I had one until I just got this S3. Wow, this thing is fast and bright in comparison. Selling my old one on craigslist.
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Anyone still use first Apple Watch
- Thread starter tennisboygr
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Apple replaced my series 0 with a series 1 when the screen popped off due to a know quality issue with the battery. It was almost 2 years old and no Apple care, but they replaced it under a quality program. Good for Apple.
The fact that a lot of people are feeling like their series 0 needs to be replaced after only 2.5 years is a little disconcerting. The base 42mm Sports model was $400 at launch. I would hope to get at least 4 years from a $400 Watch.
I own an MBA, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. If I had to do without one of them, the Apple Watch would be the first to go. It is a nice device, but really just an accessory. The Watch cost more than my iPad (2017 base model $300) or my iPhone 6s (purchased this summer on sale at B.B. for $350). It is not nearly as useful.
The fact that a lot of people are feeling like their series 0 needs to be replaced after only 2.5 years is a little disconcerting. The base 42mm Sports model was $400 at launch. I would hope to get at least 4 years from a $400 Watch.
I own an MBA, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. If I had to do without one of them, the Apple Watch would be the first to go. It is a nice device, but really just an accessory. The Watch cost more than my iPad (2017 base model $300) or my iPhone 6s (purchased this summer on sale at B.B. for $350). It is not nearly as useful.
I still have my SS watch with Milanese band Series 0, but my S3 is due to arrive today! I LOVE my S0 but am upgrading mainly for HeartWatch capabilities and increased battery life and water resistance. I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as my present watch. If the monthly costs to use my cellular plan don't decrease in cost, I'll disconnect after the three month trial period that Apple offers.
UPDATE:
Just got my new watch and here are a few things I noticed. First, when I opened the watch late yesterday afternoon and it got near my phone where the watch application was open, I was asked if I wanted to pair a new watch.There was no unpair required from my old watch. Syncing was WAY faster, and I did it from my backup! It took just a fraction of the time that my Series 0 did. Once it was paired, I was asked which watch I would be wearing and it was a simple as checking a box.The responsiveness is amazing, too! I was speaking to my son about the watch since he also has a Series 3, and asked about the drop of water I saw on the 'control panel' and he suggested I push it and follow the directions. I own't ruin it for you, but suffice it to say that it brought a 'Wow"! Try it if you haven't and, if you don't have the watch, meander into the Apple store and try it. As far as battery, it arrived with 97% and after putting it on the charger while brushing my teeth, etc.for about 10 minutes, it still has 92%. I'll know more after I go through a whole day with it.
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I don’t think anyone is of a different opinion than that the Apple Watch is a luxury item; nice when you have it, but not something you’d have a hard time living without in the way a computer or communications device would be to many of us.
Like with most luxury items you get people who simply have to have the latest and greatest, either for the sake of knowing they do or to show off to others. You have people who genuinely try to use apps on the watch and whose experience is quite a bit better with the latest model than with earlier ones. You have people who bought one at a discount just to see if they liked it, and who now are satisfied enough to want to spend money on a newer and/or more premium model.
Speed-wise, there’s quite a lot more happening on the level of a Watch systems-in-a-package than on the level of a laptop CPU, year-to-year, so there’s definitely an incentive for upgrades there, for people who thought earlier versions of the Watch were too sluggish. And frankly speaking I see mid-to-upper-class people waste way more money than $10-15 a month on things that are way less useful than the Watch would be to them.
I personally have a dedicated Apple account where I put a little money on a regular basis. When they release something nice I think long and hard about my needs and wants, and sometimes I use money from that account to pay for it. A Watch or an iPad Pro are typical examples of things this account has helped pay for: Gadgets I definitely could live without (or gadgets of which I surely could find cheaper versions), but which make aspects of my daily life a lot nicer; both compared to not owning such devices and compared to the cheaper alternatives out there.
I hear ya. I paid nearly $1200 for my S0! Do that math on yearly cost.
