Alu vs SS?

[MayfairMissy]

I've owned alu and SS. I'm also of the opinion that the weight difference is (in my case) not noticeable at all. The SS version looks so much more like a real watch and especially the silver version matches every band out there.
The silver alu version never achieves the same great look imho.
Also my alu watches have collected many scratches over time but my steel ones still look like new.

 

[Apple_Robert]

SS is better than alu but not some premium material like Apple want us to believe. Putting a screen protector makes the watch a bit ugly. If you are worried about scratches, Aluminium + apple care plus would still be cheaper than SS and while SS is better, it is not 'price difference' better

AppleCare doesn't cover minor scratches. That is deemed cosmetic.

 

[jakja83]

SS is better than alu but not some premium material like Apple want us to believe. Putting a screen protector makes the watch a bit ugly. If you are worried about scratches, Aluminium + apple care plus would still be cheaper than SS and while SS is better, it is not 'price difference' better

I am buying from a separate shop to get discount so Apple Care is not available.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[DevNull0]

My thoughts are that they get out of date so quickly. You can buy an AW6 today. In 2-3 years would you rather have a SS AW6 or an aluminum AW8-9 (after using the leftover money from buying the aluminum model this time plus the trade-in value of the AW6)?

When the aluminum and ss are functionally equal and outdated in a year, I'd get the cheaper one every time and upgrade more often.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I don't think I would necessarily agree with that statement. I've had an SS S0 and now an aluminum S3 and the difference on the wrist is like night and day. Mind you the SS S0 wasn't uncomfortable or annoying by any means, just definitely more noticeable.

I go back and forth between an aluminum and an SS, and while, yes, I can tell the difference when I first pick it up, at any given moment in the day, I just can't tell the difference. Like without looking I wouldn't be 100% sure which watch is on my wrist if I don't remember what I put on this morning.

 

[sixtydashone]

The better glass alone is worth the extra spend IMO. The screen on my series 3 al was in pretty bad condition by the time I upgraded to my series 6. The watch body was ok but the screen was a mess.

 

[swandy]

I started with an SS Series 0 in Silver, then switched to SS Series 1 in Space Black. Yes the glass on the SS is more scratch resistant but - at least from the early reports - it is easier to crack. The glass on the Aluminum one is supposedly "stronger" against cracks but scratches easier.
When I replaced my two Series 5 (a SS Space Black with Cellular and a Alum Space Gray non-cellular), I went with the Blue Aluminum with Cellular to try it out. Also, because I was very unimpressed with the way the Graphite Stainless Steel looked - looked to me (at least in pictures) like the Space Gray Aluminum. Very happy with the Blue aluminum.
To me, while the SS is noticeably heavier but not so much that I wouldn't try it again.

 

[jakja83]

So, thank you for all the advice. I pulled the plug on a AW6 Alu in black with cellular. Maybe I will keep it for a long time if the 7 doesn`t bring anything radically new to the table.

 

[shakopeemn]

So, thank you for all the advice. I pulled the plug on a AW6 Alu in black with cellular. Maybe I will keep it for a long time if the 7 doesn`t bring anything radically new to the table.

I think you made an excellent decision! The SS camp will say the SS quality is so much better than aluminum. The obvious difference is SS has a high shine / gloss and because of that doesn't hide scuffs as easily as the brushed finish on the aluminum.

I don't believe in screen or case protectors for the AW. I'm prone to bumping my wrist into things and haven't had any issue with my last 2 aluminums displaying any scratches on the screen or surrounding case.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I’ve been wearing the aluminium watch over two models for four and a half years now with no issues with scratches and dents. I’ve read some exaggerated views on this forum for a while about how the aluminium watch scratches easily, but I can’t agree with that. I’m not hard on the watch though and after years of wearing mechanical watches I’ve learned not to whack them into objects that may cause damage. I like the weight of the aluminium too, especially when exercising as the watch is hardly noticeable. The price is very easy to stomach too at £379 compared to much more for the stainless watches which beyond the case and screen are essentially the same functional watch.

Stick a screen protector on if you are worried and enjoy

 

[bakerzdosen]

Take this with a grain of salt as I've only owned SS. I had a S.0 SS that Apple warrantied (battery) and gave me a S.2 SS. I now have a S.5 SS.
My S.2 - that I wore daily until about 2 months ago - actually still looks soooooo much better than either of my parents' Alu S.5's. The SS case has a few scratches but the crystal itself literally only has 1 TINY scratch on the outer edge.

