Apple Watch Series 5 vs Series 6: Detailed comparison

You could say that the world of smartwatches is as vast as it is exciting, and Apple has been a forerunner of this revolution ever since the very beginning. In fact, their first smartwatch dates back to April 2014 — marking the start of a new era for smartwatch lovers across the globe.

That is why we’ve put together this comparison — in the hope to help you make the most informed decision. Whether you are considering an upgrade of your existing watch or looking to get your first one, we will try to clear up any uncertainties about the differences between Series 5 and Series 6.

Recency

Series 5 was announced on September 10, 2019 at the Apple Special Event tagged ’By innovation only’. It was then was made available for purchase on September 18, 2020. Series 6 got announced 12 months later on the Apple Event that was held on September 15, 2020, and was released to shops on September 18, 2020.

As of 2022, Series 5 has seised its production on September 15, 2020, whereas Series 6 currently remains in production.Both models currently continue to be supported by the latest software updates.

Body sizes and materials

Series 5 and Series 6 come in same 40mm or 44mm case case sizes. Apple Watch Series 5 features a new, improved digital crown with haptic feedback which means that you will feel that satisfying ’click’ when scrolling through menu items.

Both watch models offer the same standard aluminium, which, although is the lightest option, tends to get scratches fairly easily, shiny stainless steel that is also on a heavier side, and finally lightweight but very durable matte titanium.

Display

Both watch models use same Third-generation Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display technology.

Resistance

Sensors

Safety and Emergency

Connectivity

Battery and charging

It’s been a while since Apple changed something in terms of battery life, and both watches offer up to 18h advertised run time.

System-on-Chip

Series 6 is powered by an S6-branded chip. Apple S6 System-on Chip has a custom 64-bit dual-core processor that runs up to 20 percent faster than the S5. The dual cores in the S6 are based on the A13's energy-efficient "little" Thunder cores at 1.8 GHz. Like the S4 and S5, it also contains the W3 wireless chip. The S6 adds the new U1 ultra wideband chip, an always-on altimeter, and 5 GHz WiFi.

Series 5 uses the Apple S6 SoC.

NeatCompare overall relative score

Price comparison

Information sources: apple.com, wikipedia.org. Product photos are copyright Apple, Inc.

Disclaimer: we always try to source product specification information from official sources, such as apple.com website, but sometimes it is impossible to verify all data that we find from public sources. Also, some products come in various versions and it's difficult to backtrack which version or region has which finctions available. So Please note that we are not responsible for any errors, on this page. All information is provided 'as is' with no guarantees whatsoever.

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