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Is it worth it?

I use a Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and Apple Watch. If I had to give one up, it would be the Watch because it is primarily an accessory to the iPhone. That said; I do find it useful for some things:

  • Traditional Watch functions (date, time, alarm, stopwatch timer, etc.)
  • Notifications
  • Quick message replies (Yes, No, OK, Sounds good, on my way, etc..)
  • Speakerphone
  • Apple Pay
  • Excercise and Activity tracking
  • Complications for quick glances at Weather and Calendar
I have the Series 1, which can currently be purchased on sale for about $200. The only feature that I wish it had was waterproofing, since I sail and race frequently.

Prior to the Apple Watch, I never paid more than $25 for a watch. So, I am going to want to get my money’s worth from this device. If my Apple Watch lasts 5 years, then $40 per year seems like a reasonable value for the convenience of something that is pretty much just an accessory. I bought a case to protect the Watch from physical damage when wearing it. Frankly, I will be very disappointed if it doesn’t last 5 years, since I routinely got more longevity from my cheapo sport watches.

Now, to be fair, I do not expect software updates to add features to my Apple Watch. All I want is for it to reliably perform existing functions without significant degradation in battery life and speed that impact useability. In the past, when I bought a watch, I never expected it to somehow gain new functions over the useful life, but I did expect it to reliably perform existing functions over numerous years.....so, I feel the same way about the Apple Watch.
 
Mainsail said:
I use a Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and Apple Watch. If I had to give one up, it would be the Watch because it is primarily an accessory to the iPhone. That said; I do find it useful for some things:

  • Traditional Watch functions (date, time, alarm, stopwatch timer, etc.)
  • Notifications
  • Quick message replies (Yes, No, OK, Sounds good, on my way, etc..)
  • Speakerphone
  • Apple Pay
  • Excercise and Activity tracking
  • Complications for quick glances at Weather and Calendar
I have the Series 1, which can currently be purchased on sale for about $200. The only feature that I wish it had was waterproofing, since I sail and race frequently.

Prior to the Apple Watch, I never paid more than $25 for a watch. So, I am going to want to get my money’s worth from this device. If my Apple Watch lasts 5 years, then $40 per year seems like a reasonable value for the convenience of something that is pretty much just an accessory. I bought a case to protect the Watch from physical damage when wearing it. Frankly, I will be very disappointed if it doesn’t last 5 years, since I routinely got more longevity from my cheapo sport watches.

Now, to be fair, I do not expect software updates to add features to my Apple Watch. All I want is for it to reliably perform existing functions without significant degradation in battery life and speed that impact useability. In the past, when I bought a watch, I never expected it to somehow gain new functions over the useful life, but I did expect it to reliably perform existing functions over numerous years.....so, I feel the same way about the Apple Watch.
Click to expand...
You can’t view the Apple Watch like a conventional watch. It’s tech. The battery surely won’t last 5 yrs. Your watch will be slower with subsequent updates. If you want it, get it and use it until it’s performance fades. Expect three good yrs from it unless you have the battery changed.
 
Otflyer said:
You can’t view the Apple Watch like a conventional watch. It’s tech. The battery surely won’t last 5 yrs. Your watch will be slower with subsequent updates. If you want it, get it and use it until it’s performance fades. Expect three good yrs from it unless you have the battery changed.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. The Apple Watch is a different animal than a conventional watch. I am simply pointing out that my alternative is to buy a simple sports watch for $25 and live without the smart watch conveniences. I have to carry my phone around anyway to get the smart watch features to work (except when both are connected to common WiFi). I am not a customer for the LTE version of the AW......just don’t want to pay for an additional device plus fees.

I would rather not have the software updates if the Watch is going to get slower.....unless of course, there is a security issue or something like that. Otherwise, I prefer to live with the features as is and not have degraded performance.

I would probably be ok with doing a battery replacement to get over 5 years of useful life. I think the Apple Support Website says $79 for battery replacement, so that would be ok.
 
