Buy Series 9 now or wait for possible redesign?

[James Godfrey]

I have an aging AW S4, battery is now getting to the point where it is not lasting a full day and am considering an upgrade… however, I do feel I can get by until the series 10 launches… just not sure whether to pull the trigger now or wait… what’s the likelihood would you say that the 10 will be a major refresh?

 

[okkibs]

It is likely that Apple will celebrate the 10 year mark with a redesign like they did with the iPhone X. And clearly it will be the AW X and not just a simple series 10. Or at least that's what everyone likes to believe, I think it's a reasonable assumption. Apple loves their marketing almost as much as money.

I initially assumed the AW X would bring microLED displays as these are much improved from the current LTPO OLED displays. According to rumors though these were never meant for a 2024 release and now rumors suggest that's even pushed back to 2026 and might be exclusive to the AW Ultra regardless.

As the display is the only thing I can really see to be a worthy reason to announce something entirely new and exciting I actually have no idea what they could possibly do with the AW X to make it worth the anniversary. Rumors could be wrong and microLED does come to the AW X despite all suggested delays, or there might not be an anniversary redesign in the first place leaving us with a simple series 10.

You could get a new battery for 100 bucks and sell the AW for about $50 next year, with a working battery and otherwise in good condition it should be worth that much. That way you'll get some money back and you'll have a perfectly functional AW until September 2024.

One alternative is to get the SE 2022 that is currently on sale starting at $189 for the smallest one. So essentially instead of paying $99 for a new battery you pay $90 on top of that to get an entire new AW with a new battery. It's not really that great since it isn't a noticeable upgrade. It's got a faster chip, 2nd gen heart rate (that's not the latest sensor), and in addition to the new battery there's the year of warranty of course. If you have a family member to hand down the AW SE to September 2024 then it wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[jz0309]

I have an aging AW S4, battery is now getting to the point where it is not lasting a full day and am considering an upgrade… however, I do feel I can get by until the series 10 launches… just not sure whether to pull the trigger now or wait… what’s the likelihood would you say that the 10 will be a major refresh?

no-one really knows, there have been front page stories about it ... and in this forum

So does anyone expect anything grand for the 10th anniversary watch?

Meanwhile:
Apple Watch Black Friday Sale Introduces All-Time Low Prices on Series 9 ($329) and SE ($189)

 

[James Godfrey]

no-one really knows, there have been front page stories about it ... and in this forum

So does anyone expect anything grand for the 10th anniversary watch?

Meanwhile:
Apple Watch Black Friday Sale Introduces All-Time Low Prices on Series 9 ($329) and SE ($189)

That’s the issue as there are some great deals on the series 9 floating around, but at the same time, I don’t update my watch all that often went from the original to the series 4 and haven’t felt a need to upgrade but now it is starting to diminish and is showing its age… so I either try and put up with the Series 4 for another 10 months or upgrade now with the possibility of being disappointed come September…

 

[James Godfrey]

It is likely that Apple will celebrate the 10 year mark with a redesign like they did with the iPhone X. And clearly it will be the AW X and not just a simple series 10. Or at least that's what everyone likes to believe, I think it's a reasonable assumption. Apple loves their marketing almost as much as money.

I initially assumed the AW X would bring microLED displays as these are much improved from the current LTPO OLED displays. According to rumors though these were never meant for a 2024 release and now rumors suggest that's even pushed back to 2026 and might be exclusive to the AW Ultra regardless.

As the display is the only thing I can really see to be a worthy reason to announce something entirely new and exciting I actually have no idea what they could possibly do with the AW X to make it worth the anniversary. Rumors could be wrong and microLED does come to the AW X despite all suggested delays, or there might not be an anniversary redesign in the first place leaving us with a simple series 10.

You could get a new battery for 100 bucks and sell the AW for about $50 next year, with a working battery and otherwise in good condition it should be worth that much. That way you'll get some money back and you'll have a perfectly functional AW until September 2024.

One alternative is to get the SE 2022 that is currently on sale starting at $189 for the smallest one. So essentially instead of paying $99 for a new battery you pay $90 on top of that to get an entire new AW with a new battery. It's not really that great since it isn't a noticeable upgrade. It's got a faster chip, 2nd gen heart rate (that's not the latest sensor), and in addition to the new battery there's the year of warranty of course. If you have a family member to hand down the AW SE to September 2024 then it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Thanks for the advise, I am going to think about it, I am in the court of the AW is likely going to get a major refresh next year… but as you say what could they actually do to it to make it worthwhile waiting…

 

[bigjnyc]

I am in the same boat with my wife's watch. She has an AW series 4 which I would like to replace for Christmas, but being that she keeps her watches for a long time I don't want to miss out on a refresh or groundbreaking new feature. I am leaning towards waiting since it seems to be working ok for her. Since she prefers the stainless steel version the current sales aren't as great to entice me.

 

[okkibs]

but as you say what could they actually do to it to make it worthwhile waiting…

Maybe they'll really re-design the thing from the ground up just for the sake of selling something new like they did with the flawed MBP 2016 design with the butterfly keyboard. The Apple Watch now comes with a circular display!

 

[adam1080]

Right now I am loving my Ultra 2 that replaced my S4(that I used for 5 years even though when I bought it, I assumed I would upgrade in a year…)

I was bored with the S4 and it just did the job. I got the Ultra 2 partially to go with the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 PM. I like the 2 together so much, that unless the 16 Pro also has NattyTi as a color option, I might keep this phone instead of upgrading like I usually do each year.

I just don’t see myself upgrading or wanting to upgrade the watch next year. We don’t expect glucose monitoring and I’m not sure what amazing new feature or design would make me regret a year of using these 2 devices as a pair.

Unless there are miracle differences like half the thickness and even more battery life than the ultra, I will have no regrets.

If there is a fancy new SS or ceramic or something cool that is dressier, then maybe I’ll bite and have a 2 AW collection to mix things up between the utilitarian style/purpose of the Ultra 2 and whatever the AW X will be…