How are you all finding the S6 compared to the S5?

[Marty_Macfly]

Hi All,

Still on the fence about paying the extra for a S6, or going for a refurbished S5.

I’ve been looking at the specs etc, See links below, but it would be good to hear people‘s accounts of the differences So far.

In terms of everyday use, how are you finding the S6 compared to the S5?


I’m coming from a Series 2.
The things I really want are; (1) AOD; (2) Cellular and (3) fall detection.
Future proofing would be good also, balanced against cost of the watch.
The cost difference is “only” £110 apparently between a Refurbished 40mm Cellular S5 and a new 40mm Cellular S6 in a Alu case.




——————————————————————————————————
My research so far:


I’ve looked into it a bit more, and looks like the S6 is quite a different beast to the S5 Internally:

1) Ifixit teardown is really informative:

Apple Watch Series 6 Teardown

The Apple Watch Series 6 is here to take your breath away—or at least tell you a whole lot about your breathing. We’re pushing our VO2 max just...

www.ifixit.com

2) NB:The 40mm S6 still has the different new tech battery compared to the 44mm S6, carried over from the S5 watch:
(In my opinion quite a nice touch from Apple. Concern for battery life for users of the smaller watch, though it costs more to produce.)

The 40mm Apple Watch Series 5 Has a Radical New Battery Design

We tore down the new 44mm Apple Watch and only saw minor changes, but we tore down the 40mm model and noticed a big change not present on the larger model.

www.ifixit.com

 

[nicho]

2) NB:The 40mm S6 has a different new tech battery to the 44mm:

The 40mm Apple Watch Series 5 Has a Radical New Battery Design

We tore down the new 44mm Apple Watch and only saw minor changes, but we tore down the 40mm model and noticed a big change not present on the larger model.

www.ifixit.com

That's a year old article about the S5, not the S6

[edit: doh, but I see that the series 6 teardown found the same differences... it's not really "different new" when it's a year old though. just "different" at this point]

 

[Matt.jpg]

I personally Jumped from:

a series 2 aluminium to a series 5 aluminium =massive difference

I have just now jumped from series 5 to a series 6 Hermes SBSS apart from the obvious different material , band & watch faces.

there is literally nothing notably worth the change from S5 to S6 IMO

 

[Marty_Macfly]

That's a year old article about the S5, not the S6

[edit: doh, but I see that the series 6 teardown found the same differences... it's not really "different new" when it's a year old though. just "different" at this point]

Hi Nicho,

Ah yes, sorry, too many screens open!

I’ll edit my original post now

Thanks for the feedback

 

[nicho]

Hi Nicho,

Ah yes, sorry, too many screens open!

I’ll edit my original post now

Thanks for the feedback

One thing I would say is that... I would probably upgrade from a S5 to an S6 for £100 because of the extra lifespan (in reality, people with an S5 are probably looking at £200+ difference between resale and purchase, making the value proposition less worth it).

I have an S5 already, so I'm not upgrading this year. But in your position I would get the S6.

 

[bluegt]

I upgraded from an S5 to an S6, here are the differences that I see and my take on them:

- Faster S6 Processor - I don't see a difference 🤷‍♂️
- U1 Ultra Wideband Chip - 🤷‍♂️
- Faster 5Ghz Wifi - Content loads faster 👍
- Faster Charging - 50% in 30 minutes 👍👍
- Longer Battery Life - ~38-40 hours 👍👍

- Blood Oxygen Sensor - very reliable for me 👍
- Improved Heart Rate / ECG Sensors - certainly more accurate 👍
- Always on Altimeter - maybe I'll appreciate it after COVID 🤷‍♂️
- Improved GPS - for outdoor runners...not me 🤷‍♂️

- Brighter Always On Display - It's helpful, especially outdoors and even indoors on very sunny days 👍
- New Case Colors - Blue and Graphite are great 👍
- Larger Taptic Engine - I can certainly feel the stronger vibrations 👍

Overall, I'm very happy with the S6.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

I upgraded from an S5 to an S6, here are the differences that I see and my take on them:

- Faster S6 Processor - I don't see a difference 🤷‍♂️
- U1 Ultra Wideband Chip - 🤷‍♂️
- Faster 5Ghz Wifi - Content loads faster 👍
- Faster Charging - 50% in 30 minutes 👍👍
- Longer Battery Life - ~38-40 hours 👍👍

- Blood Oxygen Sensor - very reliable for me 👍
- Improved Heart Rate / ECG Sensors - certainly more accurate 👍
- Always on Altimeter - maybe I'll appreciate it after COVID 🤷‍♂️
- Improved GPS - for outdoor runners...not me 🤷‍♂️

- Brighter Always On Display - It's helpful, especially outdoors and even indoors on very sunny days 👍
- New Case Colors - Blue and Graphite are great 👍
- Larger Taptic Engine - I can certainly feel the stronger vibrations 👍

Overall, I'm very happy with the S6.

