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Buy Series 4 now or wait until September?

Ipadlover29

Ipadlover29

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 28, 2011
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I know this may seem like a common question but I can't decide if I should the series 4 now or wait. Here are the details:

I was able to get the series 4 on discount $45 off. I have tried the series 4 before, but it was missing a few features I really wanted.

I really want these features:

5ghz wifi
better battery life (ill take a few more hours if I can get it)
Always on display
Native sleep tracking

Do you think the series 5 will get any of those features? I don mind waiting until September, but I prefer getting it now.

Thanks in advance,
AK
 
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I would wait till Sept to find out what it will offer. After the release, series 4 will be discounted so you can decide to stick to series 4 or 5. You can get it if you find a pretty sweet deal.
 
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Ipadlover29 said:
I know this may seem like a common question but I can't decide if I should the series 4 now or wait. Here are the details:

I was able to get the series 4 on discount $45 off. I have tried the series 4 before, but it was missing a few features I really wanted.

I really want these features:

5ghz wifi
better battery life (ill take a few more hours if I can get it)
Always on display
Native sleep tracking

Do you think the series 5 will get any of those features? I don mind waiting until September, but I prefer getting it now.

Thanks in advance,
AK
Click to expand...

It’s Really difficult to predict what the Series 5 will include, because there are so few rumors. And the other thing you have to take in consideration, we don’t even know if a Series 5 will launch or not in September, as Apple can be very unpredictable with their launches.

That said, if you want a Series 4 now, I suggest taking advantage of it if you can find a good sale as you have. Otherwise, if you think you can wait the five months until September, then perhaps that might be a better option if you can do so without the Apple Watch.
 
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Ipadlover29 said:
5ghz wifi
better battery life (ill take a few more hours if I can get it)
Always on display
Native sleep tracking
Click to expand...
I don’t know anymore than anyone else here, but I think some of your wishlist is more likely than other parts of it...

Sleep tracking seems like the item you’d be most likely to get, but I don’t know if S5 would be when it happens. It fits with the health and wellness theme, breathe, and the bedtime features of iPhone.

I wouldn’t expect an always on display, at this point. I was hoping the OLED display would mean they could essentially keep the “power reserve” mode active full time, but I suspect they don’t want the default view of the watch to look that boring.

I’d also be surprised to see 5GHz WiFi. They need the 2.4GHz antenna for BT but I doubt they’d add another antenna just to expand what seems like their lowest priority comms after BT and Cellular. Besides, it’s rare to find 5GHz WiFi that doesn’t also have a 2.4GHz radio active.

With the S4, they chose to go thinner rather than increase the battery life. I think they’ve decided what they have is a kind of sweet spot. If they could get more from the battery, they’d probably use it up with sleep tracking or the always on display before they just added “a couple hours” of run time.

That said, I get about 2 days from my S3, but mostly because I don’t make heavy use of the feature set— so as more features get added the runtime will increase if you only use a subset.
 
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Out of curiosity...
What are some of the short comings of the sleep tracking apps such as SleepWatch for you? What do you think “native” sleep tracking could accomplish that apps such as SleepWatch can’t for the time being?
How exactly would you benefit from 5ghz wifi?
I easily get two days out of my S4 while I track my sleep. Is that not enough?
Do you not see yourself putting your watch on the charger for an hour each morning (if you had to) anyways?
With an “always on” display, would you not mind having people around you that could potentially see your calendar events (depending on the complication you go with, of course) and some other things that could potentially have an impact on your privacy?
Regards,
 
I would imagine an always on display effecting battery is a big issue, but couldn’t that be a software thing. I have the black SS watch and love it. I am currently thinking of getting the regular SS because I like have both link bands (have a previous silver from my original AW)... I would think sleep tracking would come, and maybe a standard chi type charging? I a, just throwing stuff out there but if the iPhone has any kind of reverse wireless charging wouldn’t They need to change how the watch charges to use it with other devices?
 
It seems I am one of the few that is really not bothered about sleep tracking.
a) I can't sleep with anything on my wrist
b) I don't need a watch to tell me if I've had a good nights sleep or not.
 
