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Is SS worth the extra money?
- Thread starter Denis1987
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if Someone is stressing over stainless vs aluminum I think the SS doesn’t fit their budget. If one has the disposable income, they won’t hesitate to get what they want.
Not worth it for me. I've got an S2 aluminum I'm upgrading from and while it isn't mint condition, it is in fine shape for me. The body shows no damage and the screen has some small scratches at the edges, but nothing on the part of the display I view. I also only want the wifi model, so upgrading to SS is even a bigger jump since it comes with cellular.
Another factor to consider is that the sapphire screen reflects a lot more light than the aluminum screen. Which can be annoying when working in an office with harsh overhead lighting. I've had lasik surgery within the last year and find the sport screen easier to read in all conditions than the SS. AND I LOVE Sapphire screens, but this year I'm going Sport.
If you can stand scratches or marks then no it's not worth it... If you're like me and like the peace of mind that the sapphire is essentially scratch proof (My experience with a Series 0 through Series 4) then it is worth it.
This is a really silly response. All tech is ‘disposable’, it has nothing really to do with the Apple Watch in general. If somebody chooses an aesthetic material because that’s what they want, it doesn’t make it any different if they wear it every day where it pays for itself. _Anything and everything_ that is manufactured from silicon, is disposable.
I asked myself that same question. I have a Nike aluminum watch and a SS S4. I thought to myself that I could have 2 aluminum watches for the price of one SS. When the S5 came out I was so taken with the AO feature that I went ahead and bought a SBSS. Part of that was the fact that Apple had such a low offer on the trade in and I just really like the SS watch. I will keep both of them for a couple of years at least as I don't see anything happening to make me want to upgrade anytime soon. But I did primarily work out with the Nike and it still looked great after a few knocks. The screen had some minor scratches but the SS screen is still pristine. Long story is, the SS is worth it to me as it looks and feels so good but if you trade often I would stick with the aluminum.
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Apple Watch is available in stainless steel because it's a watch not a piece of tech. But stainless steel is pointless IMO for an Apple Watch which is designed to last a couple of years not a couple of decades like a regular watch.
If you trade in your watch to Apple, you'll get almost nothing at all for the difference between the purchase price of the aluminum Sport and the SS.
I've never had a noticeable scratch on my aluminum Sport watches, and I tend to bump into and brush things a lot. I had a SS S4 for two weeks and really didn't like how reflective the sapphire glass was.
I went back to aluminum/ion glass. YMMV.
I've never had a noticeable scratch on my aluminum Sport watches, and I tend to bump into and brush things a lot. I had a SS S4 for two weeks and really didn't like how reflective the sapphire glass was.
I went back to aluminum/ion glass. YMMV.
I think once the Apple watch design/form factor settles down perhaps apple should offer an upgrade program for the internals. THEN, it might be worth spending a fair bit more on the body of it...
That's why I wear an arm band (over it) when doing anything where it could get dirty or banged up. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the device and band.
Well, no smart watch will be supported for 10 years, so we already all know that. But what you’re paying for is the aesthetic material(s), if you’re not into the aesthetics of stainless/ceramic/titanium, then you’re not the target demographic that Apple wants for that specific Apple Watch, which your likely best suited for the aluminum.
I mean I’m into it, just not for 2x the price.
Nail hit on head.
The durability argument is ... flawed. Because if you DO happen to break a sport you can buy a second one (maybe even the next model if you break yours after ~1 year of use), and still be close to the price of a single SS version.
Its a style/fashion thing and i just don't care enough. My space grey plus black milanese loop is pretty difficult to pick out in terms of look and i think it still looks pretty good.
I'd rather upgrade more often (and have a faster/more capable device with a fresher battery) than have to worry about pushing an upgrade out further just to have stainless steel and a sapphire screen (or blowing 2x the cash. i could afford it, there's just other things i want).
But if one is willing to pay ~2x the price (or whatever multiplier for titanium or other future variants) for different materials - go nuts. Different priorities, different disposable incomes, etc.
The aluminum option is the most obvious choice, because it’s affordable and I generally think that most consumers don’t care about what the other more expensive Apple Watch models offer in materials. And you’re right, if you break the aluminum model, it’s far more affordable to repair/replace then it would be the stainless or ceramic model. But for those who were opting for the stainless, ceramic or even the titanium, they’re far more particular about the aesthetics of those materials, or maybe what they will pair it with for their outfit for the day, things of that nature.
I got the stainless steel/sapphire model when the watches originally came out, thinking "oh this is something you'll upgrade maybe once every five years or something."
No, that wasn't the case. Those original watches were underpowered AF.
Honestly unless you have a lot of disposable income, I would just go with the aluminum watch and make sure to put a protector on the screen. My original watch NEVER scratched. I've got a couple of small ones on the display on my Series 3 that is aluminum and glass. I have no idea where the scratches came from, but I bang my wrist into things all the time. Geology don't lie, and there are many more things that can scratch glass (hardness 5.5) compared to sapphire (hardness 9).
I just sold my SG aluminum S4 and bought a used S4SS for a $80 difference..
I take care of my things, but the screen in the aluminum looked really bad after banging it on my mailbox one time and a door frame. They scratch, easily. I was fooled by posts on here prior to buying and now I am happily rocking the SS with my classic buckle leather bands and a link bracelet! Looks amazing.
I take care of my things, but the screen in the aluminum looked really bad after banging it on my mailbox one time and a door frame. They scratch, easily. I was fooled by posts on here prior to buying and now I am happily rocking the SS with my classic buckle leather bands and a link bracelet! Looks amazing.
i think my moves gonna be a SS every 4-5 years with an aluminum or 2 peppered in between, thats how it worked from 0 to now, at least.
I believe the ones who say the SS is not worth the extra cost really would like to have SS but, their budgets are too tight so they use this rationale. People who have the disposable income don’t think twice. They buy what appeals to them.
not sure the choice is specifically a “if you can afford it” thing. i think even people who can afford it might like the aluminum because 1. its a sports/fitness oriented watch and some people like that aesthetic and feel more comfortable using it for that 2. cellular might not be necessary and theres no ss gps version 3. it looks much more subdued aesthetically (although i guess titanium filled in that gap).
and really, even people with money can appreciate value and shopping for whats most practical for their own personal use.
edit: thats all to say “not worth the extra cost” kind of factors in all that stuff. ive seen millionaires be really frugal over lots of what i might think would be nothing to them.
and really, even people with money can appreciate value and shopping for whats most practical for their own personal use.
edit: thats all to say “not worth the extra cost” kind of factors in all that stuff. ive seen millionaires be really frugal over lots of what i might think would be nothing to them.