Apple Watch Series 4 (2018)

Apple Watch Series 4 (2018): redesign with a 30% larger display in a thinner case, 64-bit S4 chip, haptic Digital Crown and the first on-wrist ECG app; from $399.

Specs

Launch

Apple introduced it on September 12, 2018 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino; pre-orders opened September 14 and it went on sale September 21. It was discontinued on September 10, 2019. It was the first Apple Watch with fall detection and an ECG app. Dates and data: Apple (press release), Apple Support and EveryMac.

Marketing

Series 4 was the first major Apple Watch redesign: a display over 30% larger in a thinner, slightly smaller case, a 50% louder speaker with a relocated microphone, a 64-bit S4 chip twice as fast while keeping all-day battery life, a haptic Digital Crown, and a ceramic and sapphire crystal back. Its ECG app received FDA De Novo classification. Launch price from $399 (40 mm, GPS) in the US. (Apple press release, Apple Support, EveryMac.)

Flaws and fixes

Apple documents no model-specific defects in the sources consulted. Limits that do appear in its spec sheet: the maximum system version is watchOS 10 (no watchOS 11 or later); battery rated at about 18 hours by Apple; cellular connectivity exists only on GPS + Cellular models and requires a plan with the same carrier as the iPhone; it requires an iPhone 5s or later with iOS 12 or later.

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October 29, 2026 Apple Support · EveryMac · Compare this product