But.

I tend to hold on to tech items longer than many others do, so I'd say if you're going to upgrade to each new series, Alu will be fine. If you're going to keep it for 4ish years like I did, then consider getting the SS (or titanium.) Personally, I'd rather have a previous gen SS over a current gen Alu - which is exactly what I did.

As to weight: I cannot believe the difference a fabric sport band makes over a silicone band. I wore my silicone one (and completely wore out a Nomad leather one - pre-Horween) since I got the S.0 shortly after it was released, and now that I have a sport band, I'm not sure I'll be able to use anything else as a "daily-driver" again.

 

[Greenmeenie]

As an athlete, I prefer the aluminum. It’s lighter. And personally, I think it looks better. But hey, it’s all good.

 

[Howard2k]

I’ve been wearing the aluminium watch over two models for four and a half years now with no issues with scratches and dents. I’ve read some exaggerated views on this forum for a while about how the aluminium watch scratches easily, but I can’t agree with that. I’m not hard on the watch though and after years of wearing mechanical watches I’ve learned not to whack them into objects that may cause damage. I like the weight of the aluminium too, especially when exercising as the watch is hardly noticeable. The price is very easy to stomach too at £379 compared to much more for the stainless watches which beyond the case and screen are essentially the same functional watch.

Stick a screen protector on if you are worried and enjoy

Do you use a screen protector?

I have a plastic one and I've replaced it a couple of times because it has collected some "nicks", but then it's plastic. That doesn't necessarily mean that the glass would have been damaged. But it might.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I’ve been wearing the aluminium watch over two models for four and a half years now with no issues with scratches and dents. I’ve read some exaggerated views on this forum for a while about how the aluminium watch scratches easily, but I can’t agree with that. I’m not hard on the watch though and after years of wearing mechanical watches I’ve learned not to whack them into objects that may cause damage. I like the weight of the aluminium too, especially when exercising as the watch is hardly noticeable. The price is very easy to stomach too at £379 compared to much more for the stainless watches which beyond the case and screen are essentially the same functional watch.

Stick a screen protector on if you are worried and enjoy

Yeah, I have SS gold and an aluminum Nike. And I've had an aluminum one for years without ever damaging the aluminum casing. I love how pretty SS gold is, so I'm a fan. And I do see some slight difference in the crystal, but only when I'm outside and I can see that I do have micro scratches on the screen of the aluminum. But it is very, very minor and doesn't affect use/reading the screen. I don't think there is a wrong choice. And if you go with aluminum, I wouldn't bother with protectors either.

 

[circatee]

The only thing I miss from the stainless steel, is the weight. After wearing one for so long, once I started wearing the aluminium one, I felt the difference instantly...

 

[wilberforce]

AppleCare doesn't cover minor scratches. That is deemed cosmetic.

This is what I understood, too. But maybe some have actually got it covered; if so, this would be very interesting to know.

 

[jakja83]

I think you made an excellent decision! The SS camp will say the SS quality is so much better than aluminum. The obvious difference is SS has a high shine / gloss and because of that doesn't hide scuffs as easily as the brushed finish on the aluminum.

I don't believe in screen or case protectors for the AW. I'm prone to bumping my wrist into things and haven't had any issue with my last 2 aluminums displaying any scratches on the screen or surrounding case.

At some point one has to make a choice, and as stated above - I made the purchase with one eye gazing towards september and the next generation - but also having the comfort of leaving my phone at home this summer. I considered the SE-model, med AOD is important to me and should I choose to sell come October I think the 6 is easier to find buyers for.

I always use screen protectors on my phones and will on my watch as well. If you buy good ones you almost never notice them.

Thanks again to everyone who spent time sharing experiences.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Do you use a screen protector?

I have a plastic one and I've replaced it a couple of times because it has collected some "nicks", but then it's plastic. That doesn't necessarily mean that the glass would have been damaged. But it might.

I’ve never used a screen protector no. I probably have a few very faint hairline scratches on mine if I look for them in sunlight but nothing noticeable. My wife’s S4 has quite a few but these are only noticeable close up, plus she couldn’t care less anyway.