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NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jan 10, 2007
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Doesn't seem to be a huge upgrade

Screen only ever-so-slightly larger, 4 hours more of battery (which isn't much), and a hypertension monitor, which isn't constant or immediate in its reporting.

Still pondering.
 
I have an AWU1 and I’m not completely sold on AWU3. If my battery health wasn’t at 86%, I wouldn’t even be considering it.

Wow. If an AWU1 isn't considering upgrading to an AWU3, then I feel right at home by saying I am not impressed by this year's iteration.
 
Doesn't seem to be a huge upgrade

Screen only ever-so-slightly larger, 4 hours more of battery (which isn't much), and a hypertension monitor, which isn't constant or immediate in its reporting.

Still pondering.
Nope, as I said in another post, hypertension detection is a SW/LLM feature so I'll get it on my 2 year old U2, the other new features are meh to me.
Disappointed that after no upgrade to the Ultra last year ...
 
Nope, as I said in another post, hypertension detection is a SW/LLM feature so I'll get it on my 2 year old U2, the other new features are meh to me.
Disappointed that after no upgrade to the Ultra last year ...

I didn't catch this and I want to be certain I understand this correctly...

The hypertension detection is a software upgrade, and it will be offered in the Ultra 2 watches? Is it not exclusive to the new Ultra 3? Are you positive?

And I agree that I was expecting something more significant from the Ultra this year.
 
Wow. If an AWU1 isn't considering upgrading to an AWU3, then I feel right at home by saying I am not impressed by this year's iteration.
I can get a $225 trade-in credit for mine, which is the only reason I may want to upgrade. I already have it saved to my bag, just haven’t clicked the order button yet.
 
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after doing some research, the blood pressure and sleep features are actually also coming to the AWU2, guess I’ll be keeping my watch for another year

I completely did not catch that.

Now there is no reason to upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
 
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My ultra 2 is in a miserable condition, all due to my own stupid mistakes, that's why I'll be upgrading. Otherwise I wouldn't.
 
I didn't catch this and I want to be certain I understand this correctly...

The hypertension detection is a software upgrade, and it will be offered in the Ultra 2 watches? Is it not exclusive to the new Ultra 3? Are you positive?

And I agree that I was expecting something more significant from the Ultra this year.
I saw another post in the event thread with a link to apple ...

from the website:
  1. As of September 9, 2025, hypertension notifications are currently under FDA review and expected to be cleared this month, with availability on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later. The feature is not intended for use by people under 22 years old, those who have been previously diagnosed with hypertension, or pregnant persons.
 
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I can get a $225 trade-in credit for mine, which is the only reason I may want to upgrade. I already have it saved to my bag, just haven’t clicked the order button yet.

Let me help you with this.

I upgraded from the 1 to the 2 last year, with people on this forum telling me I was crazy.

The 2 is noticeably more powerful. I noticed that when I gave Siri commands, it acted immediately. That's because on the AWU2, all the processing is done in the watch. On the AWU1, all that processing has to go to the cloud first and then back to the watch.

So, you are getting a significant boost in performance from the 1 to the 3

Not so much from the 2 to the 3. In fact, very little in that case.
 
Getting that Ultra 2 right before the blood-oxygen sensor cutoff was one of my most economical decisions I've made. The Ultra 3's tepid upgrades give me yet another year without a want to purchase new one. Even the health features are being included in software updates.
 
I got an Ultra 2 on refurb last Spring and use it a ton out of cell service in the backcountry and did for a month in the Himalaya last Fall, so every little improvement is a win for me. My big reasons for upgrading are:

1. Improved messaging, SOS, etc.
2. 4 more hours of battery life, not insignificant for outdoor pros.
3. Next gen chip, do not underestimate this when wanting tasking faster as it applies to battery life in the field.
4. Slightly larger display, faster read of data and mapping.
5. Basically the same form factor, all watch bands easy to transition.
 
Let me help you with this.

I upgraded from the 1 to the 2 last year, with people on this forum telling me I was crazy.

The 2 is noticeably more powerful. I noticed that when I gave Siri commands, it acted immediately. That's because on the AWU2, all the processing is done in the watch. On the AWU1, all that processing has to go to the cloud first and then back to the watch.

So, you are getting a significant boost in performance from the 1 to the 3

Not so much from the 2 to the 3. In fact, very little in that case.
The trade-in value for my AWU1 was actually $255. Not bad for a 3 year old watch. The performance boost you mentioned definitely makes for a compelling upgrade, as does the noticeable degradation of my AWU1’s battery life. I’m pulling the trigger.
 
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The trade-in value for my AWU1 was actually $255. Not bad for a 3 year old watch. The performance boost you mentioned definitely makes for a compelling upgrade, as does the noticeable degradation of my AWU1’s battery life. I’m pulling the trigger.

I think you made an excellent choice. Enjoy your new watch
 
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And if anyone didn’t notice, the new AWU3 uses the same S10 chip as the AWU2. Apple didn’t even upgrade the chip this year from last year’s model.
 
after doing some research, the blood pressure and sleep features are actually also coming to the AWU2, guess I’ll be keeping my watch for another year
Really! So no one needs the latest model to get that feature! That’s wild! Anyway Im keeping my AWU2 another year. Nothing this year is compelling for me anyway!
 
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