Difference Between 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch (With Table)

In the 21^st century, the craze for Apple products has reached great heights, resulting in Apple Inc. reaching the pinnacle in the gadgets industry. Even though the prices are breathtaking for the simplest of products, looking at the features, it can be highly justified.

The Apple Watch was introduced in April 2015 and rapidly became the most popular wearable gadget. It connects with iOS and other Apple goods and services, including fitness monitoring, health-oriented functions, and cellular connectivity.

38mm vs 42mm Apple Watch

As the name suggests, the main difference between 38mm and 42mm Apple watches is in their dimensions and size. The first thing we can tell apart is the display size, resolution, and weight difference. They have a lot in common, but they also have a lot of distinctions.

There are around six versions in this first generation of 38mm Apple Watches from 2015. The 38mm Apple watch has many of the same functions as the other watches, although the major differences can be few, with the screen and weight differences influencing the buyer’s selection the most. It weighs around 87 grams, but its PPI is boundless even though it has a lesser weight.

The 42mm Apple Watches are common to 38mm in the sector of their release, among many other similarities, i.e., in the year 2015 itself. The major advantage of the 42mm Apple Watch over the 38mm Apple Watch is that the huge screen accommodates better pixel quality. It is heavier than the 38mm variant, weighs up to 101 grams, and has standard characteristics such as depth, materials, and water resistance.

Comparison Table Between 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch

What Is a 38mm Apple Watch?

This was the inaugural release, followed by Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2. It comes in an A1553 box with a magnetic power cord, one USB power adapter, a band, quick-start instructions, and the Apple Watch.

This Watch has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities and sensors such as a vibrating alert, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, etc. The battery is Li-on: 205mAh Lithium-ion. It supports standard and magnetic charging, with a standby duration of 18 hours and a charge time of 3 hours.

The screen is 1.5 inches in size and has a pixel density 385. The touch screen has a 44 percent body-to-screen ratio; the display has 16 million colors and scratch-resistant glass. SIM cards and cameras are not supported. Active noise, radio, and television are not supported, although loudspeakers are.

It has a rectangular case with 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm measurements and a stainless-steel casing with a removable band option. With a depth of up to 1 meter and a duration of roughly 30 minutes, the water resistance is impressive, with various colors to pick from.

What Is a 42mm Apple Watch?

This 42mm Apple Watch belongs to the first generation of the 2015 Apple Watch. It features an A1554 box and a stainless body. There is no additional card slot for storage. It boasts a Sapphire crystal glass front and a larger 3D touch display, giving it an edge in many situations.

It also supports MP4, H.264, and H.263 video formats and MP3, WAV, eAAC+, and FLAC music formats. The 42mm Apple watch, like the 38mm watch, does not offer network connectivity. It runs on Watch OS 1.0, which can be upgraded to Watch OS 4.0.

The 38bit Apple S1 (28nm) chipset in the 42mm Apple Watch has a Single-Core, 1 Processor. It has a single-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU that runs at 520 MHz. The GPU graphics controller is a Power VR SGX543. It contains 512MB of LPDDR RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It sports an AMOLED display as well.

The weight of the watch is higher because of its larger size, but it has a higher resolution or pixel. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity are also available. This watch also comes in a variety of colors. The pricing of this watch changes a little since it has a few extra features.

Main Differences Between 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch

1. Compared to the comfortability of the 42mm watch, the 38mm watch makes it more difficult to read any text owing to the tiny size of the display.
2. The dimensions of the 38mm watch are 33.3 x 38.6 millimeters, which is approximately equal to 1.31 x 1.52 inches. In contrast, the 42mm variant of the watch has dimensions equal to 35.9 x 42 millimeters, which are approximately 1.41 x 1.65 inches.
3. Compared to heavier and lighter models, both 38mm watches weigh 3.05 ounces, i.e., 87 grams, but the 42mm watch is heavier and weighs 3.54 ounces, i.e., 101 grams.
4. When comparing prices, 38mm is less expensive, whereas 42mm is slightly more expensive.
5. The visual quality or pixel resolution of 38mm watches is lower than that of 42mm watches.

Conclusion

The differences between the 38mm and 42mm Apple watches are minimal, and which is preferable relies solely on the customer’s demands. People who want a tiny and light watch should choose the 38mm Apple Watch, while those who want a larger screen should opt for the 42mm Apple Watch.

Each product is created with the needs of the consumer in mind. Customers who want a watch that is lighter in weight and smaller in size can select 42mm, while those who want a large screen and aren’t concerned about weight can choose 42mm. Choosing somebody is always based on the requirements.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-1025-3_1
2. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1231815
3. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-2331-4_15