Mainsail said:
I agree with you. The Apple Watch is a different animal than a conventional watch. I am simply pointing out that my alternative is to buy a simple sports watch for $25 and live without the smart watch conveniences. I have to carry my phone around anyway to get the smart watch features to work (except when both are connected to common WiFi). I am not a customer for the LTE version of the AW......just don’t want to pay for an additional device plus fees.

I would rather not have the software updates if the Watch is going to get slower.....unless of course, there is a security issue or something like that. Otherwise, I prefer to live with the features as is and not have degraded performance.

I would probably be ok with doing a battery replacement to get over 5 years of useful life. I think the Apple Support Website says $79 for battery replacement, so that would be ok.
Click to expand...
Well, sounds like your probably not a good candidate for the Apple Watch. You could buy it and use the 14 day exchange period to see if it works for you. Who knows, you might like it more than you imagined.
 
Otflyer said:
You can’t view the Apple Watch like a conventional watch. It’s tech. The battery surely won’t last 5 yrs. Your watch will be slower with subsequent updates. If you want it, get it and use it until it’s performance fades. Expect three good yrs from it unless you have the battery changed.
Click to expand...

Batteries can be replaced. My first-gen AW got faster as the OS got upgraded, too. I have a Series 2 now only because after I dropped my original and cracked its back, Apple gave me a [then-] new Series 2 as a replacement.

More relevant to the OP’s question, I wrote this post after my first couple months of ownership:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/comparing-my-aw-to-the-rest-of-my-collection-pic-heavy.1946056/
 
Otflyer said:
Well, sounds like your probably not a good candidate for the Apple Watch. You could buy it and use the 14 day exchange period to see if it works for you. Who knows, you might like it more than you imagined.
Click to expand...

I have had an Apple Watch for about 2 years. The first one had a problem when the screen popped off due to battery failure. Apple replaced it this fall with a Series 1, and I have been pretty happy with it (see my first post listing how I use it).

So, to the OPs question, Is it worth it? My main concern is longevity. If my AW continues to perform well for a reasonable length of time, I think it was worth it. If software updates slow it down or there are other hardware issues, I am not so sure it would be was worth it to me, since the AW is largely an accessory to the iPhone.

For me, a reasonable length of time is 5 years for a $200 watch. I understand the battery might need to be replaced during that time, and that’s fine with me.
 
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I was of a very similar mindset prior to getting my non LTE series 3.

I bought it because I mostly just love gadgets and I wouldn't have much use for it in general. However this is some of the things I now find myself using it for on a daily basis.

-Music on your iPhone. When your iphone is playing music you can control it from the watch, play/pause, volume, next/previous track, etc etc.

-Checking notifications to see if they warrant me pulling out my phone since most don't.

-Checking to see who is calling me (I'll screen most phone calls while I'm working) and answering the phone on the watch if I know I'll be quick. But even if the phone call isn't quick it can be handed off to the phone.

-Siri for:
-HomeKit devices "Hey Siri turn on the office light"
-Send/reply to a quick text "Hey Siri send a message to XXX saying I'm on my way"
-Quick questions "Hey Siri what is the distance between the earth and the moon" (useful huh?)
-Currency conversions "Hey Siri was is 40 dollars in Colombian pesos"
-Unit conversions "Hey Siri how many feet is 45 meters"
-Math equations "Hey Siri was is XXXX multiplied by XXXX"

-Home App. I can check the status of my HomeKit devices and set them according although I mostly use Siri for this.

-Unlocks my iMac when I wake it from sleep.

-ApplePay. While it probably looks pretentious as all hell it really is cool.

-Camera. The watch can be used as a viewfinder for the iPhones camera so with proper placement you can take a picture without missing someone due to the requirement of actually holding the phone and taking the picture.

-Navigation. While convenient for driving its especially useful for walking directions in a city even more so if its the type of city you don't want to be walking around with your phone out.

-Weather. Having a complication with the current outdoor temp is very useful for me.

-Date. This might sound weird but I'm constantly checking and verifying the date throughout the day. Having a complication that includes todays date is just quick and easy for me and I don't need to second guess myself.

I'm probably forgetting some stuff but even less used features are nice to have like using the remote app to control an AppleTV, Canary security camera app to set privacy mode in certain situation or making phone calls and sending text over wifi when my iPhone battery has died.