Liking the ”Thumbs up” count, clever

 

[bluegt]

I think you would do well with either but I would say for £110 (0.15 per day if you keep the watch for 2 years), is worth it for the above upgrades.

 

[ssledoux]

I upgraded from an S5 to an S6, here are the differences that I see and my take on them:

- Faster S6 Processor - I don't see a difference 🤷‍♂️
- U1 Ultra Wideband Chip - 🤷‍♂️
- Faster 5Ghz Wifi - Content loads faster 👍
- Faster Charging - 50% in 30 minutes 👍👍
- Longer Battery Life - ~38-40 hours 👍👍

- Blood Oxygen Sensor - very reliable for me 👍
- Improved Heart Rate / ECG Sensors - certainly more accurate 👍
- Always on Altimeter - maybe I'll appreciate it after COVID 🤷‍♂️
- Improved GPS - for outdoor runners...not me 🤷‍♂️

- Brighter Always On Display - It's helpful, especially outdoors and even indoors on very sunny days 👍
- New Case Colors - Blue and Graphite are great 👍
- Larger Taptic Engine - I can certainly feel the stronger vibrations 👍

Overall, I'm very happy with the S6.

The battery life alone makes me consider upgrading, if that’s accurate. I wasn’t even thinking about going from the 5 to 6.

 

[bluegt]

The battery life alone makes me consider upgrading, if that’s accurate. I wasn’t even thinking about going from the 5 to 6.

I'd say it should be possible for most people, but it depends on usage pattern of course. I made this thread to discuss the S6 battery life specifically: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/series-6-battery-life-how-long-does-your-s6-last.2256065/

There are quite a few people who were able to get similar results. Some who couldn't but I believe most cases have to do with 3rd party apps/complications that weren't optimised for WatchOS 7.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The battery life alone makes me consider upgrading, if that’s accurate. I wasn’t even thinking about going from the 5 to 6.

The better battery with the series 6 is not a big increase, in my opinion. It may mean an extra hour or so. For me, the biggest difference has been not using a complication face on my series 6. I have one app (Battery Grapher) that i added to the dock instead of using a complication face and adding it along with the others.

With regular non-workout use, I can easily go 24 hrs on a charge.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

- Improved GPS -

Can you be sure of this? Is it not just WatchOS7? I have an S4 which is fine for me but if there is an improvement I might be tempted. There is no mention of any new gps tech by Apple or in the iFixit tear down.

 

[bluegt]

Can you be sure of this? Is it not just WatchOS7? I have an S4 which is fine for me but if there is an improvement I might be tempted. There is no mention of any new gps tech by Apple or in the iFixit tear down.

Check out this review:

 

[BigMcGuire]

I upgraded from an S5 to an S6, here are the differences that I see and my take on them:

- Faster S6 Processor - I don't see a difference 🤷‍♂️
- U1 Ultra Wideband Chip - 🤷‍♂️
- Faster 5Ghz Wifi - Content loads faster 👍
- Faster Charging - 50% in 30 minutes 👍👍
- Longer Battery Life - ~38-40 hours 👍👍

- Blood Oxygen Sensor - very reliable for me 👍
- Improved Heart Rate / ECG Sensors - certainly more accurate 👍
- Always on Altimeter - maybe I'll appreciate it after COVID 🤷‍♂️
- Improved GPS - for outdoor runners...not me 🤷‍♂️

- Brighter Always On Display - It's helpful, especially outdoors and even indoors on very sunny days 👍
- New Case Colors - Blue and Graphite are great 👍
- Larger Taptic Engine - I can certainly feel the stronger vibrations 👍

Overall, I'm very happy with the S6.

As someone who went from a 44mm S5 to a 44mm S6 --- yeah, this definitely is accurate.

I can tell the watch is faster, especially when using the watch while doing multiple things (working out, listening to music, etc).

For whatever reason, the watch works MUCH better with my AirPods (speed of connection, no failures trying to connect) - may be the OS but I'm wondering if the U1 doesn't have anything to do with that.

2.4Ghz in our apartment complex is unusable. It is nice to see my watch not showing the disconnected sign whenever I walk away from my phone, even when I'm downstairs (3 floors) in the garage.

Battery life seems about the same to me but I did go from a S5 GPS to a S6 LTE+GPS.

I take ECGs every other day or so. Yes, the ECG is more accurate - not as easy to screw it up.

