The Apple Watch 42mm

The Apple Watch was engineered to help its users stay connected and, at the same time, keep an active and healthy lifestyle. Its features allow the user to monitor his health and track workouts with the use of health and fitness apps. It also allows the user to stay connected to people via phone calls and messaging via its built-in GPS.

38 mm vs 42 mm

Apple provides two sizing options for all their watch series. Apple Watch Series 1, 2 and 3 are in sizes 38mm and 42mm; while the most recent, Apple Watch Series 4, is available in 40mm and 44mm. Apple measures the vertical length of the face of the watch. The difference in case size means a difference in display size.

The 38mm Apple Watch has a display size of 340x272 pixels while the 42mm Apple Watch has a display size of 390x312 pixels. More pixels translate to bigger text and images. Although the 38mm smart watch may be slightly cheaper than the 42mm, the latter has longer battery life. The 42mm Apple Watch has a slightly bigger battery than the 38mm watch since there is more room in the casing, and the Series 2 and 3 has a slightly bigger battery than the Series 1.

Apple Watch Bands

Because there are two sizes, and Apple only offers some bands in some sizes; the decision on whether to get a 38mm or 42mm watch might depend on the user’s bracelet band of choice. 38mm-specific bands are the Modern Buckle and the Hermès Double Tour and 42mm-specific bands are the Leather Loop, certain colors of the Hermès Single Tour, Single Tour Rallye and the Hermès Single Tour Deployment Buckle. Catalyst also has a line of interchangeable Sport Bands for all Apple Watches. However, being that the bands on the Apple Watch are interchangeable, meaning you can easily change and swap bands for different looks, there are more options available from third party manufacturers and sellers of Apple Watch bands. There is a wide variety of wrist straps out in the market, ranging from stainless steel straps to magnetic leather bands.

Every Apple Watch purchase comes with a watch face and band. Right now, you can choose between a Silver Aluminum Case x White Sport Band and a Space Gray Aluminum Case x Black Sports Band. There are a number of other sports bands that are safe for water use. The Catalyst Waterproof Case ranked as one the Best Cases for the Apple Watch in 2018 for protection from water. On the other hand, stainless steel and leather watch bands are not water resistant and should not be exposed to liquids.

The Apple Watch is water resistant, but not waterproof. Apple Watch Series 1 are splash and water resistant but submerging is not recommended. If swimming is a part of your workout, Apple Watch Series 2, 3 and 4 may be used for swimming and other shallow water activities but it should not be used for scuba diving, water skiing, or other activities involving high velocity water or deep submersion. Just make sure you are using the appropriate accessories for you watch.

To give your 42mm Apple watch better protection, a PET film screen protector can lend scratch resistant coverage to its tempered glass screen. The Catalyst 3-pack Screen Protector for 42mm Apple Watch is compatible with the waterproof case.

Apple Watch Apps and Features

The smart watch comes pre-installed with the Watch OS and stock apps designed by Apple. The following is a list of the built-in apps: Activity, Alarm, Camera Remote, Calendar, Mail, Maps, Messages, Music, Passbook, Phone, Photos, Remote (for Apple TV and iTunes), Settings, Siri, Stocks, Stopwatch, Timer, Weather, Workout, and World Clock.

Apple Watch apps

Since the Apple Watch is especially engineered to promote one’s health and wellness, there are additional health and fitness apps that can be added to your Apple Watch to tailor it to your physical needs. You can download a great workout app like Nike + Run Club, Runtastic or Strava. And you can install a helpful health app like Lifesum or Streaks. It can also prove to be useful even when you are not working out. With productivity apps like EverNote and Cheat Sheet, or travel apps like City Mapper, and iTranslate Converse; the Apple Watch may pass as a temporary replacement for your iPhone.

The Apple Watch Series 2 and above boast built-in GPS capabilities. You can leave your iPhone in your gym locker or at home during your workout and the watch will take care of tracking all of the important details and notifications. However, there is the matter of choosing between a GPS only device and a GPS + Cellular one.

Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch means that you can still be reached via phone calls and text messages on the number you are using on your iPhone, without having to maintain a certain range of distance between you and your phone. Also, the Series 3 GPS + Cellular also comes with 16GB of storage, while the Series 3 GPS-only comes with 8GB of storage. And for the Apple Watch Series 3, the red Digital Crown is there to help differentiate cellular models from non-cellular models.

Digital Crown

The Digital Crown on the Apple Watch is similar to the crown on mechanical watches that is used to set the date and time. Only, its functions are to allow the user to return to the home screen when the Digital Crown is pressed; and to zoom and scroll without having to pinch or swipe on the watch display.

The Digital Crown is connected to the Taptic Engine which is a piece of hardware inside the Apple Watch. It taps the user on the wrist to deliver tactile feedback when interfacing the Digital Crown or Force Touch. It also delivers a tap to inform the user of alerts and notifications.

The 42mm Apple watch is perfect for someone who prefers bigger graphics and longer battery life. If you have a small wrist and you want the Apple Watch to look big or if you have a large wrist and want the Apple Watch to look as big as possible, the 42mm is obviously the more logical choice compared to the 38mm. The 4mm difference may not seem like a big deal; and to some, the size option is only a matter of wrist size. But indeed, some users pointed out that the touchable elements on the 42mm screen are discernibly bigger in some scenarios compared to the smaller Apple watch; and that the bigger screen can fit more text at once. This makes a difference as it means less scrolling and swiping. And even though, it is the bigger option between the two sizes, it is still reasonably sized compared to other (Android) smart watches.