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I'm guessing that the S5 will have a faster processor. Storage got a bump in the S4 so maybe they will give you more than 16GB? If we look at the S1-S3 you see the major stuff happen with iOS and not so much the Watch. I think what most people are wanting is the Watch to be more stand alone and to be able to listen to music/podcast without headsets(I think). Also, customize ringtones would be nice. If you are in a room with several Apple Watch users and you get an alert, everyone is looking at their watch. S4 battery ...would be nice if a charge would go 5 days? I've gotten two days on one charge.

I'm not a fan of always on display. I like that when you raise your wrist the display comes on. I don't want people to have their eyes peering over my watch.

Go with the S4
 
My guess is processor bump and maybe upgraded battery life.

Best case... will be one more feature that isn't on your list. Something new that may or may not work for everyone.
 
Monkswhiskers said:
It seems I am one of the few that is really not bothered about sleep tracking.
a) I can't sleep with anything on my wrist
b) I don't need a watch to tell me if I've had a good nights sleep or not.
Click to expand...

I’m right there also. I don’t mind not having the tracking . Just assume they will add it eventually. I have tried it before being curious with other apps, and it drains like 15% of the battery which isn’t horrible, but for something I don’t need i opt out of that.
 
I think the series 4 is great.

I came from a Original Release SS that started to fail and Apple did not have stock at my local store so the Genius did some maneuvering to get me into a Series 3 SS which I loved.

Just got a series 4 and wow. It really is a great piece of kit. A bit faster and the larger screen is a great addition. ECG and fall detection are cool, but the screen and the louder speakers are a big deal.

Anyway, I would be shocked it Series 5 has another ‘killer’ feature... speck bump, better battery life, and maybe always on display. That’s probably it, but who knows...
 
My advice is slightly different from what I would have given last year at this time...

1. If you need or really want an Apple Watch... buy it now! There is always something better coming.
2. Last year at this time the rumors of the Series 4 made it clear it would be the first new form factor since the launch of Watch 3 years before and have a much larger screen, slight shape change etc. That hinted strongly it would be worth waiting for since it would be the "new shape" and design of the watch for several years to come. Sorta like waiting for the all new redesign of your favorite car vs. buying one right before the redesign hits. That made it a good idea to wait at this time last year.
3. This year the hardware rumors have been VERY quiet. So far the only rumors have been #1 a new ceramic option returns and #2 sleep tracking won't arrive until 2020, NOT this year. The reason the rumors are so quiet is likely that after the big redesign last year this year there won't be a ton of hardware changes. I'd predict another bump in processor speed because they do that every year, a new ceramic option (on the high end), the H1 chip from the AirPod 2's for faster bluetooth and that might be it. Maybe new shades of stainless and aluminum bodies?
4. Because of #3 this year I don't think its a dramatic update in store from the S4 and perhaps most of the excitement will be with the polish of WatchOS 6 that will obviously also come to the S4.
 
I’m still not entirely convinced that a Series 5 will launch this September. I mean, come in fall in all likeliness it very well could, but I really do think the Series 4 is mature enough where 18 months is suitable for the next generation Apple Watch to launch in spring 2020.
 
Relentless Power said:
I’m still not entirely convinced that a Series 5 will launch this September. I mean, come in fall in all likeliness it very well could, but I really do think the Series 4 is mature enough where 18 months is suitable for the next generation Apple Watch to launch in spring 2020.
Click to expand...

True, but I think the Apple Watch has become a huge Christmas gift to give and having a new model encourages uptake. Less would be likely to buy it being over a year old as a gift. I believe they will always refresh it now in the fall but just like with iPhone we can't expect major design changes yearly, it will be more like "big change - iterate - iterate - big change".
 
I agree. It will most definitely have some type of refresh in Sept. Probably minor, but will be a refresh.
 
I bought my series 4 last month as I returned to iPhone so if you need it or want it I say get it now

I couldn’t cope without one for 4 months
 
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