I do use Apples activity monitoring and share that information with friends who also have Apple Watches but you'll notice my list doesn't include anything to do with exercising and working out. While its a important selling feature the Apple Watch can still be very useful even if you don't work out quite as often as you should.

I find it useful enough that I could see myself always having an Apple Watch to compliment my iPhone.
 
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Otflyer said:
The battery surely won’t last 5 yrs.
Click to expand...

The battery not lasting five years would likely depend on the amount of usage based on how much The Watch is actually used. For example, the first generation Apple Watch battery that might be lightly used or not regularly used, may not see watchOS 5 for an update, but could easily last 5 years or longer with the battery, which could still be used with basic core functionality if the battery is healthy.

Part of keeping the battery healthy is regularly charging and again, how much use does the Apple Watch actually see on a daily basis. Of all my Apple Watches I own, my first generation Apple Watch battery is very strong, but it doesn't see a lot of use, and I do charge it regularly.

There are still iPhone 3G, first generation iPads, first generation iPods that all work that have batteries in them that are over 7/8 years old.
 
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Relentless Power said:
The battery not lasting five years would likely depend on the amount of usage based on how much The Watch is actually used. For example, the first generation Apple Watch battery that might be lightly used or not regularly used, may not see watchOS 5 for an update, but could easily last 5 years or longer with the battery, which could still be used with basic core functionality if the battery is healthy.

Part of keeping the battery healthy is regularly charging and again, how much use does the Apple Watch actually see on a daily basis. Of all my Apple Watches I own, my first generation Apple Watch battery is very strong, but it doesn't see a lot of use, and I do charge it regularly.

There are still iPhone 3G, first generation iPads, first generation iPods that all work that have batteries in them that are over 7/8 years old.
Click to expand...

Something of note with the battery.

A good friend of mine got AppleCare+ and around 1 year 10 months took it back to the Apple Store to check the battery. It was below 80% so they ended up just giving him a new Watch (might have been a refurb but it still looked mint).

I don't know if they ever replace the battery or just replace the Watch but because of that I got the AppleCare+. Nice to have with the added bonus there is a possibility I'll get a new Watch after 2 years.

I dont want to sound like I'm trying to game the system but if they say the capacity should remain above 80% then I'll take them at their word.
 
Hello, just a little update, I purchased today my Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 42mm. Yes, the Cellular version isn't available here yet as per usual, just as the HomePod or Siri's (un)availability on the Apple TV. So basically I can't stream music on it without my iPhone nearby and so many other things which were a few features I was most interested in. Anyway, forgetting all that, so far I am happy with it. Can't wait to start exploring the apps. By the way, do you leave the battery charger always plugged in? Is that safe?
 
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rmoliv said:
Hello, just a little update, I purchased today my Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 42mm. Yes, the Cellular version isn't available here yet as per usual, just as the HomePod or Siri's (un)availability on the Apple TV. So basically I can't stream music on it without my iPhone nearby and so many other things which were a few features I was most interested in. Anyway, forgetting all that, so far I am happy with it. Can't wait to start exploring the apps. By the way, do you leave the battery charger always plugged in? Is that safe?
Click to expand...

You can leave it plugged in.
 
Relentless Power said:
Apple advises that you can charge Apple Watch whenever you want. It cannot be overcharged; charging will stop automatically when the battery is fully charged.
Apple's tips for maximizing battery life and battery lifespan on Apple Watch are detailed here:
Click to expand...

The Genius I dealt with Friday stated that it is possible that my watch did get overcharged. Remember that charging stops at 100%. My watch spent several hours overnight still saying 'Charging', stuck at ~94% and pretty hot at the base - with a restart then showing ~92% before finally getting to 100% about 10 minutes later.

This being the case, I'd never again state that you can't overcharge...

The watch was sent off for repair.
 
TiggrToo said:
The Genius I dealt with Friday stated that it is possible that my watch did get overcharged.
Click to expand...

Aside from the unknown factors with your own Apple Watch, That Genius severely misinformed you. Because, once fully charged, the watch is still using power, so the charger has to keep trickling power to it to maintain the 100% Charging rate. The Apple Watch charger will not overcharge, it has circuitry to prevent that from happening.
 
