the performance has supposedly doubled. I don't notice this difference until I switch the Apple Watch 4 with my old Series 3 at the end of the day, though. I notice it when I start an app, which happens just a bit more quickly on the Series 4. Despite these doubled performances, the battery life remains unchanged.