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I finally took the plunge for the Apple Watch yesterday. After being an admirer for the first 3 generations but never feeling it had enough going for it to justify the purchase, I was finally ready after seeing the series 4. I went for the space grey 44mm aluminium and it’s a perfect size for my average sized wrist. After 24hours with the watch on, all I can say is, is that this could possibly be my best purchase ever. The notifications are excellent and a great way at seeing if the message is important at a glance. My screen time more than halved on the phone yesterday and hopefully that’s a trend that will continue. I used it in the gym today and it was so good to see all the info on my heart rate and calories burned etc right there on my wrist and I definitely pushed myself that wee bit harder so I could close the rings. I know I’m mentioning stuff that all previous models could do but this watch ticked all the boxes with it’s bigger screen and slimmer look. I opted for the non lte version as here in Ireland there is no company providing the lte feature and god knows when the dinosaurs in charge here will sanction a move for the technology to be available. Hopefully the EU will also approve the ECG sooner rather than later so I can try it out. Anyone on the fence about upgrading from an earlier model or finally purcashing the AW for the first time should not hesistate as it’s a real beauty and I can only imagine how nice the SS versions are in the flesh but they’re just too expensive for me. Any questions just ask
 
My series 3 has one decent scratch on it and a couple of other marks on the edge where the glass curves. Even the decent scratch requires a special angle and light to be visible against the phone's black face. It would never be visible during use.
But I obviously only had this for a year. If you want to get 3+ years of daily wear out of Series 4, and you are a bit picky about scratches, then I think you have to go steal and get the sapphire. And do consider that the larger screen face of 44m is more screen to scratch, though it also sticks out a bit less.

Personally though, I'd rather save the money. So I've bought an aluminum 4 and will take my chances. I'm also expecting to replace the 4 with whatever is released in 2020 (if not next year's model).

Side note, I felt like getting a 4 when I have a 3 was a bit of a splurge. After having the 4 for one day, I feel this was money well spent for something I use daily. It is a significant upgrade. Hence, I may put the watch on a yearly update schedule.

A lot of variability in experience with the Ion-X glass, it seems. My other reason for potentially going aluminum this time around is I don't really need or want LTE, and the steel can't be bought without it. Does not need to be activated of course but that would be money for nothing.

My Series 0 is 42mm, which is already pretty large for my small wrists, but if I want to keep the bands I've purchased (including the pricy Milanese Loop), I will have no choice but to replace it with the new 44mm Series 4. I probably will visit a store to try one on first, though. I am also wondering if the steel Milanese Look will look right with the aluminum watch.
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Sorry I didn’t realize that. I think I’ll be missing out a lot of features by upgrading only once in every 3 years. But that’s just me though.

No problem. My own philosophy is to not chase new features unless they are really compelling. These products rarely go backwards in functionality, so you will always have at least the product you originally purchased until you decide to replace it. My Series 0 has been upgraded three times by Apple with watchOS updates. But the battery is now starting to poop out and the EKG feature does seem pretty compelling.
 
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My Series 0 is 42mm, which is already pretty large for my small wrists, but if I want to keep the bands I've purchased (including the pricy Milanese Loop), I will have no choice but to replace it with the new 44mm Series 4. I probably will visit a store to try one on first, though. I am also wondering if the steel Milanese Look will look right with the aluminum watch.

Technically all bands fit all watches. So you could use your 42mm bands on the 40mm watch, though they will likely stick out slightly on each side. You might try swapping them out on the display models at the Apple Store to see how it looks. At least you could still use your old bands on occasion.
 
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What things specifically do you think makes the Series 4 much better than the Series 3? I went from a Series 0 to 4, and the speed increase was a dramatic improvement. I’m on the fence getting a Series 4 because I’m not sure it would be that big of an upgrade.

