Apple Watch Series 4 review: it lives up to the hype

The Apple Watch Series 4 has been fully redesigned with new screens, new sizes, new speakers, and of course new stuff inside. There's a faster processor, Bluetooth 5, and a more accurate set of sensors. Dieter Bohn spent the past week testing the Watch Series 4 and, yes it is expensive, but everything is just better. Better screen, better health features, and better speed.
Host: Dieter Bohn
Director: Vjeran Pavic
Producer: Felicia Shivakumar
Camera: Leo maco
Sound: Andrew Marino
Director of Audience Development: Ruben Salvadori
Social Media Manager: Dilpreet Kainth
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[@TheVerge]

Will you upgrade?

[@VenemiesTech]

The Verge Already pre-ordered😏

[@tylerortiz5173]

The Verge no lol, it’s tempting but only upgrading my iPhone

[@EastLosPyro]

I’m doing the Hermès Edition!!. 👑

[@vanessabordeauxvine]

Waiting for Series 5, my AW 3 still strong

[@TheOnlyCubic]

I'd rather get the Series 4 than the new iPhones, let's put it that way.

[@LancerJak]

“I can’t even hold a cup of coffee and do this at the same time.” The most first world problem sentence in this video.

[@yelbert3276]

lol a $400 dollar smart watch is obviously going to be for first world people

[@ChadWes1]

LancerJak man you hit it right on the nose . ONLY thing I hated in this review . I’m like well if you can’t push the button CALL THEM

[@toddclary8821]

Millennials

[@daddyscrapes]

LancerJak 🤣🤣

[@Jhollis67]

Yeah that seemed like really reaching for a complaint. First off, yes you can hold a coffee and use it. It only takes one finger and you don’t require all five to hold a cup. Second, you could, ya know, hold the coffee in the other hand.

[@jz9132]

“You could easily spend $600-700 on these watches without noticing it...”. Ummmm I think I would notice when there is a hole in my wallet 😂

[@davidryder5885]

Max I would spend on a watch is £300.

[@roby2764]

There's people spend thousands in Rolex

[@Paul-fp3qn]

@@roby2764 Well Rolexs look good and are brand name

[@not_adrs]

Paul you could say the same thing about an Apple device. I mean I don’t even use them, but I have to admit they look nice.

[@Paul-fp3qn]

@@not_adrs They don't look nice to me, the square display and all.

[@jonbrazil2489]

Hold the coffee in your watch hand

[@chriscallarman7395]

@-.- Cat Most people could probably manage a press of the watch face without needing to see it. Try it.

[@Starlight2097]

Chris Callarman the watch would auto turn off wouldn’t it?

[@ParthPatel-lc7eq]

Anyone remember when people would wear the iPod nano as a watch and call it the iwatch???

[@appleexposed4404]

Yeah, people don't remember this old Apple Watch.

[@jeromycollins6530]

I actually still have mine lol, I got it when it released I thought it was so cool.

[@RogueCarrot]

I do. I almost wanted to do it myself since I got one of those Nanos as a replacement when they had a recall. But I was turned off by the fact I'd have to manually turn it on every time.

[@wesley815]

And now it’s called Apple Watch 😂

[@johncs154]

Mine was stolen. Loved being asked “is that the the iWatch or Apple Watch” before the actual watch came out.

[@frontlinebreakthrough5723]

Those puns at the end 😅😂😂😂😂😂

[@ak_hoops]

FLBT literally perfect 😂

[@asianachuks]

Amazing apple would have loved that 😭😭😭

[@mikeanonymous6169]

they cut him off at the end hahaha

[@phatfarmboi117]

It seems he got him self fired?! lol

[@DuncanRawlinson]

Loved that part. Excellent video. I'm buying one for sure.

