So, you’re looking back at the Apple Watch Series 4 release date and wondering why everyone made such a massive deal out of it. Honestly, it's because that specific launch was the moment the Apple Watch stopped being a "neat iPhone accessory" and started being a serious piece of medical tech you actually wanted on your wrist.
Apple officially pulled the curtain back on the Series 4 on September 12, 2018. They did it at the Steve Jobs Theater during their big "Gather Round" event. If you were following the hype back then, you’ll remember the pre-order window opened just a couple of days later on Friday, September 14. But the day people actually started lining up at the glass-fronted stores? That was September 21, 2018.
The day everything changed for the wrist
When Tim Cook stood on stage in 2018, the Series 4 wasn't just a spec bump. It was the first "all-new" design since the original watch launched in 2015. Most people forget that before the Series 4, the screens were tiny with huge, chunky black borders.
The Apple Watch Series 4 release date marked the shift from the old 38mm and 42mm sizes to the more modern 40mm and 44mm cases. It sounds like a small tweak, right? It wasn't. They shaved the bezels down so much that the screen real estate grew by over 30%. Suddenly, you could actually read a text message without squinting like a maniac.
✨ Don't miss: Is AT\&T Down Today? What’s Actually Happening With Your Signal
Why this launch felt different
I remember the vibe around this launch. Usually, people care about the new iPhone, and the watch is the "oh, and one more thing" side dish. Not this time. The Series 4 stole the show because of the ECG (electrocardiogram) feature.
- FDA Clearance: This was a huge win for Apple. They got de novo clearance from the FDA, making the Series 4 the first over-the-counter wearable to offer a consumer-grade ECG.
- Fall Detection: They introduced a new accelerometer and gyroscope that could literally tell if you took a "hard fall." If you didn't move for a minute, it called 911.
- The Haptic Crown: They re-engineered the Digital Crown to give you haptic clicks. It felt mechanical, even though it was all software and vibration.
What it actually cost you in 2018
Pricing is always a sticking point. Back when the Apple Watch Series 4 release date hit, the entry-level GPS model started at $399. If you wanted the cellular version (the one with the red ring on the crown), you were looking at $499.
Of course, if you were feeling fancy, you could go for the stainless steel models or the Hermès editions, which easily cleared the $1,200 mark. Looking back from 2026, those prices seem almost quaint, but at the time, $400 for a watch that would be "obsolete" in four years was a tough pill for some to swallow.
Funny enough, Apple kept the Series 3 in the lineup at a discount ($279) when the Series 4 launched. It created this weird situation where the Series 3 became the "budget" watch for years, while the Series 4 was the premium standard-bearer.
Under the hood: The S4 chip
We can’t talk about the Apple Watch Series 4 release date without mentioning the S4 silicon. This was a 64-bit dual-core processor. Apple claimed it was twice as fast as the S3.
🔗 Read more: Older Versions of iTunes: Why Thousands of People Refuse to Update in 2026
In real-world use? It was snappy. Apps actually opened when you tapped them instead of doing that annoying little loading circle for five seconds. It also brought Bluetooth 5.0 to the table, which made the connection to your iPhone much more stable.
Design nuances you might have missed
The back of the watch changed too. They moved to an all-ceramic and sapphire crystal back. Why? Because radio waves pass through ceramic better than metal. This helped with cellular reception, which was a notorious weak point on the Series 3.
The speaker got a 50% volume boost. Apple said it was for Siri and the "Walkie-Talkie" app (remember that phase?), but mostly it just meant you could actually hear your phone calls while walking outside.
How the Series 4 ranks today
Honestly, the Series 4 was a "long-hauler." It supported watchOS updates for a surprisingly long time, eventually making it all the way to watchOS 10. While it’s technically "vintage" now in Apple's eyes, it set the blueprint for every watch that followed, from the Series 5 all the way to the Series 9 and Ultra.
If you’re still holding onto one, or looking at a refurbished model, the battery is likely the only thing holding it back. The 18-hour "all-day" battery life was always a bit of a stretch, and after years of use, that probably looks more like 10 hours.
✨ Don't miss: Nude accounts on instagram: The Reality of Shadowbans, Scams, and the Community Guidelines
Key takeaway for tech history buffs
The Apple Watch Series 4 release date on September 21, 2018, was the inflection point. It’s when the Apple Watch moved from being a toy to a tool. If you want to understand why Apple dominates the wearable market today, you have to look back at the Series 4. It wasn't just a new watch; it was a new philosophy.
If you are currently looking to upgrade from an older model or just curious about how far we’ve come, check your current battery health in the watch settings. If it's below 80%, no amount of software optimization will make it feel like 2018 again. You might want to consider the latest SE or the Series 10 if you want to keep that slim-bezel look that the Series 4 pioneered.