The Apple Watch Series 7 came out in 2021 and quickly earned praise for being sleek, durable, and easier to use thanks to its bigger screen and faster charging. But here we are in 2025, and Apple has since rolled out the Series 9 and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra. Naturally, a question comes up for anyone still wearing or thinking of buying a Series 7: is it still worth it? Or is it finally time to move on?
Let’s take a closer, no-nonsense look at how the Series 7 holds up today.
A Design That Has Aged Gracefully
One thing’s for sure—Apple nailed the look of the Series 7. The edge-to-edge display gave it a more modern vibe, and it was a real step up from previous models. Even in 2025, it doesn’t look dated. The 41mm and 45mm sizes are still the standard, and you can easily swap in any of the newer watch bands if you want to give it a fresh look.
It’s also built tough. The front crystal is crack-resistant, it’s got WR50 water resistance, and it’s dustproof (IP6X), which still makes it a solid pick for everyday wear or workouts.
Performance in 2025: Still Gets the Job Done
Let’s be real—the S7 chip inside the Series 7 isn’t the fastest thing out there anymore. It was basically the same as the S6, which makes it a few steps behind the S9 chip in newer models. But here’s the thing: unless you’re doing something super demanding, like running a bunch of high-performance apps or using the latest Siri updates that rely on newer hardware, you probably won’t notice much of a difference.
It still handles notifications, workouts, music controls, and navigation without a hitch. For most people, that’s all they need.Health and Fitness: Covers the Essentials
If you’re buying a smartwatch for health tracking, the Series 7 still brings a lot to the table. It tracks your heart rate, sleep, workouts, and even has ECG and blood oxygen sensors. That’s more than enough for the average user.
Sure, newer models have extras like wrist temperature tracking and slightly more advanced heart rate sensors, but if you just want to keep tabs on your general health and fitness, the Series 7 does a great job. And it works perfectly with Apple Fitness+ if you’re into guided workouts and want to close those rings.
Software Support: Still Hanging In There
The good news? The Series 7 runs watchOS 10, and it’s still supported by Apple. That means you’re getting new features, security updates, and app support. Apple usually keeps its devices updated for 5–6 years, so you’re probably safe until at least 2026.
Even if you’re not on the latest chip, you’re not missing out on much when it comes to the core experience. You’ll still get the widgets, redesigned apps, and improved Siri integration that came with watchOS 10.p.
Battery life and charging
The battery life hasn’t changed—it still gets you through the day with around 18 hours of use. That’s pretty much on par with the newer models too. What’s nice is the fast charging feature, which was introduced with the Series 7. It gets you to 80% in about 45 minutes, which is handy if you forget to charge overnight.
Unless you’re using GPS all day or constantly tracking workouts, the battery should easily last until bedtime. And if you’re the type who throws it on the charger during a shower or while getting ready, you’ll never have a problem.
What You’re Missing with the Newer Watches
Okay, here’s where the Series 7 falls a little short:
No temperature sensor, which is great for cycle tracking and general wellness insights.
No Double Tap gesture, a cool new feature in the Series 9 that lets you control the watch with a tap of your fingers.
Not as bright outdoors—the newer models are easier to see in direct sunlight.
Slightly slower performance and less efficient battery use compared to the newer S9 chip.
On-device Siri and faster response times are better on the newer models.
If those features matter to you, or you’re the type who always wants the latest tech, then yeah, an upgrade makes sense.Pricing in 2025: Hard to Beat
Here’s where the Series 7 shines—it’s cheap. You can easily find a refurbished or gently used one for under $200. That’s a huge win if you’re on a budget or just want to dip your toes into the Apple Watch world without dropping $400–$800 on a new model.
It’s also a great pick for teens, older adults, or anyone who doesn’t need the absolute newest features. Despite its age, the build quality is top-notch, and it still runs like a champ for day-to-day use.
Who Should Still Buy the Series 7?
You should definitely consider the Series 7 in 2025 if:
You’re buying your first smartwatch.
You’re looking for a budget-friendly Apple Watch that still performs well.
You’re a minimalist who just wants the basics to work reliably.
You want a solid backup watch for travel or workouts.
On the flip side, if you want the latest sensors, more speed, or longer-term software support, you might be better off going for a newer model.
10 Final Verdict: Still Worth It—With a Few Trade-Offs
At the end of the day, the Apple Watch Series 7 is still a solid choice in 2025—as long as your expectations are realistic. It’s not the fastest, flashiest, or most feature-packed option out there, but it covers all the bases most people care about.
If you’re trying to get the most value for your money, it’s a great buy. If you’re chasing the latest and greatest, it might be time to move on.
Either way, the Series 7 deserves some respect. It was great in 2021, and it’s still holding its ground four years later—and that says a lot.
