Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Don't buy an Apple Watch

al_berto39 said:
With Apple there is the implied promise of long-term software support. I have an Apple Watch bought at the end of 2022 that will stop getting new features after only 3 new versions. That is quite the let down from Apple, with the expectations that they themselves built.
Click to expand...
While I agree - Apple had an opportunity to support these longer - previous watch series before only got 3 updates. So it’s happened before.

The “features” in Watch OS from 10 years ago to today isn’t much different. Not a lot changed. It’s not like Mac OS. The watches will continue to work pretty much like they did when purchased for a long long time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: poorcody
I say unless you want to pay for AppleCare+ forever, don’t buy an Apple Watch.

My series 7 battery is failing for the second time. It shuts off at completely random times. Reports 0% charge until I reconnect to a charger.

Until it falls below 80% battery health, Apple still refuses to replace this useless battery. I’m 5+ hours into phone calls with senior advisors begging them to let me pay for a battery replacement.

This is the second Apple Watch that I’ve done this song and dance with. Such a massive waste of my time.
 
Brettka7 said:
I say unless you want to pay for AppleCare+ forever, don’t buy an Apple Watch.

My series 7 battery is failing for the second time. It shuts off at completely random times. Reports 0% charge until I reconnect to a charger.

Until it falls below 80% battery health, Apple still refuses to replace this useless battery. I’m 5+ hours into phone calls with senior advisors begging them to let me pay for a battery replacement.

This is the second Apple Watch that I’ve done this song and dance with. Such a massive waste of my time.
Click to expand...
My Series 7 was barely lasting through a day so traded it in for an Ultra 3 at CeX. There's usually around 25% left after 48 hours. Very happy and can once again track my sleep.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Paul1964 said:
My Series 7 was barely lasting through a day so traded it in for an Ultra 3 at CeX. There's usually around 25% left after 48 hours. Very happy and can once again track my sleep.
Click to expand...
The crappy part is mine lasts all day if it can actually make it from 100% to 0%. The battery voltage seems to be unable to reliable power the watch, so if I start workout and begin playing Apple Music, it just shuts completely off and reports 0%.

This also makes it impossible to duplicate at the apple store because I don’t know if its going to randomly shut off at 96% or if its going to happen at 23%.
 
Brettka7 said:
The crappy part is mine lasts all day if it can actually make it from 100% to 0%. The battery voltage seems to be unable to reliable power the watch, so if I start workout and begin playing Apple Music, it just shuts completely off and reports 0%.

This also makes it impossible to duplicate at the apple store because I don’t know if its going to randomly shut off at 96% or if its going to happen at 23%.
Click to expand...
I've had Apple Watches since the AW3. I always hated how by default they blasted me with tons of notifications so that was the first thing I turned off. Always disliked how Siri was activated constantly inadvertently throughout my day - so I turned that off too. Then when AOD came, I found people would stare at my wrist with that on, so I turned that off.

With these settings - my Apple Watch lasted 2 days pretty easily and would handle a 2 year use cycle very well with high health % - initially I'd gift these to family - but then Apple started offering trade in values - so I'd trade them in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: I7guy
Astuces iOS said:
Don't buy an apple watch or you will regret it in 3 years, every watch sold right now (series 11, se 3 ans ultra 3) have the S10 chip which has the same cpu/gpu than the s9 from almost 3 years ago... if you don't want the series 8 case to happen to you then please wait for the series 12 !
Click to expand...
Been using Apple Watch since it came out (with a short Garmin break).

No ragrets so far.
 
  • Like
Reactions: I7guy, Harddrive and BigMcGuire
BigMcGuire said:
The Apple Watch will continue to work just like the day it was purchased for 6-10 years without problem. There are forum users still using Series 2 watches with iOS 26.
Click to expand...

I don't have a watch but I do have an iPad that was extremely slow on 26. If the same is true for the watch, that would be really frustrating
 
maxoakland said:
1. I don't believe Apple until they actually follow through anymore
2. Are there any that are still stuck on 26?
Click to expand...
26 runs just fine on my hardware. It made my 15 Pro Max feel like a new phone.