Bigger screen is very nice. Flatter screen is nice. Speed improvements over 3 are significant. ECG is something that might be a lifesaver. I went from 0 to 3 and yes the speed improvements were game changing. This isn't as much but native Apple apps now open nearly instantly. So I'd say the speed alone is worth it.
But I'm assuming I'm going to be able to sell my 3 for $150 or so. So I will get back a bit of cash to make up for the $450 I spent on this watch.
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A lot of variability in experience with the Ion-X glass, it seems. My other reason for potentially going aluminum this time around is I don't really need or want LTE, and the steel can't be bought without it. Does not need to be activated of course but that would be money for nothing.

My Series 0 is 42mm, which is already pretty large for my small wrists, but if I want to keep the bands I've purchased (including the pricy Milanese Loop), I will have no choice but to replace it with the new 44mm Series 4. I probably will visit a store to try one on first, though. I am also wondering if the steel Milanese Look will look right with the aluminum watch.
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No problem. My own philosophy is to not chase new features unless they are really compelling. These products rarely go backwards in functionality, so you will always have at least the product you originally purchased until you decide to replace it. My Series 0 has been upgraded three times by Apple with watchOS updates. But the battery is now starting to poop out and the EKG feature does seem pretty compelling.

That is some interesting lock in with the bands. The 40 will have a bigger screen than the 42 you are wearing, so it might be the one for you. You could try to sell the bands if they don't look right or you want to buy the smaller size.

That said, the 4 is flatter, so even though larger, I think it looks the same on the wrist. And better when you are looking at it from an angle.
 
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Apple today began shipping the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 out to customers today, and customers have been eagerly awaiting their shipments today to get their hands on Apple's newest devices.

We picked up one of the new wrist-worn devices to see the design changes for ourselves and to provide a glimpse at the new device to MacRumors readers who are either awaiting their orders or who are still on the fence about making a purchase.


Apple Watch Series 4 has a little bit bigger footprint but is slightly thinner than Apple Watch Series 3, and the larger display (35% larger on the 40mm watch and 32% larger on the 44mm watch) is the first thing you'll notice about the updated models.

Yes, the Apple Watch no longer comes in 38 and 42mm sizes - it's 40 and 44mm now. In the video, the watch we're demonstrating is the larger 44mm model, but for those of you getting a 40mm model, it's worth noting that the 40mm screen is bigger than the screen of the original 42mm Apple Watch.

The new display of the Apple Watch Series 4 is a hugely welcome change because it offers up much more area for apps and complications on watch faces. Series 4 comes with a unique Infograph watch face and the new Vapor, Fire/Water, and Liquid Metal watch faces were built for the device and fill up the entire screen.

Inside, the Apple Watch Series 4 has a new S4 chip that's twice as fast as the S3 chip in the Series 3, and the back of the device has been improved with a black ceramic and sapphire crystal backing. All Apple Watches now have this feature, which improves cellular connectivity by allowing radio waves to penetrate the front and back.

Stainless steel Series 4 models are using sapphire glass, which is resistant to scratching from everyday wear, while all aluminum models continue to offer Ion-X glass, which isn't quite as scratch resistant.

New this year is a gold shade, which matches well with the new gold color available for the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. Apple has also introduced an ECG feature, but it can't be tested because it's not rolling out until later this year.

Apple Watch Series 4 models sold out quickly after pre-orders began on September 14, and orders placed today won't ship out until October.

Did you get a new Apple Watch Series 4? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New Apple Watch Series 4
[doublepost=1537634139][/doublepost]My original delivery date was mid October. This morning I received notice that delivery is now scheduled for next week. It will be my first watch, so am very excited to check it out.
 
What do you mean flatter? It looks the same to me?

The watch overall is less thick. And the glass screen bulges out from watch body less. If you put a 3 and a 4 next to each other and look at them from the side, the thickness difference is obvious.
 
The watch overall is less thick. And the glass screen bulges out from watch body less. If you put a 3 and a 4 next to each other and look at them from the side, the thickness difference is obvious.
Well, it’s slightly less thick than the Series 2/3 (0.7mm), but still thicker than the Series 0-1.

I’ll have to look at them side by side, but the crystal looks the same on both from the profile photos I’ve seen.