GPS doesn't seem to jump as much while I'm running - so yeah, better GPS.

Biggest thing for me? I can really tell the increased charging speed. I charge during my getting up routine and sometimes at night. Now, my 30 min wakeup routine gets my watch to 100% or in the high 90s.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

Check out this review:

Hmm, I think it could be software, I noticed that after recent updates my S4 has stopped doing the swooshing around the corners (I am still on OS6 too). Whether the series 6 has different power distibution to the gps chipset is another thing as his review for the SE gave poorer results.

 

[Monkswhiskers]

As someone who went from a 44mm S5 to a 44mm S6 --- yeah, this definitely is accurate.

I can tell the watch is faster, especially when using the watch while doing multiple things (working out, listening to music, etc).

For whatever reason, the watch works MUCH better with my AirPods (speed of connection, no failures trying to connect) - may be the OS but I'm wondering if the U1 doesn't have anything to do with that.

2.4Ghz in our apartment complex is unusable. It is nice to see my watch not showing the disconnected sign whenever I walk away from my phone, even when I'm downstairs (3 floors) in the garage.

Battery life seems about the same to me but I did go from a S5 GPS to a S6 LTE+GPS.

I take ECGs every other day or so. Yes, the ECG is more accurate - not as easy to screw it up.

GPS doesn't seem to jump as much while I'm running - so yeah, better GPS.

Biggest thing for me? I can really tell the increased charging speed. I charge during my getting up routine and sometimes at night. Now, my 30 min wakeup routine gets my watch to 100% or in the high 90s.

These all seem good incremental improvements, I just can't justify upgrading from my completely usable 4, so I'll wait for the 7, where there will be even more improvements.

 

[deeddawg]

Haven’t read everything, but what’s you expected ownership duration?

I see you’re coming from an S2. So let’s say three or four years.
If you expect to repeat that duration and if the £110 isn’t a life changing amount, I’d say buy the newest model.

 

[BigMcGuire]

These all seem good incremental improvements, I just can't justify upgrading from my completely usable 4, so I'll wait for the 7, where there will be even more improvements.

Yeah, if I wasn't wanting LTE so bad, I'd have kept my S5. Helps Apple offered $180 for my S5. Makes it a whole lot easier to click on that "yes" lol.

 

[Apple_Robert]

These all seem good incremental improvements, I just can't justify upgrading from my completely usable 4, so I'll wait for the 7, where there will be even more improvements.

But, Apple is all the excuse we need. Get with the program, whiskers.

 

[44267547]

One thing I would say is that... I would probably upgrade from a S5 to an S6 for £100 because of the extra lifespan (in reality, people with an S5 are probably looking at £200+ difference between resale and purchase, making the value proposition less worth it).

Not accurate. That $200 difference you’re referring to, would be based on which model you actually own/and based on overall condition. Keep in mind, the aluminum Apple Watch actually holds value better than the stainless Apple Watch does for example, where consumers generally aren’t interested in the more expensive Apple Watch models, given they perform the same functionality.

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Haven’t read everything, but what’s you expected ownership duration?

I see you’re coming from an S2. So let’s say three or four years.
If you expect to repeat that duration and if the £110 isn’t a life changing amount, I’d say buy the newest model.

Hi Deed,

Good point 😀
I'm hoping to get 3 years at least out the new watch, same as the S2 before it.

However, I think where I'm also coming from is that the S2 was the watch with the 1st oxygen sensor on it, which was never activated by apple. So I was wearing a watch for 3 years with "dead tech" in it for my troubles. I don't really fancy replaying that again with this new U1 chip in the S6 for example, which dosen't have a defined use as yet etc.

For my S2 - When the S3 came out, with its completely new back, that was the death knell for ever hoping the S2's oxygen sensor would be activated at a later date to wow us wearers. I was walking around with 4 LEDs on the back, and 2 of the LEDs would never be used ever since.... A real 1st world problem I know, but still a gripe 🙄


Best wishes
Martin

 

[Marty_Macfly]

Thanks for all the comments guys, much appreciated 😀

I suppose I should change my viewpoint and just see watches as new developing tech, so the life spans we can expect from the watch is a lot less that say an Iphone.

My missus has a 5SE and it is awesome and going strong for her. Amazing lasting Apple tech.

I think I'm just struggling a bit with that a watch is a timepiece and expensive mechanical watches for example are investments that actually keep their values well, and you know what you get out the box with no potential easter eggs surprizes in IOS updates, of flat dead ends like my S2 oxygen sensor, as described above etc.