That being said, my S0 is still one of my favorite devices I have purchased. I still wear it everyday and get tons of use out of it. The only reason I am considering upgrading to S3 is because I think this is getting so close to the device that we really wanted from the S0. I wasn't tempted by the S1 or S2 so much, but adding LTE is a big deal to me given my desired use case.
Plus they kept the same form factor so I can swap my $500 link bracelet on the S3. I also have lots of Apple gear, but am still rocking a 17" MacBook Pro 2010 model, still going strong and no need to upgrade. So I think I get pretty good use out of most of the gear I purchase. If no LTE on the S3 then I wouldn't consider the upgrade.
Just stopped using my series zero a couple days ago when I got the series 3. My 42mm series zero still has PHENOMENAL battery life and does everything well. The series 3 is much faster, particularly noticeable when interacting with Siri. But the zero has been a fabulous experience since Watch OS 2.
I still use my SS series 0 on a daily basis. While I find the LTE interesting, I've never once felt that I needed it. Also, I'm big podcast listener, to the point that I almost never listen to music. So until Apple updates watchOS to provide the ability to listen to podcasts on the go I have no reason to upgrade. Marco Arment added the ability to sync podcasts to Overcast on the watch for a time, but it proved to be such a bad experience that he removed the feature. He says the APIs just aren't there to support what he needs to pull it off effectively.
If Apple does improve the podcast experience I may consider upgrading, but if I do I'll get a sport to use as a daily watch, and keep my SS to wear when I want fancier looking or I anticipate doing an activity where the watch may take more of a beating. I do find it odd that the fitness oriented watch is the one that's more prone to getting scratched. Seems like Apple should just put the sapphire screen on all versions, even if they have to increase the price some.
If Apple does improve the podcast experience I may consider upgrading, but if I do I'll get a sport to use as a daily watch, and keep my SS to wear when I want fancier looking or I anticipate doing an activity where the watch may take more of a beating. I do find it odd that the fitness oriented watch is the one that's more prone to getting scratched. Seems like Apple should just put the sapphire screen on all versions, even if they have to increase the price some.
I don't know if the majority needed to be replaced. I could "happily" wait another six months, but while I don't need to upgrade, I'd like to.
$400 over two years is $200 per year, or roughly 55 cents a day. See below...
My question to you is, from the point of how often you used your MBA, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch, which one(s) would you use the most? I can argue the iPad is not as "useful" as the MBA, and you don't really need an iPhone either.
For me, since the iPad, my MBA is only for "work". My iPhone however is the device I use the most, but my Watch hardly ever leaves me. In fact, my Watch is like a personal assistant, allowing more efficient use of my time through notifications, quick glances for info, and helping with communication. I didn't wear any watches for about 20 years (maybe more?) as I just used my mobile phone to tell the time.
But Apple Watch is as much a time piece as the iPhone is well, a phone.
Was still using it until today, got the new series 3 lte model todayI dont think ill use it again the thing was real slow when accessing apps but for notifications it worked great!
I think when the Apple Watch first launched, Apple primarily market the watch for fitness and notifications. But now, it's capable of processing with third-party applications with the additional power and making it more efficient when utilizing more functionality.
I still have a series 0 stainless steel. I bought it off a friend for a very low price. I kinda wish I had a series 2 or higher for the built in gps as I use it for running mostly.
But the prices for the stainless steel watches are outrageous and getting a sport/aluminium model of series 2 or 3 would feel like a downgrade other than having GPS, cheaper screen that’ll scratch easily and aluminium casing instead of the stainless steel, I wouldn’t want to wear it to work etc like I do the stainless steel one.
So I’m stuck with the series 0 unless I find a good second hand price for a series 2.
But the prices for the stainless steel watches are outrageous and getting a sport/aluminium model of series 2 or 3 would feel like a downgrade other than having GPS, cheaper screen that’ll scratch easily and aluminium casing instead of the stainless steel, I wouldn’t want to wear it to work etc like I do the stainless steel one.