Series 4
40mm
Height: 40mm
Width: 34mm
Depth: 10.7mm

44mm
Height: 44mm
Width: 38mm
Depth: 10.7mm

Series 2/3
38mm

Height: 38.6mm
Width: 33.3mm
Depth: 11.4mm

42mm
Height: 42.5mm
Width: 36.4mm
Depth: 11.4mm

Series 0/1
38mm

Height: 38.6mm
Width: 33.3mm
Depth: 10.5mm

42mm
Height: 42.5mm
Width: 36.4mm
Depth: 10.5mm

27757-41940-180922-Watch-2-l.jpg
 
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The reason some complications don't work on the Infograph faces is that complications need to be updated to support them. It is surprising that first-party complications weren't changed, but perhaps development time ran too short and the new features needed to be completed first. I would guess that support will increase in future updates.

Looking forward to more third-party support for the corners; Carrot supports them and HealthFace does, too, though I couldn't get the range "slider" to show up in HealthFace. Yet. Right now I'm using Carrot in the top-middle position on Infograph Analog.
 
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Technically all bands fit all watches. So you could use your 42mm bands on the 40mm watch, though they will likely stick out slightly on each side. You might try swapping them out on the display models at the Apple Store to see how it looks. At least you could still use your old bands on occasion.

That's interesting, I always just assumed the bands for the sizes were not interchangeable. Seems I am in for a visit to an Apple Store one way or another.
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That is some interesting lock in with the bands. The 40 will have a bigger screen than the 42 you are wearing, so it might be the one for you. You could try to sell the bands if they don't look right or you want to buy the smaller size.

That said, the 4 is flatter, so even though larger, I think it looks the same on the wrist. And better when you are looking at it from an angle.

Not lock in really, but I do have a bunch of them, including the expensive Milanese Loop, which I like, and don't want to rebuy.
 
Technically all bands fit all watches. So you could use your 42mm bands on the 40mm watch, though they will likely stick out slightly on each side. You might try swapping them out on the display models at the Apple Store to see how it looks. At least you could still use your old bands on occasion.
My 38mm bands are a flush fit with the 40mm S4, which is no surprise. The extra 2mm are screen height, not width, hence the lug compatibility.
 
This is just getting plain silly.

"it's worth noting that the 40mm screen is bigger than the screen of the original 42mm Apple Watch"

how can a 40mm 'screen' be bigger than 42mm 'screen'?

Apparently the physical case size itself hasn't changed, only the actual viewable screen (due to smaller bezels), which has increased the respective viewable screen sizes from 38 to 40 and 42 to 44?
No, the physical case did change. The 38/40 and 42/44 measurements refer the the height (longest dimension) of the case.

The screen sizes also changed. Though not well worded, the author is saying that the new 40mm Watch has a screen that’s larger than the old 42, i.e. the screen of the new small watch is now bigger than the screen of the old large watch.

Specifically, the smaller watch (38/40) went from a 34 to a 39.9mm diagonal. The larger watch (42/44) went from 39 to 45.2mm.
 
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My 38mm bands are a flush fit with the 40mm S4, which is no surprise. The extra 2mm are screen height, not width, hence the lug compatibility.

Right, that’s with respect to the case contouring. But the lug holes are the same for 38mm-44mm, so even though the edges won’t line up, all bands will fit all watches in a technical sense, if not an aesthetic one ...
 
I've noticed on the local for-sale apps like Letgo and OfferUp there are dozens of Apple Watch series 3 for sale for $300 and up. People are trying to recover their initial costs. I'll keep posting bids of $99 until they finally give up and give into reality.
 
Went from a 44m S0 to a 40mm S4. Same style, aluminum. Am using the modular infograph face, i cant read my appointments on the other.
Love it!

A few apps dont work. Weather is inconsistent. It mostly displays —

Biggest bummer is my watch no longer unlocks my MacBook Pro on Sierra. Surprising how much i liked that feature. Not sure I’m brave enough yet to upgrade to Mojave just to get that back.
I noticed on my Mac It had my Apple Watch as an option as well as my old one still. I had to select the new Apple Watch as well so it would unlock my mac. If you go into settings on mac and then security tab it will be there.
 