[@ShubhamKD]

Just hold the coffee cup in the same hand you wore that watch on. It's simple. 😂

[@navneetparab4148]

Shubham Kumar Das such an obvious solution. 😂😂😂

[@adokapo]

And press it with your nose then :)

[@antoniodytlow]

And have your coffee all over your pants 👌

[@masaka222]

You don't need to use all your fingers to hold your coffee cup duh. One of them can press the button

[@quadraticequation8196]

Genius Spotted

[@swifity2967]

There is an option within watch app settings to do tap to talk instead of hold to talk in general>accessibility for the walkie talkie

[@phenomenaljone]

Jay Sway thanks he should have known this

[@artesyamoore]

Jay Sway dope. Thanks!!

[@jiggagrave6861]

Not anymore

[@mohnishism]

Finally always on display in series 5 as you had requested

[@Pigmister24]

I loved this review! Both informative and hilarious.

[@HanxiangLi]

Dieter really likes the word "stupendous"!😂

[@braylanblack8865]

He doesn't really understand when it should and shouldn't be used, like in reference to battery life.

[@ChiquitaSpeaks]

SUPER!

[@jiaxiy5665]

Hanxiang Li 翔总牛逼！

[@angelodepaolo]

and “Let’s get into this”

[@josecarlosrodrigues1113]

Upgrading to Series 4 Nike Plus from my Series 0! It will be a great upgrade.

[@rf101259]

I upgraded from a series 1 (original first Apple watch from 2015) to the series 4 and I can attest that it was totally worth it. The screen is so much brighter and the sound is definitely louder. I'm looking forward to trying out the music streaming feature when I work out. Already took calls on it and it really was convenient to do so. If you are on the fence about upgrading, I'd say if you have a series 1 (original 2015 watch) it's worth it to upgrade to the series 4. If you have a newer watch, then probably not.

[@tcphll]

The series 1 isn't the original, that's the second generation. It goes, original (AKA series 0), series 1 (2nd gen), series 2 (3rd gen), series 3 (4th gen), then series 4 (5th gen). Confusing, I know. So, if your watch said "series 1" on the back, then it was actually the second generation of Apple Watch, not the original.

[@brianbuchert6382]

I have the series 2 thinking about upgrading

[@leonarddukessr775]

I have a 1 going for the 4

[@TenshiR]

This really makes me considering getting my grandmother one of these.

[@bundubashing2591]

Im an Android user and I want to get my mom the cheapest iPhone I can find and the series 4 just for peace of mind...

[@VishwasRavindran92]

Taking care or shower all your love to your grandmother is greater than this piece of money wastage tech , but anyway if you can afford well and good then.

[@99cya]

Push her first to see if fall detection works.

[@Carristoford]

@@bundubashing2591 you can buy an iPhone 6 or the 6 Plus because the watch didn't support older iPhones like the 5s and the 5.

[@EmmaWickman]

Vishwas Ravindran I’m guessing that he wants to give one to his grandmother because of the heart attack warning and the fall detection. Knowing that your loved one is a little bit safer is a way of showing a lot of love.

[@pizzathough12]

This year is the first year I really trust The Verge with iPhone reviews - and they're amazingly done. The pros and cons are very clear and it doesn't feel biased at all. Also the videos are always beautiful and very creative. Keep em coming!

[@Andrew-ig5sp]

I’d like to know whether Nike Run Club opens fast, displays pace and distance faster. On a Series 2 it’s a huge pain to use NRC. Also does it improve using Strava? (Speed and reliability, GPS accuracy)

[@obitouchiha5293]

What if we don’t have any friends? Can we still use the walkie talkie feature tho?

[@indradiana]

Obito Uchiha yeah if you have a family.

[@obitouchiha5293]

Gus Indradiana Niiiiceeee

[@appleexposed4404]

If you buy one for your other arm.

[@obitouchiha5293]

Apple Exposed that would be fun

[@wesley815]

A “random” button would be funny, for those who opt in, connect to a random person walkie talkie 🤣

[@brivnii]

I don’t need it. I Don’t need it. I.... neeeeEEDDD IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Pinky up)

[@null-1]

Sponge Bob? 🤣😂

[@jacobpro_]

brivnii when in doubt, pinky out!

[@Dampney_]

This round of Apple reviews Verge have come out on top - the editing, the cinematography, the host keeping it clear and direct. love it!