So I’m stuck with the series 0 unless I find a good second hand price for a series 2.
I picked up a cheap stainless steel 1st gen a year ago and I'm still using it most days. I got it for tracking when I'm out mountain biking and notifications when I'm at work and it's still doing a good job, though I've had a couple of battery issues since updating to watchOS 4.
I've no need for LTE and I'm not a EE customer so the Series 3 doesn't interest me in the slightest, especially as they have hiked the prices so high and the design hasn't altered at all since the watch was launched. I would probably upgrade to a SS Series 2 though if I found one being offered at a low enough price.
I've no need for LTE and I'm not a EE customer so the Series 3 doesn't interest me in the slightest, especially as they have hiked the prices so high and the design hasn't altered at all since the watch was launched. I would probably upgrade to a SS Series 2 though if I found one being offered at a low enough price.
Oh, stop being a Watch Snob!
And to the others who think that way, just buy one already and pair both to the same phone. This way you could still wear the (ahem) downgrade for more mundane tasks, and the SS for other occasions.
After all, what true watch snob only owns one watch?
Tip: buy the "other" Sport colour of your existing SS.
I ended up buying a second hand S1 after seeing the S3 launch. Nothing really sold me on it. Even the S2 wasnt that big of a deal for me.
So now I have a SS S0 and a sport S1. Use the S1 most of the time and switch to the SS S0 when I forget to charge or if I want the look of stainless steel for some reason. I mainly use the watches for workout tracking and changing music while using AirPods so the S0 can handle that really well. I also use most apps for the complications so app loading performance isn't an issue.
So now I have a SS S0 and a sport S1. Use the S1 most of the time and switch to the SS S0 when I forget to charge or if I want the look of stainless steel for some reason. I mainly use the watches for workout tracking and changing music while using AirPods so the S0 can handle that really well. I also use most apps for the complications so app loading performance isn't an issue.
If I were to upgrade I would plan on selling my existing one to help pay for it, who needs two apple watches?Oh, stop being a Watch Snob!
And to the others who think that way, just buy one already and pair both to the same phone. This way you could still wear the (ahem) downgrade for more mundane tasks, and the SS for other occasions.
After all, what true watch snob only owns one watch?
Tip: buy the "other" Sport colour of your existing SS.
It's not about being a snob its about being professional, I find wearing even the stainless steel apple watch to meetings etc pushing it already in regards to what looks professional and appropriate, I would feel very uncomfortable wearing something thats clearly a casual sports watch in to work so the stainless steel is an absolute must.
The glass used on the screen is a dealbreaker too. My watch gets bashed and scraped all over the place and the screen still looks immaculate. Everyone I know with the sport model has a screen thats scratched to pieces, even the employees in the Apple store admitted their sports models all have scratched screens with daily use. The screen material is the main thing that puts me off the sport model rather than the aesthetics.
You get what you pay for at the end of the day. I'd rather wait/save/keep an eye out for a second hand one and get the model that suits my needs rather than spend a substantial amount of money on something that isn't right. I think thats just sensible thinking, not snobbery.
Edit: Also like to add i'm not a watch snob or even a watch person. The Apple Watch is the first and only watch i've ever owned because its the first watch that I felt truly served a purpose.
This. I've beaten the heck out of my launch-day SS and it's still going strong (and looks brand new, thanks to Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish for the stainless steel, and the sapphire display being so strong) ... I've always hated how laggy it is, but since I only use it for notifications and occasionally music control, it's bearable. Will probably get a SS S3 soon, though. lol
I have the S0 aluminum and both the case and the glass have held up perfectly. Haven't noticed any major slow downs with OS4, but I am sure the new watches are faster for sure.
What makes a shiny watch more professional and appropriate than a matt finish?
Yeah, right? I don't get this logic at all. If anything, its not the case that defines "professionalism" but rather the band. If yo walk into a meeting with a watch with a hot pink rubber watch band, yeah, thats gonna stand out. If you walk in with a nice leather or metal link band the watch, regardless of it being SS or aluminum, is going to look more like a regular watch and blend into the background and not stand out as not "professional"
Yes I still use mine.
