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Apple Watch Series 4 is thinner than previous models but bulkier than the original

Apple Watch Series 4 is thinner than previous models but bulkier than the original

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At least one Apple Watch of series past was thinner

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Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 4 today, which it touted as being thinner than previous models. This is only partially true: the upcoming fourth-generation Apple Watch is the thinnest since the Series 2, which had an 11.4mm case compared to this year’s 10.7mm version.

However, if you compare the Series 4 to the first-generation Apple Watch, you’ll find that the newer model is 0.2mm thicker; the original came in at just 10.5mm when it launched in 2015. (Of course, the Series 2 added GPS and water resistance, so it’s hard to fault Apple for adding 0.9mm of thickness to the overall case.)

Image: Apple

The dimensions get even more intriguing when you start to consider the footprint of the newest Apple Watch. The Series 4 comes in 44mm and 40mm versions, compared to the 42mm and 38mm variants we’ve seen in past models. The 44mm version also has a 977-square-millimeter face compared to last year’s 740-square-millimeter on the biggest model. The smaller 40mm Apple Watch has a 759-square-millimeter face compared to the 563-square-millimeter one on last year’s 38mm model.

The end result is that the newest Apple Watch does, in fact, have a larger display than last year’s model, but it’s indeed thinner. The device is, however, more expensive. The new Series 4 starts at $399 for a GPS version or $499 for LTE, while the updated pricing for the last-gen Apple Watches is $279 for GPS and $379 for the LTE variant.