[@rreddy2390]

Great review. Clean, precise, and shows all the features. Keep it up TheVerge. Dieter is very really good at his job.

[@truebelieverjh]

We had sidetalking. Now we have nose-calling.

[@imAnsar]

lol

[@MackV99]

Im excited, series 4 is an awesome upgrade!

[@nonnnth]

5:50 I super don't 😂😂 I don't know why I'm laughing

[@emmasetterfield2752]

I bought one on Saturday and it took two days to be able to get connected on LTE. But now it's up and running I love it.

[@AlgoCurioso4]

Excellent review! Apple didn't surprise me with their new iPhone, actually they disappointed me with their prices, naming, etc. But the Apple Watch 👌, we'll done Apple. I was looking forward to this upgrade, now the only thing is left, is third party watch faces, and lower prices

[@TheZelkhan]

Jo Jo lol samsung gear watches are one of the most ugly and missdesigned consumerproduct ever. Apple watch is king in smartwatches and rightfully so. Credit were credit is due

[@mahdig96]

Jo Jo Not interested in Samsung tho 🤷‍♂️

[@OurDailyMeme]

Samer Gonzalez Aye aye!

[@sergeigarcia186]

To be honest, the Apple watch design is pretty F. Ugly...it looks extremely obnoxious and out of place in most situations. Don't like Samsung watches either...wish Apple made more watches that's looked like actual REAL watches, like Fossil.

[@matinannaji602]

Jo Jo Apple Watch has better health functions..

[@aznhandles]

Bigger Screen...Check.. Faster Processing... Check.. Spotify app..... Negative..! Soo close for being the perfect smartwatch..!

[@mooNylou]

Only apple music, right?

[@aznhandles]

Technically yeah but in watchOS5 Apple enabled a devkit for 3rd party developers such as music services app. We need Spotify to fill that blank before this watch makes sense.

[@joshuakayden2254]

spotify is coming to apple watch soon !

[@csabbat]

lars_tri Deezer ist available, too

[@aznhandles]

the question is... When...

[@jordancomstock8979]

I bought the series 3 last year. Is it worth the upgrade or wait for 2019? Series 3 is working great on watch OS 5

[@victorwong5000]

Great repair! Just happened to my watch..I think after 3 years, the adhesive kind of melts...and I live in FL where it's hot most of the time. Thanks again!

[@ObsidianXXX]

Not only is this an excellent, informative and entertaining review, it really makes all the other Apple product review videos look even more boring and tedious than they already are! Not to mention Cnet with all their incorrect information! Great job on this fab video!

[@arrrrr9831]

Dieter Bohn is a great reviewer. Every review of his is both informative and engaging. Good Job!!!

[@McStealy]

The sound on this video is alarmingly clear... Good job!

[@mattmatrucci]

I don't own an Apple Watch just yet, do you think next year will bring a massive change or should I get the S4?

[@erwintjia]

The backside looks incredible

[@billnye1825]

Just like ur mo- nah too easy

[@nuding4923]

Every time the same thing I am waiting for the new watch because I don’t want to spend so much money for the old model. The new watch is coming out it’s so expensive I will wait for it to get cheaper, which it never really does ... so I won’t ever own one probably thanks apple for saving me so much money - love it .

[@Vatabg]

yeah or you know...you can start making so money and not be a brokeass :D

[@devangeohicks4683]

Great job explaining this watch man! 😀👍🏾 I’ve never had an Apple Watch but I’m receiving my first one tomorrow in the mail right along with my Xs Max. Keep up the good work!! Much respect💯

[@drakebrandon3574]

Honestly this is the best video showing it off so far. Thanks!

[@ChristopherEjsmont]

I'm upgrading from apple watch 1st gen!

[@elijahwilson7779]

Christopher Ejsmont nice

[@ChristopherEjsmont]

I can't wait!

[@agustinbaletti]

I am waiting to upgrade to the Apple watch 1st Gen! Just me? 🙃

[@ChristopherEjsmont]

Haha really?

