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max2

macrumors 603
Original poster
May 31, 2015
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I know it all depends on how long Apple supports it but how long on average ?
 
If you take care of it and the battery I would say 4 years, maybe longer?

My Series 0 SS SB from launch day lasted me until the series 5 came out. Only reason I got the series 5 was I got a free SS S4 and was able to return it for full credit and upgraded to a titanium.

If it wasnt for the above, would've kept my Series 0 longer probably. The battery was still good on it (all day, about 14-16 hours) and I didnt change my usage on it over the years at all. Only thing I noticed was it was getting slow/laggy but it did the job fine for what I was using it for (udisc, heart rate, walking, lots of notifications).
 
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As a general rule, Apple products tend to be five years.

Watch... first one was 2015, no longer supported hw or sw.

Series 1 and 2 can still get screen and battery replaced, but no sw support. Both had software updates for about 4.5 years. Which kinda falls into the five year range.

So guessing, a 6 should be at least 5-ish, maybe longer as 64 bit processor. Example, iOS 14 is supported on seven year old devices (6s and SE 1 and newer).
 
I’ve had my series 2 since around launch and it still works. Battery life is surprisingly still good as it lasts typically over a day and a half. Of course the software isn’t updated anymore and it’s slower compared to the new watches but I’ll replace it when it dies or if the series 7 has blood glucose sensing.
 
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Today I broke my Apple Watch with the racket while playing tennis, did not even notice that. To fix it costs almost the same as to fix iPad. Was really disappointed.
 
Today I broke my Apple Watch with the racket while playing tennis, did not even notice that. To fix it costs almost the same as to fix iPad. Was really disappointed.
Yikes. Note to self, put my watch on my swinging hand when playing tennis. Mine new SE is arriving today and was planning on trying out the tennis tracker apps.
 
My original watch still works today. Problem is I had to charge it twice a day. I got a new one last year. My wife used my orig one for a few months and she finally got a new one also. Put the original one in the box it came in. After I am gone my family can sell it to Amercian Pickers.
 
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Watch 3 here. This model came out in 2017 and it's still supported by the OS updates. While they still have the cojones to still sell it, I expect the 5 years as mentioned above seems reasonable, support-wise. As far as the product itself, assuming you don't bash away on it, as long as the internals survive whatever you do to the watch. Battery here is still fine and crown and button controls all still work. Scratched crystal, but dearly expensive to repair these things.

Strictly speaking, 'wearables' are desperately overrated products, and short of using them to watch heart health (if that is something you or your doctor thinks you should do), their purpose and value - beyond visible ostentatious product consumption - is arguable.
But an Apple Watch is cheaper than a Rolex - though doubtful anyone will be keen on inheriting one.
This 3 was an experiment - likely first and last. High 'Meh' value.
 
I wore my original Apple Watch from launch right up until last month when I felt it was time to change the battery. They sent me another watch rather than put a new battery in mine. Of course, it's not on the current os but it suits me fine.
 
I’ve had an Apple Watch 3 since around launch so coming up for 4 years. Still going strong, battery not what it was but that’s to be expected. Could probably get another year out of it but gonna upgrade to the Apple Watch 7, what an upgrade that’ll be! Bear in mint the 6 will probably age better than the 3 (similar to how later iPhones have aged better) so I’d say 5+ years
 
Today I broke my Apple Watch with the racket while playing tennis, did not even notice that. To fix it costs almost the same as to fix iPad. Was really disappointed.
Not sure why this surprised you. Without insurance a broken Apple Watch is pretty close to financially irreparable (especially for the aluminum & SS models).

$349 to pay for a fix to a aluminum series 4 cellular or, for just $150 more you can get a brand new series 6.

With AppleCare it’s just $69 for the repair.
 
I’m still using my Watch 2!

I bought the 4 so I could check heart rate, etc. Also, the plan was to go cellular at some point for emergency use. (But having to pay $80/month total on T-Mobile to get it. COVID hit and I didn't want to spend that much).

I still have the 2 someplace around the house. Didn't trade it when when I could have got something for it.

I don't know when I'll buy a newer watch. The 5 had the always on display feature. Not worth paying the upgrade. I think the 6 had something else. Not worth it after just 2 years. I wonder whether the 7 will have something finally to upgrade, and I could give my 4 to a sibling for exercise tracking.
 
I bought the original model (Series 0) and used it all the way up until I got my cellular Series 4. A combination of OS updates and an aging battery forced me into it as it was becoming so slow that it was borderline un-useable, and was seldom able to last through the day without going into power reserve.

It's now time to replace my cellular Series 4. It's still as snappy and responsive as ever and isn't struggling with any of the newest OS features, but the battery is not lasting the day anymore. It could be the OS is hammering on it harder these days, but it's more likely just heavy use. I use my Apple Watch as an iPod, a GPS unit, a phone, a messenger, etc. I love leaving my phone at home when I'm exercising or just doing something where I don't want to have to keep track of my expensive smartphone. I can totally get by with an Apple Watch and my AirPods Pro in those situations and I do it often. Totally worth the extra few bucks on my Verizon bill.

So I'm not unhappy with my almost 3 year old Series 4 at all--I'll be upgrading more for a new battery than anything else. I could probably even squeeze another year of use out of it if I really had to, maybe even longer if I sprung for a fresh battery. I would say you could get a good 4 or 5 years out of any given model going by the current pattern. Once they majorly refined watchOS, the hardware became more limited by battery age than anything else.
 
My first one (and still only one) is the series 4 44mm cellular stainless steel black with apple link bracelet. Still as snappy as ever and the battery is around 2 full days, mostly used for notifications and when I run.

-> When I use cellular + music/phonecalls the battery drains much faster.

I'd say, depending on use, 4-6 years easily. Apple Watch are high quality products imo.
 
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