Apple Watch Series 5 brings a completely reinvented screen

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The Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch in the world, according to Strategy Analytics and Counterpoint Research, and has become as much a status symbol for Apple fans, as it is a digital companion for the iPhone.

The all-new Series 5, which starts at $399 for the 40mm version and $429 for the 44mm model, brings with it a handful of updates including a new on-board compass, a built-in decibel monitor to warn wearers of potential hearing damage from ambient noise, and software enhancements including female health tracking.

But the biggest addition to the Apple (AAPL) Watch Series 5 is its new always-on display — a reinvented screen for the Apple Watch that continuously shows the time and your complications.

The Apple Watch Series 5 brings incremental improvements, but it's worth the buy for newcomers, and those with older models. (Image: Howley)
The Apple Watch Series 5 brings incremental improvements, but it's worth the buy for newcomers, and those with older models. (Image: Dan Howley)

While the changes are incremental, they are welcome improvements. And if you've got an older model or are looking to buy your first Apple Watch, they could entice you to grab a Series 5.

Always-on display

With the addition of an always-on display to the Apple Watch Series 5, your watch will now permanently display the time without your raising your wrist or tapping the screen.

Novel-ish?

Okay, yes, mechanical watches have always done this, but it’s a feat for smartwatches. The additional battery drain from the screen always running can significantly cut back on usage time for smartwatches, which is why Apple hasn't offered an always-on display until now.

Competing smartwatches also have always-on displays, but they have drawbacks. The Fitbit Versa 2's always-on display changes the watch face to a simple digital read-out rather than lowering the brightness of the existing face you're using. Samsung's always-on display functions similarly to Apple's in that it lowers the display's brightness. But the feature isn't on by default, and will drastically cut into the watch's battery life.

For the Series 5, Apple says it added the always-on display feature without having to also sacrifice the watch's battery thanks to a new screen technology and improved power management. In fact, the company says the Apple Watch Series 5 gets the same 18 hours of battery life as the Series 4, which doesn't have an always-on display.

In practice, the watch's always-on mode doesn't look all that different from the normal mode. For the most part, the watch faces simply dim and you lose the second hand. Animated faces like those from Disney's "Toy Story" or the Liquid Metal and Motion faces dim to a standard digital readout, though those are the exception to the rule.

While complications, like the date, weather, and activity tracking, are always visible on the display, notifications aren't.