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AW Series 6 Aluminum everyday?

A

AndyDandy1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 6, 2018
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Hello I am new to the AW world.

IS the aluminum AW 6 good for everyday use?

Also if I were to buy the stainless steel do i have to activate cellular data?

Thanks!
 
AndyDandy1 said:
Hello I am new to the AW world.

IS the aluminum AW 6 good for everyday use?

Also if I were to buy the stainless steel do i have to activate cellular data?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Any one of them is great for everyday use, including aluminum. What exactly is the worry here, if you don’t mind me asking?

No, you are not forced to activate cellular on a SS model.
 
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It’s good for everyday wear of course.

You don’t have to enable cellular data if you don’t want to, as long as you have your phone with you.
 
AndyDandy1 said:
Hello I am new to the AW world.

IS the aluminum AW 6 good for everyday use?

Also if I were to buy the stainless steel do i have to activate cellular data?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I bought the first Apple Watch as a SS version because I was worried about the durability of the aluminum version. When I upgraded to S3, I went with the aluminum version and found it to be less expensive, but every bit as durable and reliable as the SS version. I upgraded to S6 aluminum and have been quite happy with the watch. I guess it might depend on what your daily activities are and how rough you might be with it, but I have absolutely no qualms about purchasing the aluminum version. I wear mine for 16-18 hours a day and it still looks new and worked perfectly.

As the others have stated, you do not have to activate the cellular data... it's your personal choice.
 
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AndyDandy1 said:
Hello I am new to the AW world.

IS the aluminum AW 6 good for everyday use?

Also if I were to buy the stainless steel do i have to activate cellular data?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

My first AW was a series 2 aluminium silver. I used it for three years (well 2 years for the first and one year for the sostitutive one with AC+, a crack in the screen).
 
From a durability standpoint I think the screen is the biggest difference between the two options. The sapphire screen on the stainless steel will be less scratch prone.

As for the aluminum housing, I don't think you'll be able to damage that without whatever caused the damage breaking your arm first.
 
I had S0 and S3 aluminum AW's and they were both very durable and never got a scratch that I saw. I now have a SS S5 version and will be curious to see if it holds up as well as the aluminum ones did.
 
Thanks guys and girls! You don't get a case for it right?

Also the GPS one will suffice right? i don't need the cellular data one..
 
AndyDandy1 said:
Thanks guys and girls! You don't get a case for it right?

Also the GPS one will suffice right? i don't need the cellular data one..
Click to expand...
Case is really personal preference. I've never had a scratch on the more scratch-prone screen of my aluminum versions... or perhaps I'm less sensitive to scratches. If you are super-concerned than either a case or the stainless model would be better.

As for GPS vs Cellular. I guess it is up to you. Cellular version gives you the optionality to run it with or without cellular service. If you are sure you'll never want standalone cellular on the watch (always have phone nearby) then the GPS version is a better value.
 
AndyDandy1 said:
Thanks guys and girls! You don't get a case for it right?

Also the GPS one will suffice right? i don't need the cellular data one..
Click to expand...
You can get a case for it if you want. That’s all up to you. I only cased mine for weight lifting but left it open for the rest of the day.

Again, depending on your needs will determine if the GPS will suffice. I will only get a cellular plan on my watch for emergency use cases. It saved me once and that alone justified the monthly added cost. My iPhone bricked for no reason out of the blue. Couldn’t turn it on. My wife called me that I had to pick up the kids because she was stuck in traffic. Luckily, my cellular watch picked up the slack. Apple replaced the bricked iPhone later that day.
 
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Thanks again!

If I share an apple ID with someone but we both don't get the same messages etc when set up my apple watch itllll only pair with the phone I set it up with right? I wont get his messages haha
 
I would not use a case but that is personal preference.

I will only get cellular capable AW's, 3 of my 4 so far have been cellular. For me, the convenience of being connected even if I leave my phone in the car, or at home on a walk, or any of dozens of other times when having the watch on a separate cell connection far outweighs the upfront cost and $10 per month on my cell bill.
 
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AndyDandy1 said:
Thanks guys and girls! You don't get a case for it right?

Also the GPS one will suffice right? i don't need the cellular data one..
Click to expand...
Case is a personal choice. I've never used one but do now use a thin film screen protector on my aluminum watch because of getting a scratch on the screen.

I have the cellular watch so that I can be reachable when running without needing to carry a phone, but other than that, I've not found much use for the cellular.
AndyDandy1 said:
Also any bands you recommend for the summer months?
Click to expand...
Sport loop and woven nylon (discontinued now, but you can still easily find them either new or used).
 
I wore my series 3 aluminum daily and worked out with it all the time, worked on cars and bikes etc. (up until I got my titanium series 6 in December). Over the years it got banged it into corners and scraped against things and so on, never dropped it though. The body looks pretty good, only has one light scratch on it. The screen however looks pretty bad. Lots of scratches and swirls, and it looks like possibly the oleophobic coating has worn away from most of the screen. I'd still say overall the aluminum is probably good enough for everyday use for most people. My series 3 served me very well and still works great, though I might stick with titanium or stainless going forward just for the better glass.
 
It really depends on how much scratches bother you. I would be super upset to have a visible scratch on my watch. It might never happen, but there is a good chance of it. I have worn watches for most of my life. The cheaper ones with mineral crystals always scratched eventually. All my nicer watches with sapphire never scratched. Same with all my stainless steel Apple Watches. Never a single scratch on the glass of any of them.

For me, that peace of mind is worth it.

Financially, it’s not the best decision. If you try to sell a steel Apple Watch, most people don’t know or care that it’s nicer materials. They just want an Apple Watch for cheap (which is probably why they’re looking at used ones). Therefore, you barely get any more money for the stainless steel watches than you do for the aluminum ones. If you can live with that or plan to use the watch for 2 or more years, I think stainless steel is worth it. It also goes with almost every band.
 
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