[@hafiznadzim8154]

Christopher Ejsmont i am upgrade from nothing .

[@HeloiseEliot]

I bought my series 3 in April for health reasons... now desperately needing this series 4 for the ECG functionality (hoping it'll come to Portugal soon). Aaaaah... the frustration!

[@connorwolk]

On your iPhone, you can open the Apple Watch app, go to General > Accessibility and then at the bottom there is a “Tap to Talk” option for Walkie Talkie. When enabled, you can tap once to start talking and then tap again to stop talking.

[@QuadiePoo]

Lmao! I use my nose to check my messages at times. Thought i was the only one

[@wepranaga]

that leather strap is sick 🔥🔥

[@robertcoticcoto8191]

which strap is this?

[@gursidaksingh40]

yeah

[@daveday]

Yeah?

[@highlevelnovice]

Link anyone to the strap? I want it

[@extremeloco23]

Monowear Genuine Leather www.monoweardesign.com/products/leather-band - I literally ordered one a week ago aha

[@RezzNations]

Upgrading from the Series 1! 🤟🏽

[@chunky0077]

Do you recommend using a case on your watch?

[@neight123]

Haha ending puns were great. Great review.

[@VenemiesTech]

Friday can’t come soon enough 🙌🏼

[@VictorTheCoolster]

Ikr 😩 feel like this have been the longest week ever.

[@bundubashing2591]

I'm so jealous 😂😂

[@amosy8345]

VeikkoVenemies Friday is tomorrow in New Zealand :)

[@404Eska]

IKR ?!!! i have an Timer widget AND THE HRS WONT GO BY

[@VictorTheCoolster]

Amos Y LUCKYYYY😠😠

[@iN00bman]

2nd time watching, Dieter. Vid officially pushed me over the edge. Just placed my order :) Great review as always!

[@TheSkileton]

the puns at the end of this video were 100% the best part.

[@TiandreJR2414]

If trade my series 3 for the series 4 how much would the 4 cost me ?

[@mynationalchannel]

Hey Apple , are you listening This is the presentation .

[@ThankYouPageMagic]

Really wish people wouldn't put such loud music in the background (well it isn't in the background as loud as it is).

[@SuaveLlaveBlog]

when Dieter was smiling while playing with the digital crown made my heart melt.

[@techbro007]

This is your best review yet. Great going Dieter!

[@funtimes3332]

I think my watch is a series two and I love having it. The newer one is interesting to me. Obviously i don’t have waterproof or the cell feature on the one I have but at the moment all this new stuff, while interesting, is just not enough for me to feel like I really need to upgrade. Im glad they finally are making the screen bigger and flatter. But idk. I think it is a good sign that i feel content with the one i have... because it is a good watch and the os keeps improving it. Ill probably want to upgrade eventually but I think its going to be at least another year for me. $300 is just too high a price for me to buy something every year, or even every other year. I really would prefer to get at least 3 solid years out of this if not more. And I think thats looking pretty likely.

[@DanaTheInsane]

Series two are waterproof. I used to swim laps in mine.

[@UltraDoug]

The Verge remains the gold standard for tech reviews. Really excellent. I always have......time.....for them 😑 Waiting for my 44mm Stainless Steel Series 4 to arrive! Can’t wait. 🤙🏼

[@DriveCancelDC]

Fancy camera crew and product shots doesn't change that The Verge are still a bunch of inept knuckleheads

[@itisshinobi]

Luke the only reputable tech reviews that are super consistent are mkbhd and dave lee

[@DNj800]

Wow, how brown can your nose get

[@topdog9007]

Apple fanboys=verge

[@qwrasw]

Gold standard? LMAOOOOOO

[@jnrivers]

Day 2, favorite gadget since my BlackBerry back in 2008. It's genuinely useful.

[@RangerRickTV]

how come these watches don't come with built-in cameras? I remember when the first Galaxy Gear watch came out it had a camera which came in handy.

[@luisaperales7057]

What is the leather band he is using?

