The Apple Watch Series 7 comes out on October 15

This just in: Pre-orders for the Apple Watch Series 7 start this Friday, October 8 at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET. and arrive for launch on October 15. The smartwatch will also be available in stores next Friday.

What’s new? — In case you’ve been living under a rock and missed the news on the Apple Watch Series 7... here’s a quick refresher.

There’s no straight-edge redesign as several prominent leakers and Apple beat reporters claimed, but Series 7 still has some notable upgrades, especially if you’ve got an Apple Watch that’s older than the Series 6 or you’re new to the smartwatch.

• Larger displays: Apple increased its two Apple Watch sizes from 40 and 44mm to 41 and 45mm. With about 20 percent more screen area versus Series 6, Apple says you’ll be able to see 50 percent more text. The displays are also 70 percent brighter indoors.
• More durable: The Series 7 comes with Apple’s “strongest front crystal ever,” IP6X dust resistance, and WR50 water resistance (it’s swimproof).
• Faster charging: You’ll still need to charge the Apple Watch Series 7 every day or two, but if you’re short on time, it at least juices up faster. Apple says it can go from 0 to 80 percent in around 45 minutes with the new bundled “fast-charging USB-C cable.”
• 5 new aluminum colors: Get it in green, blue, “Midnight,” “Starlight,” and “(Product)Red.” The Series 7 also comes in stainless steel and titanium finishes that’ll cost more.

Pricing starts at $399 — The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 for the 41mm model in aluminum finish. Stainless steel and titanium will cost extra; Apple hasn’t revealed pricing for them yet.

The competition — Even without a redesign or new sensors, the Apple Watch Series 7 looks to remain the best smartwatch for the foreseeable future. The Android camp simply hasn’t come up with a smartwatch that’s nearly as good.

Samsung’s Galaxy Smartwatch 4 and 4 Classic might be the closest the Series 7 has to a competitor. And, maybe the Fossil Gen 6. But other than those two, it’s slim pickings out there for Wear OS smartwatches. Google is rumored to be working on a “Pixel watch” that leverages Fitbit technology, but it’s unclear if that will materialize this year alongside the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro that are expected sometime this month.