My AWU1 feels brand new again!!

[nickosbad]

I've had my AWU1 for around 2.5 years now and when the AWU3 came out I thought i'd try out the upgrade and see if it was any better, battery life had decreased and I was at 85% health so wouldn't quite get to two days use.

I went for the Black and whilst I loved the colour and the wrist flick gesture was really useful, aside from the increased battery life there really wasn't anything to justify the £500 upgrade.

I don't use many of the features and since it was purchased in the US I can't use cellular in the UK as it's not compatible...i just love the form factor!

So i returned the U3 and since I have Applecare on my U1, i managed to get a replacement unit for the £55 excess fee (don't ask how).

I now have a UK spec device (cellular if I need it) and a brand new battery that easily lasts 2-3 days between charges and it genuinely feels brand new again!

Best £55 i've ever spent and will wait at least another 1-2 years before upgrading.

For anyone asking about U1/U2 to U3, unless you NEED the satellite messaging (and do you REALLY) or your battery is shot then there isn't a single genuine reason (other than cosmetic) to upgrade!

If the only reason is battery and you have Applecare then finding a way to get it replaced is absolutely the best route!

 

[Adelphos33]

I've had my AWU1 for around 2.5 years now and when the AWU3 came out I thought i'd try out the upgrade and see if it was any better, battery life had decreased and I was at 85% health so wouldn't quite get to two days use.

I went for the Black and whilst I loved the colour and the wrist flick gesture was really useful, aside from the increased battery life there really wasn't anything to justify the £500 upgrade.

I don't use many of the features and since it was purchased in the US I can't use cellular in the UK as it's not compatible...i just love the form factor!

So i returned the U3 and since I have Applecare on my U1, i managed to get a replacement unit for the £55 excess fee (don't ask how).

I now have a UK spec device (cellular if I need it) and a brand new battery that easily lasts 2-3 days between charges and it genuinely feels brand new again!

Best £55 i've ever spent and will wait at least another 1-2 years before upgrading.

For anyone asking about U1/U2 to U3, unless you NEED the satellite messaging (and do you REALLY) or your battery is shot then there isn't a single genuine reason (other than cosmetic) to upgrade!

If the only reason is battery and you have Applecare then finding a way to get it replaced is absolutely the best route!

One thing that has convinced me to keep my AWU1 is that in one of the reviews, the reviewer mentioned that the new screen technology is more impactful on the Series Watches than the Apple Watch given the curved nature of the screen. After looking at these watches in the Apple Store, I agree. I would like to have on-device Siri on my AWU1, but otherwise my watch still works perfectly and looks good.

 

[Howard2k]

I did upgrade, and on my wrist, at a glance, it's the same watch.

• The one significant change that I notice more than anything is on device processing on voice commands. That's a big win for me.
• Battery life is of course also improved.
• Hypertension is also valuable for me since I'm past the half-way mark.
• I hope I never need to use the satellite messaging, but I'm glad to have it.
• Always On Second Hand is nice.
• I don't use the gestures, but I should try to incorporate those.

I was on the fence about just getting a new battery too, but my employer funds a portion of the watch, and the re-sale of the Ultra 1 means that it came out as "free". So can't complain about that. I do agree, it's not a slam dunk where everyone should upgrade. I suspect that the Ultra 4 will be more or a substantial upgrade.