Went from a 44m S0 to a 40mm S4. Same style, aluminum. Am using the modular infograph face, i cant read my appointments on the other.
Love it!

A few apps dont work. Weather is inconsistent. It mostly displays —

Biggest bummer is my watch no longer unlocks my MacBook Pro on Sierra. Surprising how much i liked that feature. Not sure I’m brave enough yet to upgrade to Mojave just to get that back.
Go into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, go to the weather settings and toggle the default location to someplace else and then back to your preferred setting.
 
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Even the sapphire glass on the Apple Watch isn't truly sapphire glass. It's embedded into normal glass in small amounts. It's only slightly better than Ion-X, but not much. On the Mohs scale, the Ion-X will scratch at a level 6 and guess what... the Apple Watch's Sapphire screen scratches at 6 too, it's just less visible. Real sapphire screens scratch at 8. Tissot watches for example scratch at 8.

See here:

When tested in 2015 the Apple Watches did, indeed, have Sapphire crystals. According to this article

https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/28/apple-watch-sapphire-crystal-diamond-tester/
 
why are there no specs (actual spec sheet as is useful for any apple product) posted on the apple site yet?

Because it is Apple. People that buy Apple devices don't read spec sheets, its a waste of time. Just buy it, come on its Apple, its fantastic.
 
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Right, that’s with respect to the case contouring. But the lug holes are the same for 38mm-44mm, so even though the edges won’t line up, all bands will fit all watches in a technical sense, if not an aesthetic one ...
Not sure what you mean about the edges not lining up. Here's my 40mm watch with the band I transferred from my 38mm.

I just saw your previous post with the measurements of each generation. If the S4 is 34mm wide, and the S3 is 33.3mm wise, then the lugs would fall 0.35mm short on each side, which is imperceptible under anything but obsessive scrutiny.
 

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Received my stainless steel 44mm and anyone worried that it’s going to be too big compared to the 42, rest assured, there is nothing to be worried about. They look pretty much the same.
So far the experience is the same as the series 3 with the exception of pairing being much faster. I’m curious to see what developers come up with to take advantage of the faster 64bit chip.
 
When tested in 2015 the Apple Watches did, indeed, have Sapphire crystals. According to this article

https://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/28/apple-watch-sapphire-crystal-diamond-tester/
All that does is test if the mineral is present in the glass. It doesn't indicate if it is all sapphire or just flakes mixed into the glass. In the case of Apple, ALL of their watches (save for the solid gold variant, I think) have all been nothing more than flakes of sapphire mixed into the glass. The scratch resistance is the same as regular glass when tested on the Mohs hardness scale.
Honestly, I can only imagine that Apple doesn't use a real sapphire display because the rounded edges cost to much compared to a flat round display, like on a Tissot watch?
 
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I gave in.... bought a 44mm space gray cellular in NH tax free today. I think I can get $350 for my Series 3 SS in box. Not too expensive. I was sold on the speaker volume, the clarity of calls.
 
Got my Apple Watch Hermes Series 4 Single band 44mm delivered today at 2pm. I missed my delivery last night but was pleased I didn't have to wait until Monday and that UPS did Saturday delivery.
I spent almost $1500 on it, but I savor the luxury aspect of the watch and that you don't see too many of them like you do of the aluminum bezels.
 
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Got my Apple Watch Hermes Series 4 Single band 44mm delivered today at 2pm. I missed my delivery last night but was pleased I didn't have to wait until Monday and that UPS did Saturday delivery.
I spent almost $1500 on it, but I savor the luxury aspect of the watch and that you don't see too many of them like you do of the aluminum bezels.
You essentially spent $750 on a watchface and a band over a regular SS Series 4. As a stock holder I'm happy anytime people by Apple products, but as an average joe, I see that as ridiculously overpriced by Apple. It's a conundrum for me.

Don't get me wrong, the bands for Hermes are really nice, but not $750 nice... IMO.
 
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