[@jaemcruz]

Monowear Design wow pretty neat. I’m getting brown and black!

[@Dan89201]

4:38 I like holding it up to my ear, makes me feel like a secret agent

[@iMatt456]

I literally just bought a Series 3 back in July after rocking a Series 0 pretty much since launch. The Series 3 was a great upgrade from the Series 0, but would it be worth upgrading to the Series 4? Or should I just wait for the Series 5 or 6?

[@2spoons]

How long does the battery last - I run daily and track my routes - will the battery last all week or daily?

[@ett1694]

0:50 please tell me where can get this leather strap? it looks nice

[@nick3543]

Yess I want that too!

[@viggoo]

Really? Nobody knows where it’s from?

[@rbalajiramki]

Does anyone have the link for the leather strap?

[@w3wl4d]

Thought Roses was abt to play at the start of the video

[@Arunpreet06]

have been using a standard digital watch but now I am planning to get an apple watch. How comfortable is it to wear on a daily basis?

[@MoKraid]

Great review! Can you tell us where we can find the bands shown on the review? They’re amazing!

[@theharry791]

Actually looks quite cool, just a shame it needs an iPhone

[@bundubashing2591]

Lol I know right... I'm seriously considering getting an iPhone for the first time

[@waykool698]

Katlego Techie 😀

[@sarangkulkarni4963]

it doesn't work with android ?

[@thisistotallyfine]

Where did you get that leather strap?!?

[@cenof]

Can you get the GPS+WiFi only model and still use Walkie Talkie or do you have to have the cellular model?

[@djender]

Can this work as a cell phone independently or does it have to be linked to an iphone to work as a phone?

[@supahotfireOH]

The reason why apple doesn't allow the watch to stay always on is that you might get OLED ghosting (screen burn-in) but they recently patented a new technology that would allow them to do that without damaging the screen and we might see that in the next models

[@wyattb3138]

Samsung has self-healing OLEDs already.

[@ronik330]

*Wyatt B* , is it on Samsung phones already?

[@BanditManSteve]

Thats not why, as literally every android watch has been doing it since the inception of smartwatches without issue. I think its more of a battery issue, as most watches dont last more than a day (if that). Having an always on feature cuts battery by a lot. I dont see why they dont make it an optional feature though.

[@Katzelle3]

If you're talking about microLED, then don't expect anything anytime soon. They're still massive power hogs and a MicroLED TV would even trip the circuit breaker in your home.

[@lynn.chaaaa]

@@ronik330 Note 9 has that feature

[@ParachuteRoses]

So real question should I get series 3 or series 4? The series 3 is drop like $100 or more

[@henryb893]

ParachuteRoses definitely 4

[@t0nyz0]

One of your best reviews yet Dieter thanks for doing it.

[@sirBadd]

I’m worried about the lte thing. Can I leave my phone at home? Will i receive calls or will it disconnect randomly

[@finalomega8894]

I've fallen and I can't get up! Hey Siri, call 911... Siri: "Hold on a moment..." *haptic tap.. Nothing.

[@Davidisbusy]

You don’t have to keep pressing while using walkie talkie ...

[@aaronming8466]

Do you need screen protectors for iWatch?

[@Dogster6]

Love the humor at the end, keep it up Deiter!!

[@lattysweets6422]

Why they didn’t let infograph be a part of the upgrade on series 3?

[@tigglepig]

Latoya Simpson the screen on the S3 isn’t big enough to fit 8 complications on

[@SuperBrianGames1]

Still rocking gen 1 Apple Watch.

[@jamescornwell1935]

quality review, wish more were this thorough.

[@psoren936]

You put on that 3rd party brown leather watch band. Would you mind telling me from where that band was purchased. It looked very nice on that watch. Thanks.

[@samuelletkeman]

You mentioned the price, and just like that I was done

[@experiment54]

Round watch incoming in 12, 11, 10, 9.....3, 2, 1 months

[@jignacior23]

Hi, is it possible to use Apple Watch series 4 with your iPad Pro? I do not have an iPhone :( Can you try pairing this two products for me? Please let me know the results. Cheers.