Relentless Power said:
Aside from the unknown factors with your own Apple Watch, That Genius severely misinformed you. Because, once fully charged, the watch is still using power, so the charger has to keep trickling power to it to maintain the 100% Charging rate. The Apple Watch charger will not overcharge, it has circuitry to prevent that from happening.
Click to expand...

As I stated though - the watch never fully recharged and got stuck in the mid 90s. It was also, on the days in question, significantly warmer on the base than the days this would not occur in.
 
TiggrToo said:
As I stated though - the watch never fully recharged and got stuck in the mid 90s. It was also, on the days in question, significantly warmer on the base than the days this would not occur in.
Click to expand...

Again, I don’t know all the factors regarding your own Apple Watch and what circumstances applied otherwise that might have been software related, defective charger, ect. However, the Apple Watch cannot overcharge. That’s a fact. The Apple Watch cannot overcharge with the built in circuitry chip, it doesn’t allow it. It uses trickle Charging to hold a charge at a certain rate.

The built-in protections to ensure that charging is stopped once it reaches close to its pre-determined capacity and then allows it to discharge some before resuming charging. You could leave it plugged in for days and it will not negatively affect the battery at all.


https://www.apple.com/batteries/why-lithium-ion/
 
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CrystalQuest76 said:
i work with several people that have iWatches. They all tell me they are fun toys. They don't make modern life any better. After hearing their comments, I am very happy saving my money and continuing to wear my analog watch that does not need charging on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

It depends on your situation, and what you might find useful or convenient. I don't think you can objectively say that it doesn't "make modern life any better" though. They might be first world problems, but there are definitely things that the AW makes easier / more convenient. And that, IMO, can only be better.

When they first came out I didn't really think I needed / wanted one, plus they were reportedly pretty slow, so I remixed fairly uninterested. However, after yet another FitBit strap falling to bits, I finally caved and bought one last week.

Maybe half the trouble is that we are accustomed to using our phones for all sorts of things these days, that we maybe feel we would need to be doing as much with a watch, at least to justify the cost. But in reality, a watch is a much more passive device than a phone.

I will mainly be using it as a FitBit replacement, so for fitness tracking primarily. And heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking. All that stuff is motivational for me for exercise, and kinda interesting too see.

I have been using Apple Pay a lot more recently, so will use the watch for that. I don't live in London, but am close enough to visit a few times a year, and using the Watch at the Tube barriers is incredibly convenient. I almost always have fleeting moments of panic if my ticket / Oyster card isn't in my wallet, because I stuffed it in a pocket, or vice versa. Having it on my wrist without faffing for tickets / Oyster cards is fantastic. Heck, if I lived in London, and Apple Watch would be worth having just for that.

I do a lot of walking, listening to Apple Music, so being able to access that from the Watch will be convenient, and being able to have access to music without the phone, and with AirPods going for a run or to the gym will be a lot more convenient.

And even just having the weather / temp on the watch to glance at will be useful. I've gotten into the habit of checking the outside temp before going out to decide how many layers / which coat to wear.

Is any of that a necessity in my life? Of course not.

Will it all cumulatively make my life a little more convenient, and therefore a little bit better? Definitely.
 
johngordon said:
And even just having the weather / temp on the watch to glance at will be useful. I've gotten into the habit of checking the outside temp before going out to decide how many layers / which coat to wear.
Click to expand...
I'm now so accustomed to having the weather on my wrist -- plus a twelve-hour forecast just one tap away -- that when I wear a conventional watch, I'm disappointed when I look down and don't see the temperature.

Maybe it wouldn't be necessary in Hawaii or San Diego, but that's not where I live. ;)
 
CrystalQuest76 said:
i work with several people that have iWatches. They all tell me they are fun toys. They don't make modern life any better. After hearing their comments, I am very happy saving my money and continuing to wear my analog watch that does not need charging on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

Opinions, opinions.

My life is much better because of it.

Also, every time someone says iWatch a fairy cries. It’s Apple Watch, please.
 
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