Ever since the Apple Watch came out, I've been wanting one. With finally having enough money to afford an Apple Watch. I am not sure if I should wait several months or if I should buy the one that is out now. This is one of the hardest questions to think about the past few days/months.
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get now or wait for Apple Watch 2?
- Thread starter btothekal
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Hi,
I was in the exact same situation as you a month ago as I was finally hired and got enough money to afford one. I think if you have waited this long and finally have enough money to afford one, you wouldn't be able to wait that long with the money in your pocket
. So instead of waiting for Apple Watch 2, maybe find a cheap BNIB watch and enjoy it until the next one comes out.
If you want an Apple Watch then you should buy one now. I don't think this is going to be a product that turns over quite as quickly as iPhones. They will royally annoy those that bought the upper end models if they obsolete them that quickly. MacRumors buying guide has it begged at mid-lifecycle. My wild guess is that is probably accurate and so my guess based on nothing but opinion is that you won't see a new watch until sometime during the second half of 2016... of course that's based on nothing. There are some good deals to be had on used Apple Watches on eBay and Craigslist if you are a bit patient. I just picked one up including 18 months of remaining AppleCare for about $300 below Apple's price. If a new one comes out, then I should be able to sell it and only lose maybe a couple hundred bucks and I get to use it in the mean time.
The same question I asked on here a few months ago. I went for it and I've grown to love it. As it's been said before, if you keep waiting for the next generation, you'll never buy an Apple product. If you are able to financially, go for it. Plus, it's likely not going to be on the yearly upgrade cycle like the iPhone. For all we know, it'll be another year+ before we see a substantial upgrade.
Why do you all believe the Apple Watch is not a yearly upgraded hardware like the iPhobe is? Also I wonder why MacRumors this it's like that in the buying guide. So if all that is true, would you all think the next Apple Watch will be coming out nearer to 2017.
just wondering, how much more functionality do you think they can squeeze into there that would be relevant?
breathalyser? can opener? inspector gadget-style extendible arm?
The other day someone asked me if the Apple Watch took my temperature. I thought, "Oh, good idea. Why doesn't it?" I also want the watch to have GPS, and an altimeter.
This is Apple we are talking about. If they do anything to this watch, it will be to make it thinner. I don't think you'll see a lot more than that in the next version. Jony Ive will be saying "Its the thinest watch we've ever made!". And as I stated before, they didn't produce a $10K+ product to then obsolete it in a year. Unless, they are planning some kind of trade-in program for the high-end buyers.
Sure, I'll take thinner. But I also can't remember the last time Apple made a device thinner without also adding some hardware improvement, like at the least a better screen.
I've been thinking about this more over the last few days and although iPhones have an annual upgrade cycle, all things are pointing towards iPad's moving to a longer update cycle seeing as sales are dwindling and there seems to be a much longer upgrade cycle to iPads. We are starting to see a saturation point where household have multiple tablets and don't buy into new hardware annually. I do wonder if the Apple Watch is going to be similar to this.
Now looking back at the history of the Apple Watch; it was announced in September 2014 but didn't actually release until the end of April 2015. I am still unsure exactly where in the world it isn't available yet, but it's only been a matter of a month or two since it's been readily available worldwide. We are 6 months into the v1 product life. Can I see v2.0 being released in Spring 2016? Certainly not, seeing as we've just seen additions to the line with a Gold & Rose Gold Aluminium Sport. Will v2.0 be released in Autumn 2016? Now that's more likely.
Now lets go back and talk about product lifecycles and update cycles. Apple make most of their money off of sales of iPhones. We are seeing sales go down with iPads and looking at the last few Autumn Events from Apple where in 2014, the iPad Mini wasn't updated really at all.....just a fingerprint sensor from v2 to v3. Now in 2015, the iPad Air wasn't updated at all. Apple decided to introduce the iPad Pro instead. And what happened to the October iPad Event? We were getting used to that over the last few years.
Here's a thought. Keep the Autumn Event for iPhones and make an alternating Spring Event for iPads/Apple Watch one year and Mac's the next. We have started to see the transition to this over the last 12 months, but maybe, just maybe it could look like this:
Spring 2016:
New MacBook's
Bonus annoucement of iPad Air 3
Autumn 2016:
iPhone 7
AppleTV announcements
Spring 2017:
Apple Watch v2.0
New iPads (inc New iPad Pro)
Autumn 2017:
iPhone 7s
Spring 2018:
New MacBook's
By moving to this new scheduling, they are splitting the year up with each evet 6 months apart. And of course we have WWDC in June/July right in the middle.
This gives Apple more time to develop new technologies for both iPads and Apple Watches and then the jump up from the previous version looks better to the standard consumer.
Oh and one last thing...you asked, should you buy a Watch...it's up to you? If we are going to wait until Autumn 2016 at least until v2.0, then you are better just buying now and getting the use of it, although I would suggest just go for the entry models as the pricepoint of SS it too high if it does in fact get updated in 6-8 months.
