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Last year as an S4 owner I wasn't going to upgrade until I got to thinking about AOD -- which solved the only real annoyance I had with Apple Watch. Going from SBSS S4 to SBSS S5 wasn't inexpensive, but in retrospect it was 100% worthwhile to me. I've really enjoyed the AOD feature. Just wish more apps worked with it, but the core Apple stuff does and that's okay.

yeah it will be fun going S4 to S6, its really the AOD i want. i have a SBSS S4 but decided to try my first aluminum model this year just to see how i feel about it and how much wear and tear i get... i know it's very, very likely i'll upgrade to S7 so it made some sense to not spend too much this year.
 
There was no battery life increase?

they certainly don't claim one. i suspect the S6 chip uses way LESS battery because they are claiming faster charging... and i think they are doing that by making the battery SMALLER (since the watch doesn't need as much power.) they even are making the screen brighter outdoors in the always on display mode and i think again they are doing that because of the dramatic power savings from the S6 chip. apple always uses savings in battery power to either deliver new features or let them reduce the cost of materials with smaller batteries... its a shame because if my theory is right and the battery is smaller this year it means they likely could have used last years battery and gotten a nice bump in battery life. bottom line is apple at this point only cares that it survives a single day on a charge.
 
Still cant delete all messages in one go and iCloud messaging doesn’t sync to the watch, im sticking with series 4 these 2 years haven’t excited me, I wanted slimmer bezels on the watch

I mean damn, what's the hold up with iCloud messaging not syncing with the watch? I hate having to go into the messages app and seeing conversations from forever ago that I already deleted on the phone and Mac.
 
its a shame because if my theory is right and the battery is smaller this year it means they likely could have used last years battery and gotten a nice bump in battery life. bottom line is apple at this point only cares that it survives a single day on a charge.

hold on, wasnt there a post on this very site some time ago claiming possible S6 battery certification showed slightly larger capacity battery than the one found in S5 ? Either way its kinda shame Apple cant really innovate in that department. Most of those things are software driven and controlled. I would go make real intelligent power saving mode that learns from how the Watch is actually used and controls all the bells and whistles accordingly, individually for each user instead of that dumb 'i'm about to die but here is a digital clock for you' mode.
 
hold on, wasnt there a post on this very site some time ago claiming possible S6 battery certification showed slightly larger capacity battery than the one found in S5 ? Either way its kinda shame Apple cant really innovate in that department. Most of those things are software driven and controlled. I would go make real intelligent power saving mode that learns from how the Watch is actually used and controls all the bells and whistles accordingly, individually for each user instead of that dumb 'i'm about to die but here is a digital clock for you' mode.

could be bigger... that would mean though improvements in the charging technology to allow for the 20% faster charging claim. i assumed the way they got the faster charging with the same overall design as the S4-S5 was through using a smaller battery since perhaps the S6 CPU uses less power but that was all a guess. teardowns will tell the real story soon.
 
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yeah, since they discontinued the ceramic, i should try and enjoy my S5 Ceramic a bit longer
 
I agree overall. There just isn't much here for Series 5 users, the blood oxygen level monitoring is ok but you can buy a pulse oximeter at the drugstore for $25 to do the same exact thing (and i highly recommend doing so in preparation if you get covid-19 to determine when your o2 levels drop to a level that would require going to a hospital for observation or treatment.) pretty much everything on the Series 6 is the final bit of polish on what started with the Series 4 and I fully expect the next major update (including the 3rd case design in the apple watch history) next year with the Series 7. For me as an S4 user I'm going to upgrade to get the AOD, a fresh battery, and the other nice to have features of the S5 and S6 gens. I know I'll likely upgrade again next year...

I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display. I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but what about
Here are features unique to Series 6:

1. U1 Ultrawide band chip (for tracking physical position of iPhone 11 and on, as well as the forth coming AirTag tracking devices.)

2. S6 processor with 20% faster speeds.

3. 5ghz wi-fi.

4. Always on altimeter.

5. 2.5x brighter always on screen when outdoors (I bet it is the same screen but battery changes and processor power savings on the S6 chip likely allow it to be brighter without losing all day battery life).

6. Blood Oxygen sensor.

7. The new faces shown at the event are unique to the S6 (silly I know) based on the WatchOS 7 GM released today not having them.

8. 20% faster charging. (I bet it doesn't actually have something that makes it charge faster instead maybe it sips power compared to the older S5 chip allowing it to use a smaller battery that takes less time to charge? i'm sure a teardown will reveal all soon.)

This update is a great update because it represents the final polish on the Series 4 generation of design in my opinion, just like the Series 3 was the pinnacle of the first Apple Watch generation. I fully expect a significant update next year with case changes (it will still be square! always!) and other large new features as the NEXT generation of Apple Watch starts in 2021.

I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display (meaning less bezels or large display area). I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but do you know it has bigger display area or something than AW5.
 
I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display. I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but what about


I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display (meaning less bezels or large display area). I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but do you know it has bigger display area or something than AW5.

the screen size and resolution is identical to S4 and S5. The only screen “change“ is when outdoors the always on display is brighter than the S5 likely due to improvements in battery efficiency.
 
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I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display. I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but what about


I thought Apple mentioned AW6 has bigger display (meaning less bezels or large display area). I read specs and it has 30% bigger display than AW3 but do you know it has bigger display area or something than AW5.
The screen is 30% bigger than the series 3.
 
