Watch · Retina & Beyond · 2019
Apple Watch Series 5
The screen finally stayed on, dimming intelligently to show the time at a glance without a wrist-flick — the feature that made it feel like a real watch.
Apple Watch Series 5: key facts
When was the Apple Watch Series 5 released?
The Apple Watch Series 5 was released in September 20, 2019. Apple discontinued it in September 2020.
How much did the Apple Watch Series 5 cost?
The Apple Watch Series 5 launched at $399 in 2019 — about $491 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Apple Watch Series 5’s specs?
The Apple Watch Series 5 used a Apple S5 (64-bit dual-core) running at 1 GHz, with 1 GB of memory and 32 GB of storage. It ran watchOS 6.
Why does the Apple Watch Series 5 matter?
First always-on display and a built-in compass.
Full specifications
| CPU | Apple S5 (64-bit dual-core) · 1 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 1 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| Display | 1.78" LTPO OLED always-on |
| GPU | Integrated |
| Ports | Magnetic inductive charging |
| Weight | ~36 g |
| Dimensions | 40 mm or 44 mm case |
| Operating system | watchOS 6 |
| Released | September 20, 2019 |
| Discontinued | September 2020 |
| Launch price | $399 |
How the Apple Watch Series 5 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 16× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1 GHz, the clock is roughly 3.2× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 8,190 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $399 in 2019 — about $491 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
An LTPO display let the refresh rate drop to 1 Hz to keep the always-on screen efficient.
Related Watch models
Open the Apple Watch Series 5 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25