Need some quick buying advice please!

[bcemail]

Hello, my wife has a birthday fast approaching and just dropped a hint that she wants a "high-tech" watch. Since we use iPhones, iPads, AirPods, etc., I figure it will be an Apple Watch. I've never owned or even shopped for an AW so was hoping for some help!

Looking at the current models, I think SE makes the most sense. She is not a power user of any tech, and her main fitness activity is walking which she loves. Are there any major features that she would be missing out on by going with an SE vs. the Series 11?

I would almost certainly go with GPS only to avoid a monthly bill. If she is at home she is connected to Wi-fi, and if she goes anywhere she has her phone with her. At home, as long as both are connected to the same wi-fi, can she walk around with just her watch and still get notifications, listen to music, etc.?

Also, when she goes for walks, if she wants to listen to podcasts or Apple Music, will she need to have her phone on her? If she wanted to leave her phone behind, can she download podcasts or music to her watch? Without her phone will it still track her mileage? I'm guessing her fitness app she likes probably has a watch app?

I would likely just get the basic band at first since it looks like some need to be sized to fit. Does the band have any effect on performance? It looked like there was a metal sensor looking thing on the band, but maybe that was just the inside of a snap or something?

Thanks for giving me the idiot's guide to Apple Watches!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

SE is missing some health features - Hypertension, Blood oxygen, ECG. Not a deal-breaker for most people but something to be aware of.

SE is also missing the color selections - it's just Midnight or Starlight aluminum. s11 has 4 colors of aluminum plus 3 options in Titanium. Possibly more of an issue.

A few other differences, hard to know what you or she might find relevant or not. To me for example, the brightness of the s11 display is important but that may not matter to you/her.

At home, as long as both are connected to the same wi-fi, can she walk around with just her watch and still get notifications, listen to music, etc.?

Yes.

when she goes for walks, if she wants to listen to podcasts or Apple Music, will she need to have her phone on her?

"Need," not necessarily, but it's a lot easier if it is. Music CAN be downloaded to the watch but personally I find it a PITA. Your mileage may vary.

I'm guessing her fitness app she likes probably has a watch app?

Which app?

I use Hevy, and it does have a watch app. Many do, but Devil's in the details.

Does the band have any effect on performance?

Not really. Bands are easily interchangeable and are a good way to adjust the style of the watch. There's no technology in the band, what you saw is likely just the fastener.

 

[jetsam]

Also, when she goes for walks, if she wants to listen to podcasts or Apple Music, will she need to have her phone on her? If she wanted to leave her phone behind, can she download podcasts or music to her watch? Without her phone will it still track her mileage?

Something to consider: if she's walking without her phone, and she has a non-cellular watch, she can't make phone calls with it unless she's on Wi-Fi.

A cellular SE is only another $50. Even if you don't get a plan for it, it can still call 911 in an emergency.

 

[bcemail]

SE is missing some health features...

Great info thank you! I don't think the health features will matter too much but she may prefer cellular so she can go out with just her phone

 

[bcemail]

Something to consider: if she's walking without her phone, and she has a non-cellular watch, she can't make phone calls with it unless she's on Wi-Fi.

A cellular SE is only another $50. Even if you don't get a plan for it, it can still call 911 in an emergency.

Didn't realize you could get that watch and not get a plan. Without a plan would the only extra feature of a cellular phone being able to dial 911? Might make sense as she walks alone a lot. Thanks!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Didn't realize you could get that watch and not get a plan. Without a plan would the only extra feature of a cellular phone being able to dial 911? Might make sense as she walks alone a lot. Thanks!

If there's any chance that the watch will be passed down to a child in the future - having a cellular watch would allow using it as a Family Watch (doesn't require cellular SERVICE per se, but it certainly works better with it.)

Beyond that - no other advantages.

 

[bcemail]

Also forgot to ask, would it be worth it to look for a series 10 vs SE 3? I see some that are refurbished and a couple that look new. Would be in between the cost of the SE 3 and the series 11. Thanks!

 

[jetsam]

Also forgot to ask, would it be worth it to look for a series 10 vs SE 3? I see some that are refurbished and a couple that look new. Would be in between the cost of the SE 3 and the series 11. Thanks!

Amazon is discounting new series 11 watches by 20% - 25%. This is as cheap as Apple''s refurb series 10 watches.

I wouldn't buy a refurb from anybody but Apple.

Apple's comparison chart of SE3, Series 11, and Ultra 3 might be useful to help you decide:

Apple Watch Compare

Compare specs for the latest Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.

www.apple.com

 

[bcemail]

If there's any chance that the watch will be passed down to a child in the future - having a cellular watch would allow using it as a Family Watch (doesn't require cellular SERVICE per se, but it certainly works better with it.)

Beyond that - no other advantages.