Now looking back at the history of the Apple Watch; it was announced in September 2014 but didn't actually release until the end of April 2015. I am still unsure exactly where in the world it isn't available yet, but it's only been a matter of a month or two since it's been readily available worldwide. We are 6 months into the v1 product life. Can I see v2.0 being released in Spring 2016? Certainly not, seeing as we've just seen additions to the line with a Gold & Rose Gold Aluminium Sport. Will v2.0 be released in Autumn 2016? Now that's more likely.
Now lets go back and talk about product lifecycles and update cycles. Apple make most of their money off of sales of iPhones. We are seeing sales go down with iPads and looking at the last few Autumn Events from Apple where in 2014, the iPad Mini wasn't updated really at all.....just a fingerprint sensor from v2 to v3. Now in 2015, the iPad Air wasn't updated at all. Apple decided to introduce the iPad Pro instead. And what happened to the October iPad Event? We were getting used to that over the last few years.
Here's a thought. Keep the Autumn Event for iPhones and make an alternating Spring Event for iPads/Apple Watch one year and Mac's the next. We have started to see the transition to this over the last 12 months, but maybe, just maybe it could look like this:
Spring 2016:
New MacBook's
Bonus annoucement of iPad Air 3
Autumn 2016:
iPhone 7
AppleTV announcements
Spring 2017:
Apple Watch v2.0
New iPads (inc New iPad Pro)
Autumn 2017:
iPhone 7s
Spring 2018:
New MacBook's
By moving to this new scheduling, they are splitting the year up with each evet 6 months apart. And of course we have WWDC in June/July right in the middle.
This gives Apple more time to develop new technologies for both iPads and Apple Watches and then the jump up from the previous version looks better to the standard consumer.
Oh and one last thing...you asked, should you buy a Watch...it's up to you? If we are going to wait until Autumn 2016 at least until v2.0, then you are better just buying now and getting the use of it, although I would suggest just go for the entry models as the pricepoint of SS it too high if it does in fact get updated in 6-8 months.
I'm a bit of a newbie again now that I have recently returned to the Apple ecosystem. My buying decision feels a bit unApple like (to me at least!). I chose the nicest watch the worked well with my lifestyle, my technology, and my real world use. My opinion is that a lot of Apple people on here intimate that buying technology means it could be out of date so your money feels wasted?
Remember, everything they add comes at an energy cost. Camera for facetime? Other tech?
in the end, you buy what you need or want. If you base your decisions on others then you are subject to their expectations which may not align to mine/yours.
Remember, everything they add comes at an energy cost. Camera for facetime? Other tech?
in the end, you buy what you need or want. If you base your decisions on others then you are subject to their expectations which may not align to mine/yours.
I don't know that, it's a perception. A lot of first gen products have limited functionality because it's a risk to over invest in to an unknown market.
Apple trickle out technology to keep us begging for more and each new product such as the iPhone offers a little bit more and certainly not everything. If they roll out everything they had in to a new product then the next annual release would have very little to offer and we would have to wait for three years or so for hew innovative functionality.
The next watch will probably have better battery life, faster processor, video and offer more dependency from the iPhone.
By trickling out their technology means they can release a new product every year to keep sales ticking over
Since you have waited this long, and people tend to think that spring is the refresh for these, I would honestly say wait. what is 6 months? That will pass by before you know it. not that long really and then you can get on a new refresh schedule...2nd gen will be improved.
NOW, if you can find a good deal on craigslist with apple care, I would take the plunge now because you will be able to sell it when the new one comes out if you feel it is worth an upgrade. I saw a few 42mm for $300 on CL with apple care and no tax. so that is a really good deal. just make sure they unlock the watch for you if you buy through them
NOW, if you can find a good deal on craigslist with apple care, I would take the plunge now because you will be able to sell it when the new one comes out if you feel it is worth an upgrade. I saw a few 42mm for $300 on CL with apple care and no tax. so that is a really good deal. just make sure they unlock the watch for you if you buy through them
I don't find my Watch to be slow.
I bought my Watch on a whim about two months ago, loved it as soon as I put it on, and now can't imagine living without it. I use it for so many more things than I imagined I would, and it's reduced my stress.
Do you use any third party apps? I find default apps are fast to okay, but third party apps are almost always too slow to be useful.
Third party apps are still useless. Despite wishful thinking to the contrary, the thing is just too slow. On a watch, anything you have to wait for more than a second or two is too slow to be practical, unless you enjoy long gazes at your wrist and looking ridiculous.
Love the watch. No regrets. If I were in the market right now I'd wait. The next generation is bound to perform much better than this.
The problem is that we don't know how long the wait is. if we knew for sure that the next gen is coming in Spring 2016, it might make sense to wait. But if it comes in Fall 2016 or later, we are talking waiting for a year.
As limited as the watch is now, it is still a useful product for some people. So get one now and enjoy the product for what it is, even though it's not perfect, or wait until next gen and get a (hopefully) much improved product. Those are the choices.