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For me it's a 75% fail. A lot of the features I already have on the Series 3. Some apps I bought from 3rd party vendors like the sleep app. Yes it has a faster processor. I was mainly interested in the Blood Ox sensor but thats not enough for me to take the plunge at the moment. An always on altimeter, Really? And all the new watch faces. It seems like they really want to appeal to children or adults who never really grew up. Apple One and the family plan for me is a total waste of money. I do not have or want Apple TV or Apple Music. I have several music subscriptions like Sirius XM, Amazon Music and Pandora radio. I have 4 adult children, 2 son-in laws and 10 grandchildren. Only my oldest daughter and maybe 1 of my grandchildren have Apple watches. A few of my grandchildren are in their early to mid twenties and are not interested in all the latest technologies. Even my oldest son-in-law uses a Fitbit and he was a tech at the VA and that's good enough for him. I find it interesting the Apple is still selling the Series 3 so that show's how good the series 3 really is. I'm not saying that I will not buy a Series 6 in a couple of months, since I've always been a tech person but will wait for a couple of months to see is any bugs show up. With tax and trade-in it will cost me $560.00 plus another fee from AT&T. That's all I'm willing to spend.
 
For me it's a 75% fail. A lot of the features I already have on the Series 3. Some apps I bought from 3rd party vendors like the sleep app. Yes it has a faster processor. I was mainly interested in the Blood Ox sensor but thats not enough for me to take the plunge at the moment. An always on altimeter, Really? And all the new watch faces. It seems like they really want to appeal to children or adults who never really grew up. Apple One and the family plan for me is a total waste of money. I do not have or want Apple TV or Apple Music. I have several music subscriptions like Sirius XM, Amazon Music and Pandora radio. I have 4 adult children, 2 son-in laws and 10 grandchildren. Only my oldest daughter and maybe 1 of my grandchildren have Apple watches. A few of my grandchildren are in their early to mid twenties and are not interested in all the latest technologies. Even my oldest son-in-law uses a Fitbit and he was a tech at the VA and that's good enough for him. I find it interesting the Apple is still selling the Series 3 so that show's how good the series 3 really is. I'm not saying that I will not buy a Series 6 in a couple of months, since I've always been a tech person but will wait for a couple of months to see is any bugs show up. With tax and trade-in it will cost me $560.00 plus another fee from AT&T. That's all I'm willing to spend.

serious question... what would have been a good upgrade for you? series 3 -> series 6 is a massive upgrade... physically larger, brighter, always on screen... much, much faster processor... tons of sensor upgrades including fall detection, noise detection, EKG, blood oxygen, and improved heart rate mointoring...? everyone has to make a choice but while year to year the upgrades can feel underwhelming a 3 year span like yours creates LARGE changes.
 
While S5 to S6 is really not worth the cost IMO, I really think the upgrade from S3 is worth it - mostly due to improvements in S4 and S5 - the increase display size (reduced bezels mostly), much better display (brighter and more responsive), increased battery life, fall detection, ECG, Siri, etc.

Beyond functionalities, the S5 is so much better to use than the S3 with the bigger and brighter display, and it's also noticeably faster and more responsive. Add the better battery life, and the it really hit the soft spot.

The international emergency call capability was a also a huge motivator, but I recognize that's not useful for a lot of people.
 
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Other than the SpO2 sensing - is there any other reason to upgrade ? Just curious if I'm missing something

TIA
 
LTPO always on display is 2.5x brighter... quite a significant change
Processor opens apps 20% faster
Blood Oxygen

That's pretty much it for the big features

You also get quicker wifi if you have wifi capable of 5Ghz
You also get U1 Ultrawide band chip... so if you eventually get a new car in 5 years (most midrange cars will probably add this), capable of this ultra wide band technology, you can eliminate your keys. Note: NFC on previous Apple Watches does NOT cut it for using it as keys. U1 chip is the only chip apple designates as capable of hosting your keys.

Those 5 are the features that are new, new.
 
Other than the SpO2 sensing - is there any other reason to upgrade ? Just curious if I'm missing something

TIA
doc, nurses don't care. The spo2 more on an athlete or if you suffocate in this Wuhan virus . If there was a warning yeah it's good but else non.
 
These watches don’t have a 5yr life span......

True but I just ordered a SS Silver, the body definitely will last that long. As for the processor, it has been modernized now as well, and I'm guessing the next processor upgrade won't be until 2 years from now (S4 and S5 had same processor). The features are a nice add too to this watch. It will stay relevant for plenty of time now.

Do you know if you can change the battery on the Apple Watch? Or Apple can?
 
Let's not forget the amazing new blue (and red) colors. To summarize again:
- Faster S6 Processor
- U1 Ultra Wideband Chip
- 5Ghz Wifi
- Faster Charging

- Blood Oxygen Sensor
- Always on Altimeter

- Brighter Always On Display
- New Case Colors (Blue!)

Pretty good all-around update.
 
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LTPO always on display is 2.5x brighter... quite a significant change
Processor opens apps 20% faster
Blood Oxygen

That's pretty much it for the big features

You also get quicker wifi if you have wifi capable of 5Ghz
You also get U1 Ultrawide band chip... so if you eventually get a new car in 5 years (most midrange cars will probably add this), capable of this ultra wide band technology, you can eliminate your keys. Note: NFC on previous Apple Watches does NOT cut it for using it as keys. U1 chip is the only chip apple designates as capable of hosting your keys.

Those 5 are the features that are new, new.

thank you.

did I read elsewhere that the battery may be different/improved?
 
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S6 supports 5GHz wifi, so I’ll finally be able to shut down my 2.4GHz network. Yay!
Shut it down?
Everything from smart garage door to Nest thermostat uses 2.4 in my house. Pretty much all smart devices are on 2.4 ghz.
 
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