Regards
Martin

 

[deeddawg]

the S2 was the watch with the 1st oxygen sensor on it

I'm curious where you got the impression of the S2 having an O2 sensor? That's the first I've heard of such.

Back of the S2 had two LEDs and two photodiodes (receptors). Rather different from what the S6 brings.

See:

Apple Watch Series SE: A Fitness First Impressions Untangled

At first glance, the Apple Watch SE seems like a straightforward Apple Release with SE branding: Take a roughly year-old model, cheapen out some materials, and call it the SE. But in reality, it’s far more complex than that, and

www.dcrainmaker.com

Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review

It’s now been a few months since Apple released their second generation watches, both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike+ Edition. These watches built upon the initial Apple Watch first generation units by adding GPS capabilities and improved

www.dcrainmaker.com

Apple Watch Series 2 Teardown

Our iPhone 7 Plus is still on the chopping block, but we just can't help ourselves—it's time to look at Apple Watch Series 2. The Series 2 looks...

www.ifixit.com

As to what the U1 chip brings (since it's been in the iphone 11 from last year) remains to be seen from a truly practical point of view(*), but I'm not sure its presence is any reason to eschew the S6 model. Also not necessarily a reason to choose the S6 model. Not quite sure why it's entered the conversation. I'd never suggest buying on promise of future capabilities.

Apple Watch Series 6 Features U1 Chip for Ultra Wideband

Apple Watch Series 6 models are equipped with a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support, according to tech specs on Apple's website. Introduced in...

www.macrumors.com

(*) yes I know of the directional Airdrop but am not sure that's a truly widespread need amongst users. Or maybe I'm a Luddite that needs to get with the program.

 

[JW313]

Ill bite on this topic:

Backgroud: I came from a Series 2 aluminum. Upgraded to a Series 5 SS. I wanted the Titanium Series 5 but didn’t want to pay $850 in June knowing a Series 6 was coming in September and got a deal on a Series 5 SS for $450.

When the Series 6 was announced, though not a big upgrade I took the plunge on a Series 6 Titanium and I liked it, but couldn’t justify the price bump. I found someone selling a Series 5 Titanium for $470 and bought it to return the Series 6.

I honestly cannot tell a difference in my daily use case for the Series 6 from the 5. If you are coming from a Series 2 like you stated and want a watch to last you a couple of years go with the 6! You get the latest and greatest of everything.

If you are coming from a Series 5, I would recommend staying unless you really want a color in 6 that wasn’t in 5.

Just my 5 cents..

 

[Marty_Macfly]

I'm curious where you got the impression of the S2 having an O2 sensor? That's the first I've heard of such.

Back of the S2 had two LEDs and two photodiodes (receptors). Rather different from what the S6 brings.

See:

Apple Watch Series SE: A Fitness First Impressions Untangled

At first glance, the Apple Watch SE seems like a straightforward Apple Release with SE branding: Take a roughly year-old model, cheapen out some materials, and call it the SE. But in reality, it’s far more complex than that, and

www.dcrainmaker.com

Apple Watch Series 2 and Nike+ Edition: Sport & Fitness In-Depth Review

It’s now been a few months since Apple released their second generation watches, both the Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike+ Edition. These watches built upon the initial Apple Watch first generation units by adding GPS capabilities and improved

www.dcrainmaker.com

Apple Watch Series 2 Teardown

Our iPhone 7 Plus is still on the chopping block, but we just can't help ourselves—it's time to look at Apple Watch Series 2. The Series 2 looks...

www.ifixit.com

As to what the U1 chip brings (since it's been in the iphone 11 from last year) remains to be seen from a truly practical point of view(*), but I'm not sure its presence is any reason to eschew the S6 model. Also not necessarily a reason to choose the S6 model. Not quite sure why it's entered the conversation. I'd never suggest buying on promise of future capabilities.

Apple Watch Series 6 Features U1 Chip for Ultra Wideband

Apple Watch Series 6 models are equipped with a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support, according to tech specs on Apple's website. Introduced in...

www.macrumors.com

(*) yes I know of the directional Airdrop but am not sure that's a truly widespread need amongst users. Or maybe I'm a Luddite that needs to get with the program.

Hi Dee,

Oh gosh, sorry that wasn’t supposed to come across as a poke your way!

I was just going off on a tangent about why I’m all at sea about changing watches.

I’m the ultimate fixed position on the compass. Don’t want to change, unless, er things literally fall off or stop working, E.g. As in the case of my own Iphone 5SE, the ultimate phone on the planet...



Errr... another thing.... so the other 2 circles on the back of the S2 isn’t failed tech?!

I’m looking into that now!

Apple Watch uses four sensors to detect your pulse

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.

www.theverge.com

Regards
Martin