Is it worth getting series 3 right now?

[CharlesShaw]

The OP’s question got me thinking.

If I lost my SS series 3 today, I would be relieved that I held onto my SS series 0 to use until the next release. If I didn’t have that spare, I would immediately buy another SS series 3 without hesitation. I guess I really do love this watch.

 

[honglong1976]

My opinion, I don’t find an always on display completely necessary at all, and I don’t believe Apple will permit this, at least in terms of battery requirements I don’t think it would have been beneficial to the first generation/Series 1/Series 2 Apple Watch. Series 3 is likely much more efficient to handle an always on display. Raise to wake is sensitive enough as it is, where you have the option of allowing a 15 or 70 second screen wake. For me, if I’m not looking at my Apple Watch, why do I need an always on display?

I have an AW and Amazfit BIP and I disagree. An always on display is much better. The ones that have come out so far have been actually superb screens for basic graphics but always look washed out. The moment someone creates one that's hi-res, colour, high quality and always on. Then we have a winner!

Still waiting for a hi res colour amazon kindle!

 

[Lennyvalentin]

An always on display is much better. The ones that have come out so far have been actually superb screens for basic graphics but always look washed out.

The problem is, that with an emissive always-on display like OLED (or micro-LED when we get there), you're burning power constantly at a significant rate to light up pixels which most of the time nobody is looking at. It's a total waste. E-paper style passive displays don't have that issue, but instead they have other drawbacks that make them unsuited for the task.

A lit-up display also requires other parts of the system to remain active instead of sitting in sleep mode, drawing even more power. Particularly, any time the screen needs redrawing the entire SoC needs to wake up, so an analog clock face for example would be incredibly power-demanding if always-on, as it is being updated dozens of times per second.

Also, would you really want to go around with your next calendar item showing on your wrist for all to see, and so on?

Then finally, in the case of OLED especially, you're also constantly wearing on your subpixels, dimming them which leads to image retention issues (popularly called "burn-in", from the good old CRT display tech days.)

 

[honglong1976]

The problem is, that with an emissive always-on display like OLED (or micro-LED when we get there), you're burning power constantly at a significant rate to light up pixels which most of the time nobody is looking at. It's a total waste. E-paper style passive displays don't have that issue, but instead they have other drawbacks that make them unsuited for the task.

A lit-up display also requires other parts of the system to remain active instead of sitting in sleep mode, drawing even more power. Particularly, any time the screen needs redrawing the entire SoC needs to wake up, so an analog clock face for example would be incredibly power-demanding if always-on, as it is being updated dozens of times per second.

Also, would you really want to go around with your next calendar item showing on your wrist for all to see, and so on?

Then finally, in the case of OLED especially, you're also constantly wearing on your subpixels, dimming them which leads to image retention issues (popularly called "burn-in", from the good old CRT display tech days.)

I wasn't thinking of an OLED always on display but rather the tech used in the Pebble watches and now Amazfitbip. Battery life isn't an issue because with my heart rate being recorded every 10 mins and the screen always on, I get typically 30+ days battery life. It's also reflective so when it's sunny, the screen is even better to view. It's really great tech. It needs someone like Apple to use it and then manufacturers will improve it, in the same way LCDs were low res and awful on the iPhone to 4K LCD screens on a phone. It's amazing what happens when there is a drive!

 

[Lennyvalentin]

but rather the tech used in the Pebble watches and now Amazfitbip.

Amazfitbip. I like that.

Anyway, reflective epaper has drawbacks as we both have concluded, and it's not an absolute certainty that these can be overcome. Like, steam locomotives having been abandoned because of their inefficiency is not because insufficient resources were spent on refining the technology, but rather because this inefficiency is inherent to it. (Incidentally, same thing with the petrol-burning piston engine slowly and shufflingly becoming phased out in favor of brushless electric motors. It just took longer for the tech change to happen.)

 

[44267547]

I have an AW and Amazfit BIP and I disagree. An always on display is much better. The ones that have come out so far have been actually superb screens for basic graphics but always look washed out. The moment someone creates one that's hi-res, colour, high quality and always on. Then we have a winner!

Still waiting for a hi res colour amazon kindle!

I Understand why you disagree. However the logic is It’s likely the same reason why Apple likely won’t implement an always on display for the iPhone either. The Apple Watch doesn’t necessarily need to have both raise t wake and an always on display. You would have to choose one or the other and I doubt Apple would offer both even if they did implement an always on display. Of course, then you have image retention to be concerned about with OLED, which is something that is prevalent.

My thoughts are an always on display could be possible when Micro LED is eventually released, which would likely would eliminate the issues that OLED suffers from.

 

[honglong1976]

I Understand why you disagree. However the logic is It’s likely the same reason why Apple likely won’t implement an always on display for the iPhone either. The Apple Watch doesn’t necessarily need to have both raise t wake and an always on display. You would have to choose one or the other and I doubt Apple would offer both even if they did implement an always on display. Of course, then you have image retention to be concerned about with OLED, which is something that is prevalent.

My thoughts are an always on display could be possible when Micro LED is eventually released, which would likely would eliminate the issues that OLED suffers from.

I agree, it doesn't need raise to wake but it has to use this due to the poor battery life. Let's see what Micro LED brings!

That is the only weakness for the Apple Watch. Battery life. Considering Apple make the CPU and the display is off most of the time, along with HR which reads periodically, it's odd the battery life isn't any better.The Bip has a battery life of 30 days+ with an always on display and HR reading every min. Fitbit's I have had take HR readings every min and last 5 days. So either the CPU is taking a huge amount of power or the display. Early Android watches lasted 1-2 days with the screens on all the time.

Maybe the next Apple Watch will be 'the' one! Until then I will stick with my SS S0 and use the Bip for sleep.