Good point! Might be worth it to get cellular. Any thoughts on getting a series 10 instead of se 3? Looks like about $40 more

 

[bcemail]

Amazon is discounting new series 11 watches by 20% - 25%. This is as cheap as Apple''s refurb series 10 watches.

I wouldn't buy a refurb from anybody but Apple.

Apple's comparison chart of SE3, Series 11, and Ultra 3 might be useful to help you decide:

Apple Watch Compare

Compare specs for the latest Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.

www.apple.com

I found a new series 10 for $250. Is that better than se3 for $220? Good point on the Amazon sale, the 11 is the same price as a refurbished 10 from Apple

 

[Howard2k]

Something to consider: if she's walking without her phone, and she has a non-cellular watch, she can't make phone calls with it unless she's on Wi-Fi.

A cellular SE is only another $50. Even if you don't get a plan for it, it can still call 911 in an emergency.

Seconded. This is a killer feature IMO.

Or life saving feature perhaps.

 

[jetsam]

I found a new series 10 for $250. Is that better than se3 for $220? Good point on the Amazon sale, the 11 is the same price as a refurbished 10 from Apple

Yes, if you trust the vendor.

It sounds like you’ve decided against a cellular Apple Watch. Is that true?

 

[bcemail]

Yes, if you trust the vendor.

It sounds like you’ve decided against a cellular Apple Watch. Is that true?

Trying to decide! Weighing all the different features. I see the series 10 has a nicer screen so started looking at those. Not sure I can find a cellular one so then I might go SE 3 with cellular...

 

[Christopher Kim]

Lot of good points above, so the only thing I'll add, given it's a gift for your wife... Depending on your budget and also her style, (eg. whether she'd wear it all the time, if she works, would she wear it to work / what work environment is it) etc. and that it's a *gift*, you might consider the Titanium versions of the S11 (or S10).

- The watch case of the Ti versions are shiny and look quite premium. Vs the SE and the Regular aluminum, is a more matte, cheaper-basic look (and the look that most people associate with the Apple Watch)
- The Ti versions come with Cellular included, so there's no "upcharge" for it if you were considering Cellular (which it sounds like you are)

I am a long-time Apple Watch owner, and have had the regular aluminum versions early-on, and my last 2 AWs (Series 7 and my current Series 10) were the Stainless Steel / Titanium versions. I personally think they look a lot nicer, more premium, and can be "dressed up" with a lot more outfits. Whether it's a professional work setting, a wedding, a nicer-dinner / going-out event, or also just casually.

They cost 75% more than the regular aluminum versions (42" starts at $699 for Ti vs $399 for Al), but you can also find these (incl S10s) on the Apple Refurb site for decent savings. They also come up on Amazon on sale fairly often too, especially half-way into a model's lifecycle (like now, good time to buy!). If it's in your budget, and if your wife's style preferences match, I would consider it! Especially over the last 5-6 years, the Apple Watch has really matured, and each year's iteration is very minimal. So paying up a bit more for aesthetics feels more palatable than in the earlier Apple Watch years, where the technology changed so quickly, in a year or two, your Watch felt dated, and it wasn't as good value-wise to spend up.

 

[Mikeske]

A bit different is the fact I have an Ultra 2 for the past couple years. I wear it full time and I found a Ultra 1st year at a pawn shop for $275.00 and of course I picked it up with 99% battery, you might want to visit pawn shops and see what you can get as I seen series 10 cellular going for around $175.00. Just a idea and you can then experiment around a bit

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have seen the Series 11 on sales for $299 recently. I would get that over the SE at that price point (provided you see a sale). If the missus has accidents with her tech, consider stainless and or titanium over aluminum.

 

[Thirio2]

Starting with the aw4 I always bought a cellular version without any cellular plan so I could always call 911 in an emergency without having my cell phone nearby. That being said, if I forget to take my cell phone with me I find my battery drains faster. The Apple Watch is not a fashion statement, but you should take your wife’s taste in mind. Does she like matte or shiny surface, etc?

 

[i4k20c]

If there's any chance that the watch will be passed down to a child in the future - having a cellular watch would allow using it as a Family Watch (doesn't require cellular SERVICE per se, but it certainly works better with it.)

Beyond that - no other advantages.

interesting. i had no idea about this. can the child message back or call back to the parents without a cellular plan? is it just using wifi?

 

[wilderkun]

interesting. i had no idea about this. can the child message back or call back to the parents without a cellular plan? i

A cellular Apple Watch with no plan is able to call 911 for free only. The WiFi one won’t be able to make calls or get messages without being connected to the WiFi where they are. They won’t be able go connect to the WiFi at school or out and about because the watch uses the WiFi connection synced with the iPhone. I don’t know if you can manually enter the password, but it’s very hard to do that because the screen is so small.