Works fine.
Smashed screen and all. I only use it for GPS on the motorbike though so a newer watch wouldn't really be sensible for me anyway. I wear an automatic watch daily.
Works fine.
Smashed screen and all. I only use it for GPS on the motorbike though so a newer watch wouldn't really be sensible for me anyway. I wear an automatic watch daily.
Well, the iPhone is the thing I use most. True, the Apple Watch will buzzz and beep notifications at me all day long, but this is purely at the behest of the phone. The phone is way more useful for replies, directions, camera, photos, calls, notes, email.....the list goes on and on. The Watch loses much of its functionality without the phone in close proximity.
As for the iPad and MBA, they kind of complement each other, so I don’t see them as either-or devices. They each have their strengths, and I try to use them accordingly. As mentioned, the MBA cost less than $800 and the iPad was $300, which is $1,100 for the whole package.
One person posted to this thread that they spent $1,200 on their SS series 0 Apple Watch. I am not knocking their decision to buy a Watch.....just saying I would be very frustrated personally if I had forked out that kind of money and then felt like I needed to replace the Watch after 2.5 years.
Yup, the band has way more influence over how formal the watch is. Leather is definitely the most. Metal bracelets only recently have become "professional" or "formal". They were the original sport band.
I still use my S0 Aluminum Sport (Space Gray) 42mm daily, battery life is still good enough to get through one day, and cosmetically it's in decent shape. I bicycle to work, so it is a genuinely useful tool for me; I use it daily to track my rides via Strava, keep tabs on my fitness with the HR measuring functionality, receive and respond to text messages via Siri, and have even answered an urgent phone call or two. I also like using complications to watch the weather (I do not have a window at work), especially if I'm trying to time departure from work before a thunderstorm. I also use the AW as a general fitness device for long pleasure rides, tennis, and running.
One of the biggest benefits I've found from a few years of using the AW is notification tuning. I have tuned my notifications on the watch to only the most urgent; specific subjects/senders/priority of work email and specific senders of texts, mostly. This has allowed me to increase the notifications on my phone to include various news/Instagram/twitter feeds, allowing me to indulge in those notifications when I have time and still be secure my important notifications truly notify me on the watch. This allows me to keep my phone in my pocket, and that's really freeing.
Cosmetically the watch has held up better than expected with respect to the ION-X screen; I have no major scratches and can only see some pinpricks/scratches if I am in very bright direct sunlight and tilt the watch to reflect the light. Put another way: no damage is visible unless you go looking for it. That's really impressive. The body of the watch, however, shows multiple scratches through the anodizing--many of these are right next to the screen, and the screen does not show the continuation of the scratch, which makes me believe the screen is more resistant to scratching than the body. I have not babied this watch, I use it as a tool, so I expect scratches... But I feel the Space Gray aluminum scratches in an unsightly manner, unlike prior watches I have owned in stainless, so I would think twice about purchasing a Space Gray Alu body again.
One quick note on the watch bands; I have used up a woven nylon band (the retaining loop broke) and my other woven nylon band is looking a little tired (frayed, mostly). I found I prefer the comfort and durability of the plain rubber sport band; it also (inexplicably) has a more premium feel to me. I like the look of the woven bands at 3 feet, but I'm not sure I'll buy any more of them. That said, it is fun to change around the band on occasion as it really changes the look/feel of the watch, so I may try one of the new sport loops to see what I think. Or, perhaps the new woven bands have been improved.
Performance-wise, the battery life is still good enough to get through the day, but it can be down to about 10% at times if I've tracked 2 bicycle commutes and another sport (running or tennis, usually) after work. I have no problems with screen brightness, even in direct sunlight. It always remains very readable. Usability is a bit hampered by the sluggish processor, but it is actually less sluggish to use now than when on it's original WatchOS. I do find myself swapping between apps more frequently after upgrading to WatchOS 4, as the performance is much better (for docked apps, at least). Previously, I really only used it in a binary fashion (one app at a time).