[@markchambers8641]

So screen viewing wise if I want to stay with the screen size of the series 2 42mm, would the series 4 40mm be good enough??

[@MultiSilam]

Gotta agree you make one the best reviews in KZbin when it comes to tech

[@TheASPotter76]

*Best looking

[@fA-zj1ng]

And the safest they put the psu on rubber gromets for you don’t die from a short circuit

[@dusscode]

No, DetroitBORG does the best reviews.

[@aam77]

In this watch's case they didn't need an anti static band. The watch WAS the anti static band.

[@uberstriker4332]

No. They're really iPhone biased how in the heck is the Galaxy watch a 6.5 when the Apple watch is a 8.5? GW is better designed looks like a real watch, I would say at least an 8 because of the lack of apps

[@keco185]

All I want is an information dense digital watch face with seconds

[@wyattb3138]

Apple.com/feedback/watch.html

[@keco185]

*Wyatt B* , believe me, I have

[@AuthenTech]

Great review, Dieter - well done

[@brennonmitchell7753]

Can’t wait for Friday omg

[@kittiworks]

3:04 THAT EYEBROW WAVE

[@vernonprice5986]

This review is SO, SO MUCH BETTER than Nilay's review of the Xs/Xs Max. Dieter is just much better at doing this. Nilay always seems pissed off, always seems biased against what he's reviewing, always complains a lot about inconsequential BS and is just unpleasant to watch and listen to. Please just have Dieter do all the reviews going forward.

[@vernonprice5986]

P.L REDDY Or it's for exactly the reasons I said it was. Do you have a reading disability?

[@JonMcG]

@RAHUL REDDY The obvious message I got out of your response is that Either you are racist , OR you have a colour issue , OR , you wish you were born white . No matter which gripe , how sad for you

[@michaeldiaz2409]

I love this guy when he does the review. Good job 👍🏼

[@impinoy3773]

Awesome review! I’m getting one soon. Just curious, what kind of ring are you using? It looks really nice...

[@doug]

"the good thing about using my nose for this is my other hand is free to..." finish the sentence, go 😏

[@SuperNovaHeights_]

Getting this and the XS MAX

[@ericandreeatingachickenwin2140]

SuperNovaHeights damn boi thats easily $1500 have fun

[@SuperNovaHeights_]

Eric Andre eating a chicken wing cheers

[@NoSkillsAllHax]

If you got the money, why not

[@luisriveragonzalez9052]

SuperNovaHeights same!!

[@fresnonightcrawler4910]

Personally I wouldn't do that because I'm cheap lol but it's your money and your choice so have fun with the new stuff :)

[@Coolkid_21]

This was the only thing exciting to buy from the keynote. Excited to get my 44mm space Grey Friday

[@markbrito21]

I love how u really like your watch. I’m the same way. So excited with my new watch! Loved my old one as well!! Simply the best! Better than all the rest!

[@markc3206]

$700 bucks hellllll nohhh

[@iamkayhud]

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣💀💀💀☠️☠️

[@Djsatile]

I got a heart condition so it’s definitely worth it to me

[@911eVoX]

Dude it is not that expensive. Just take out some credit

[@Godzilladad]

911eVoX stupid. You have to pay it back plus interest.

[@karlos1008]

Mark C simple rule: if it’s not worth it to you, you’re not the target market.

[@CJT3X]

Unlike the iPhone, which I have upgraded every year since the original, this is the first time I'm upgrading my Apple Watch. I've been rocking the 1st-gen since launch. Siri is sooo slow on my watch, but this review leads me to believe Siri won't be much better on the new model. I'm sure she will still be faster than what I currently have which would be nice for HomeKit.

[@asing87]

I’m debating between aluminum and stainless steel, both in black. I’m not going to use cellular, but want the watch to look dressy for both work and nice outings. Right now I have the 1st generation 38mm stainless steel black. So, from that one to a new one, what do you recommend?

[@Alex-uy8zx]

Can’t wait for mine to arrive! 💪