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Apple Watch SE vs. Apple Watch Series 7 Buyer's Guide
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How do the credit card warranties work? Say with Chase Sapphire, you drop your Apple Watch 7SS, they refund you?,they mail you a replacement?, what hoops do you need to jump though to get the replacement?
Wondering what is the better option if I am still wearing gen 1 I got when it was launched at 2015...
I am exactly the same as you, had my Series 1 since 2016 which has served me well for the last 5 years, but the battery is on its last legs so needs an upgrade. The Apple Watch SE would be ideal for us in terms of price, performance and features. I was hoping that the SE would have a price drop though.
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I also had S2 stainless and now I have S4 stainless. Recently my wife went from S2 to S6 (she dropped it and killed it) so I am familiar with newer models and features, but I am not convinced by any new gimmicky feature past S4 that is worth spending even a dime on it, so I will be holding off for few more years.
People complain about lack of excitement from from iPhone 12 to 13, but talk about lack of excitement with the Apple Watch? Going from S4 to S7 feels less exciting and special than from iPhone 11 to 12.
The credit card warranty doesn't cover accidental breakage, only product defects (same as the Apple manufacturer warranty). It extends the exact terms of Apple's warranty. After the initial 12 months covered by Apple, Chase provides the coverage, and you handle claims though their website:
There are some limitiations, such as it only covers up to $10,000 per item and a maximum of $50,000 per year. Also, it doesn't cover some items such as cars, boats, etc. But in general, I have found it to be easy to make a claim and get paid (did so for an OLED TV and for a 4K Blu Ray player). Obviously, keep your purchase receipt.
I have a Nike Series 5 since the launch and it’s been pristine ever since. Using it all-day also for doing outdoor workouts. For me it’s the best value, half the price of stainless while enjoying Nike exclusive watch faces.
Since the Series 4, cases only surrounding the side wall. the back is the same ceramic plate and sapphire across all models. So yeah, I’m happy with the aluminum knowing I would just toss it away or upgrade every 3-4 years after the battery becomes bad.
It’s helpful to know for those of us that are thinking of upgrading to have a comparison. Also the series 3 is still for sale so why not compare.
I don’t have a single scratch on my s3. Aluminum case has some dings but no scratches on glass.
I feel your pain. They are exceptionally overpriced. Aluminum models are the only ones I feel that are worth it. Why pay hundreds of extra dollars to get a bit nicer metal? (and sometimes a bit better glass) Series 3 8GB watches are still being sold and are practically unusable. Can't imagine paying $750 and have a $400 repair.
Depressed blood oxygen levels are an early warning sign of COVID infection.
the only reason i can think of for wanting newer than my S3 is the extra faces. the serious stuff does nothing for me but another half a dozen faces makes me keep thinking about it-
my 2cents: Was deciding between the 6 and the SE a year ago and eventually went for the 6 - upgrading from an original series. The upgrade was less exciting than thought, it mostly brought a a slightly bigger screen with a noticeable bigger footprint.
- Always on seems like a show-off function to me, I usually don‘t see it when I don‘t look at the watch, and when I do, it lits up anyway. Without the function, the original series kind of felt like wearing a gem, while the 6 with the feature turned on feels a little cheaper and like showing everybody one‘s calendar entries.
- As a hypochondriac and amidst the covid pandemic, I wanted the new sensors, but as it turns out I barely use them, mostly very occasionally to show somebody what the watch can do.
- Although the series 0 was not officially waterproof, it worked just as well - but the speaker needed more time to dry again.
- It’s faster than the 0, but that barely makes a difference during daily usage. 3rd pary software could benefit more from that but there hasn‘t been a lot of new watch-software coming out since 2016, some has even disappeard.
- The new features I use are mostly software features like new watch faces or new workouts. Those are nice, but leave you with the bitter taste feeling like a fool paying €450 for what‘s essentially DLC.
In hindsight, I would have gotten the SE. Sure, in direct comparison to the original Watch, the 6 does a lot of things better, but as with most apple products, you don‘t notice it as long as you don‘t put them side by side. Again, the only really different thing to me was the bigger size that took me a few weeks to get used to.
- Always on seems like a show-off function to me, I usually don‘t see it when I don‘t look at the watch, and when I do, it lits up anyway. Without the function, the original series kind of felt like wearing a gem, while the 6 with the feature turned on feels a little cheaper and like showing everybody one‘s calendar entries.
- As a hypochondriac and amidst the covid pandemic, I wanted the new sensors, but as it turns out I barely use them, mostly very occasionally to show somebody what the watch can do.
- Although the series 0 was not officially waterproof, it worked just as well - but the speaker needed more time to dry again.
- It’s faster than the 0, but that barely makes a difference during daily usage. 3rd pary software could benefit more from that but there hasn‘t been a lot of new watch-software coming out since 2016, some has even disappeard.
- The new features I use are mostly software features like new watch faces or new workouts. Those are nice, but leave you with the bitter taste feeling like a fool paying €450 for what‘s essentially DLC.
In hindsight, I would have gotten the SE. Sure, in direct comparison to the original Watch, the 6 does a lot of things better, but as with most apple products, you don‘t notice it as long as you don‘t put them side by side. Again, the only really different thing to me was the bigger size that took me a few weeks to get used to.
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I just went and bought the SE, but now I'm thinking of exchanging for the 7. Is it worth the effort?
That depends on how long you will be thinking about it.
If it will weigh n your mind for weeks then definitely worth the effort. If you’ll forget about it by tomorrow, probably not worth the effort.
(No experience with the watches.)
Honestly I think the $130 is definitely worth it. You get a S7 chip over the S5 so at least two more WatchOS's supported. 1mm Screen size also might not seem like a big deal but it really is and makes a big difference. If you want to keep this watch for a while, swap it.
I’m happy with the SE but seeing the new watch faces and the keyboard instead of just the scribble function, I’m tempted to upgrade. I won’t at this point but if I had just purchased it, I’d bump up to the 7. If money is what matters save $20 a month for the next 6 months and that nearly covers the extra cost right there.
Picked me up a new Series 7 during the recent Amazon sale and I gotta say... I like it! Didn't know if it would really be worth the upgrade coming from the 5 but it's actually better than I thought. Only went up 1mm in size but the screen certainly feels bigger and better than before and it is definitely quicker. The full keyboard on Messages is also a nice feature to have!
A friend of mine who bought his first Apple Watch says he’s surprised with how accurate the keyboard is for such a small screen. What are your thoughts of it?