Speaking of WatchOS, I've been really impressed with Apple's dedication to WatchOS; it's genuinely more useful, full-featured, and even features performance improvements for the S0. Although the S0 is and always has been somewhat sluggish, and it's days are probably numbered as eventually WatchOS will move forward too much rendering it too sluggish to be useful, the fact that WatchOS 4 functions perfectly well on the S0 (better than WatchOS 1!) gives me hope that Apple is taking a long-ball approach to watch support.
From a personal standpoint, I have almost completely given up mechanical watches since strapping on the AW. I am a long-time watch nerd, and have owned some extraordinary mechanical timepieces over the years. I still respect the beauty and longevity of a good mechanical watch, but I find myself viewing them as an anachronism; the AW is genuinely useful to me in ways a mechanical never could be, and has caused a paradigm shift in the way I view mechanical timepieces. I kept around a few vintage pieces I love, and one modern mechanical I have a lot of history and fondness for, but I can count on one hand how many times I've worn them over the last 12 months. I have some stunning pocketwatches that I keep around for their historical significance (or just plain beauty), but to give you a sense of how far my feelings have shifted, I view my mechanical watches very much like an 19th-century pocketwatch... I know I'm in the minority here in the watch world, but there you go.
I do hope Apple slims down the case, continues to improve the screen, and allows access to third-party face designs. I'd love a slim 38mm stainless AW with a Jaeger reverse face...
I have a S3 on order, mostly because of my good experience as noted above. I ordered Space Black Stainless this time around, as I feel the DLC should hold up better than the Alu for me. My wife has already received her S3 upgrade (she also had a S0, which we have now given to our daughter; hers looks brand-new still!), and I'm very impressed with the speed boost and love the LTE connectivity. I look forward to going "phoneless" frequently, traveling light, and focusing more on the life in front of me than the life inside my phone.
Hope that helps
One of the biggest benefits I've found from a few years of using the AW is notification tuning. I have tuned my notifications on the watch to only the most urgent; specific subjects/senders/priority of work email and specific senders of texts, mostly. This has allowed me to increase the notifications on my phone to include various news/Instagram/twitter feeds, allowing me to indulge in those notifications when I have time and still be secure my important notifications truly notify me on the watch. This allows me to keep my phone in my pocket, and that's really freeing.
Cosmetically the watch has held up better than expected with respect to the ION-X screen; I have no major scratches and can only see some pinpricks/scratches if I am in very bright direct sunlight and tilt the watch to reflect the light. Put another way: no damage is visible unless you go looking for it. That's really impressive. The body of the watch, however, shows multiple scratches through the anodizing--many of these are right next to the screen, and the screen does not show the continuation of the scratch, which makes me believe the screen is more resistant to scratching than the body. I have not babied this watch, I use it as a tool, so I expect scratches... But I feel the Space Gray aluminum scratches in an unsightly manner, unlike prior watches I have owned in stainless, so I would think twice about purchasing a Space Gray Alu body again.
One quick note on the watch bands; I have used up a woven nylon band (the retaining loop broke) and my other woven nylon band is looking a little tired (frayed, mostly). I found I prefer the comfort and durability of the plain rubber sport band; it also (inexplicably) has a more premium feel to me. I like the look of the woven bands at 3 feet, but I'm not sure I'll buy any more of them. That said, it is fun to change around the band on occasion as it really changes the look/feel of the watch, so I may try one of the new sport loops to see what I think. Or, perhaps the new woven bands have been improved.
Performance-wise, the battery life is still good enough to get through the day, but it can be down to about 10% at times if I've tracked 2 bicycle commutes and another sport (running or tennis, usually) after work. I have no problems with screen brightness, even in direct sunlight. It always remains very readable. Usability is a bit hampered by the sluggish processor, but it is actually less sluggish to use now than when on it's original WatchOS. I do find myself swapping between apps more frequently after upgrading to WatchOS 4, as the performance is much better (for docked apps, at least). Previously, I really only used it in a binary fashion (one app at a time).