We don't have to wait - there are plenty of threads here of users on OS 27 Beta 1 and 2 reporting their experiences (of which I've read). They're all reporting great experiences on speed - which is a good thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: I7guy and Paul1964
Jeremy Mathers said:
Apple Watch is cool for about a month, then it starts to feel pointless, like an Apple Shackle
Click to expand...
Maybe if you don’t have a use for it, in which case you shouldn’t have bought it in the first place. I have an AWU series 1 and it still works perfectly and I use it every single day for many different things…. Outside of my phone it’s my most useful electronic device ever.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: tomtattoo, Tyler.Schmaltz, kitKAC and 5 others
Spinarelo said:
Maybe if you don’t have a use for it, in which case you shouldn’t have bought it in the first place. I have an AWU series 1 and it still works perfectly and I use it every single day for many different things…. Outside of my phone it’s my most useful electronic device ever.
Click to expand...
I am a huge fan of watches and the Ultra is my most favorite watch I've ever used and continues to be. Same for people I know with the Apple Watch - my wife - family - etc. It's a great tool. I love that I only use 30% of my battery per day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tdude96 and mk313
Well my Series 6 is still working fine with iOS26 and that stopped getting WatchOS updates years ago. Battery could probably do with replacing and the mic is bust which limits functionality. But I still use it for Apple Pay and store cards on basically ALL my purchases, get all my notifications, can record workouts, use Strava, tell the time, set timers, get turn-by-turn directions when walking with my phone in my pocket, unlocking my Mac, and do everything I bought it for (and Siri voice commands would work if the mic still did). So it's hardly useless when latest WatchOS support ends.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kitKAC and BigMcGuire
Counterpoint to the OP's post, now is probably a great time to buy a new Apple Watch. Apple tends to support them for a really long time & this is really the first case (that I can remember) where they dramatically shortened the length of support for a model (the Ultra 1). I'm convinced that it had to do with the new AI capabilities they wanted to push into os 27.

But they aren't idiots, if they do this too often, people will stop buying Apple watches. I suspect we'll be back to a normal support cycle after this change & possibly even a longer one, since they stopped supporting so many watches all at once.

That being said, I would be leery of buying a cellular version 9 or 10 if you plan to use it for a long time. The carriers will be moving to only 5G and getting rid of their 4G bandwidth over time. It hasn't started yet, but T Mobile has talked in the past about converting within 2 years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kitKAC and BigMcGuire
Astuces iOS said:
Don't buy an apple watch or you will regret it in 3 years, every watch sold right now (series 11, se 3 ans ultra 3) have the S10 chip which has the same cpu/gpu than the s9 from almost 3 years ago... if you don't want the series 8 case to happen to you then please wait for the series 12 !
Click to expand...
I think 3 years is reasonable for a consumable gadget. I know my S7 replacement will only barely make it to 3 years with 88% battery health after a single year of use. But you see, chances are the current OS won’t change too much in the next couple of years. You can’t expect a watch to do much more than they (some) already do, except track more metrics.
Smartwatches are peaking and any current one might be just as good as the ones that follow. I know I’m not missing much but AI on my watch, which I can live with. My iPhone 15 Pro is approaching 3 years old and is still a top-tier phone sporting great hardware with the latest and almost greatest software.
I understand your sentiment but you’re just fear-mongering.
And very dramatic, like so often.
 
Corefile said:
People expect you to be on time if you wear a watch. Since the Apple Watch has an always. on display you can no longer say your Apple Watch ran out of juice so you lost track of time.
Click to expand...
You can turn always on display off at least some models with this feature. I always have it switched off to preserve battery life: because a watch should really have at least a weeks' worth of battery from a single charge. If they have gotten rid of walkie-talkie I won't be upgrading to OS 27 because that is the one feature I needed from this device to communicate with my team on a different floor more efficiently without having to make a phone call or write text.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Astuces iOS said:
Don't buy an apple watch or you will regret it in 3 years, every watch sold right now (series 11, se 3 ans ultra 3) have the S10 chip which has the same cpu/gpu than the s9 from almost 3 years ago... if you don't want the series 8 case to happen to you then please wait for the series 12 !
Click to expand...
In the words of the great philosopher Taylor Swift.... Seriously, your tech isn't going to drop dead just because it doesn't get software updates - my Apple Tv HD says hi.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Jumpthesnark, DigiH, Doug.J and 4 others
Astuces iOS said:
Don't buy an apple watch or you will regret it in 3 years, every watch sold right now (series 11, se 3 ans ultra 3) have the S10 chip which has the same cpu/gpu than the s9 from almost 3 years ago... if you don't want the series 8 case to happen to you then please wait for the series 12 !
Click to expand...
Or what? You'll lose software support?

Every apple watch will continue working even if it doesn't have the latest watchOS. (hell, I'm using an ipod from 2007 and it's still reliably working!)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jumpthesnark and BigMcGuire
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back