Have you stuck with the Series 7 or made the leap to something newer? Let me know in the comments!
Apple Watch Series 7 in 2025: Is it still a smart buy or is it time to upgrade?
The Apple Watch Series 7 arrived in 2021 and was praised for being sleek, durable, and easy to use thanks to its big screen and fast charging. But now we’re in 2025 and Apple has launched the Series 9 and the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra. Naturally, a question arises for anyone thinking about wearing or buying a Series 7: is it still worth it? Or is it time to move on?
Let’s take a closer look at how the Series 7 holds up today.
A design that has aged beautifully
One thing’s for sure—Apple has nailed the look of the Series 7. The edge-to-edge display gave it a more modern look and was a great step up from the previous model. Even in 2025, it doesn’t feel dated. The 41mm and 45mm sizes are still the standard, and you can easily swap in any new watch band if you want to give it a new look.
It’s sturdy, too. The front crystal is crack-resistant, it has WR50 water resistance, and it’s dustproof (IP6X), making it a great choice for everyday wear or workouts.
Performance in 2025: Still gets the job done
Let’s be real—the S7 chip inside the Series 7 isn’t the fastest thing around anymore. It was basically the same as the S6, which puts it a few steps behind the S9 chip in the new model. But here’s the thing: Unless you’re doing something extremely demanding, like running a lot of high-performance apps or using the latest Siri update that relies on new hardware, you probably won’t notice much of a difference.
It still handles notifications, workouts, music controls, and navigation without stuttering. For most people, that’s all that’s needed.
Health and fitness: Covers the essentials
If you’re buying a smartwatch for health tracking, the Series 7 still has a lot to offer. It tracks your heart rate, sleep, workouts, and also has ECG and blood oxygen sensors. That’s more than enough for the average user.
Sure, the newer model has extra features like wrist temperature tracking and a slightly more advanced heart rate sensor, but if you just want to keep track of your general health and fitness, the Series 7 works great. And if you’re into guided workouts and want to tick off those rings, it works great with Apple Fitness+.
Software support: Still holding up
The good news? The Series 7 runs watchOS 10 and it’s still supported by Apple. That means you’re getting new features, security updates, and app support. Apple typically keeps its devices updated for 5-6 years, so you can be safe until at least 2026.
Even if you’re not on the latest chip, you’re not missing out on much when it comes to the core experience. You’ll still get the widgets, redesigned apps, and improved Siri integration that came with watchOS 10.p
Battery life hasn’t changed – it still lasts you a full day with about 18 hours of use. That’s on par with the newer models. The best part is the fast charging feature that was introduced with the Series 7. It gets you up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes, which is handy if you forget to charge overnight.
Unless you’re using GPS all day or constantly tracking workouts, the battery should easily last until bedtime. And if you’re someone who puts it on the charger while showering or getting ready, you’ll never have a problem.
What the new watches miss.
Okay, here’s what the Series 7 is missing:
There’s no temperature sensor, which is great for cycle tracking and general health info.
There’s no double tap gesture,
a cool new feature on the Series 9 that lets you control the watch with a single tap of your fingertip.
Not as bright outdoors – the new models are easily seen in direct sunlight.
Slightly slower performance and less efficient battery usage than the new S9 chip.
On-device Siri and faster response times are better on the new models.
If these features matter to you, or you always want the latest tech, then yes, it makes sense to upgrade.Pricing in 2025: Hard to beat
Here’s the beauty of the Series 7 – it’s affordable. You can easily find a refurbished or lightly used model for less than $200. If you’re on a budget or want to step into the Apple Watch world without spending $400-$800 on a new model, this is a big win.
It’s a great choice for teens, older adults, or anyone who doesn’t need the latest features. Despite its age, its build quality is top notch, and it still handles daily use like a champ.
Who should still buy the Series 7?
You should definitely consider the Series 7 in 2025 if:
You’re buying your first smartwatch.
You’re looking for a budget-friendly Apple Watch that still performs well.
You’re a minimalist who just wants the basic features to work reliably.
You want a solid backup watch for travel or workouts.
On the other hand, if you want the latest sensors, more speed, or longer-term software support, you might be better off getting a newer model.
Final Verdict: Still worth it—with some trade-offs
At the end of the day, the Apple Watch Series 7 is still a solid choice in 2025—as long as your expectations are realistic. It’s not the fastest, flashiest, or most feature-packed option, but it covers all the bases most people care about.
If you’re trying to get the most value for your money, it’s a great buy. If you’re looking for the latest and greatest, it’s probably time to move on.
Either way, the Series 7 deserves some respect. It was great in 2021, and four years later it still holds its own—and that says a lot.
Did you stick with the Series 7 or buy something new? Let me know in the comments!
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