Speaking of WatchOS, I've been really impressed with Apple's dedication to WatchOS; it's genuinely more useful, full-featured, and even features performance improvements for the S0. Although the S0 is and always has been somewhat sluggish, and it's days are probably numbered as eventually WatchOS will move forward too much rendering it too sluggish to be useful, the fact that WatchOS 4 functions perfectly well on the S0 (better than WatchOS 1!) gives me hope that Apple is taking a long-ball approach to watch support.
From a personal standpoint, I have almost completely given up mechanical watches since strapping on the AW. I am a long-time watch nerd, and have owned some extraordinary mechanical timepieces over the years. I still respect the beauty and longevity of a good mechanical watch, but I find myself viewing them as an anachronism; the AW is genuinely useful to me in ways a mechanical never could be, and has caused a paradigm shift in the way I view mechanical timepieces. I kept around a few vintage pieces I love, and one modern mechanical I have a lot of history and fondness for, but I can count on one hand how many times I've worn them over the last 12 months. I have some stunning pocketwatches that I keep around for their historical significance (or just plain beauty), but to give you a sense of how far my feelings have shifted, I view my mechanical watches very much like an 19th-century pocketwatch... I know I'm in the minority here in the watch world, but there you go.
I do hope Apple slims down the case, continues to improve the screen, and allows access to third-party face designs. I'd love a slim 38mm stainless AW with a Jaeger reverse face...
I have a S3 on order, mostly because of my good experience as noted above. I ordered Space Black Stainless this time around, as I feel the DLC should hold up better than the Alu for me. My wife has already received her S3 upgrade (she also had a S0, which we have now given to our daughter; hers looks brand-new still!), and I'm very impressed with the speed boost and love the LTE connectivity. I look forward to going "phoneless" frequently, traveling light, and focusing more on the life in front of me than the life inside my phone.
Hope that helps
Realize that you're cherry-picking the most expensive configuration for the SS, with the link bracelet. That band is $500 by itself, and anyone who has one could continue to use it with their new watch. They're not going to spend $1200 every time they upgrade. The SS starts at $599 for the 38mm, $649 for the 42mm.
Look, I get where you're coming from. I spent over $700 for mine since I got AppleCare with it, which I felt was a good use of money for a 1st generation product. I promised myself, and my wife, that I would wait at least 4 years before upgrading. The point I'm getting from reading this thread is that most series 0 owners who are upgrading are doing so for a specific new feature, either water resistance or LTE. When we bought the series 0 we all knew these would be likely additions in the near future. I honestly don't care about either feature, so I'm not upgrading.
Your situation is different. You're considering the SS with all its current features and wondering if TODAY's watch will last you. To answer that you have to ask what features are likely to be added from here. I think the most likely candidates are an always on display, a built-in camera, better battery life, new fitness sensors/features, and thinner and/or new case design. In the time frame you're talking about I think most of those will be added at some point (if they don't add a camera it will be because Apple makes a conscious decision not to, not because they can't do it). So what you need to be asking is, are any of those things that will make you wish you had waited? If not, then I think it would be safe to say that the SS Apple Watch could last you 5 years or even longer.
Aside from new features, the only other limiting thing about the Apple Watch is diminished battery life over time. But realize that all watches require some kind of service at some point (either a new battery, or a tune up for mechanicals). Let's put things in perspective. I have a nice Tag Heuer watch that my mother gave me as a graduation gift. Every time it needs a new battery I have to take it to a jewelry store to have it done because all the seals in it need to be pressure tested once the battery is replaced. Most stores charge about $80-$100 for this. Want to guess what Apple changes for a new battery? $80.
Yea cause Tim Cook, Eddie Cue, Phil Schiller etc would look so unprofessional walking into your meeting wearing apple watches. After all they run a nickel and dime company. Your company must be soooo much more successful and professional.
/s