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DdDr2

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 11, 2016
63
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Think is a better decision to find a deal on a series 2 thru Craigslist/fb garage sale sites or just buy the series 3 ( non LTE) from the stores ?

From the sounds of it...doesn't seem like much of a difference between the two.

Any thoughts on the matter ?
 
Go for S3. Notably faster, makes e.g. Siri more fun to use, UI feels smoother. I went from S2 to S3 and have no buyers remorse, even though I went LTE, as the additional costs are moderate (and my plan already included a multi-sim option). If you don't need LTE, I would go for the LTE version nevertheless and keep it inactive. Better resale value, already present if you change your mind, and other goodies, e.g. ceramic back, more than twice the storage ...
 
Go for S3. Notably faster, makes e.g. Siri more fun to use, UI feels smoother. I went from S2 to S3 and have no buyers remorse, even though I went LTE, as the additional costs are moderate (and my plan already included a multi-sim option). If you don't need LTE, I would go for the LTE version nevertheless and keep it inactive. Better resale value, already present if you change your mind, and other goodies, e.g. ceramic back, more than twice the storage ...
Agreed.

Probably going to keep the data for lte. I have a feeling it could go up later.

I get a discount so it costs me $8. $5 would've been more favorable.
 
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Think is a better decision to find a deal on a series 2 thru Craigslist/fb garage sale sites or just buy the series 3 ( non LTE) from the stores ?

From the sounds of it...doesn't seem like much of a difference between the two.

Any thoughts on the matter ?

My preference is not to purchase electronic devices off Craigslist. I don't know how the devices were treated prior and once the deal is complete, you have no way of going back and making a return or getting your money back. I would opt for the Series 3 in store. Which I also see the added benefits of the battery life and speed as others mentioned.
 
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I'd go the Apple refurbished route instead of Craigslist.
You might find a better deal on CL, but not having peace of mind IMO, is a deal breaker.
 
I upgraded from an AW2 to a 3 with no regrets.

It's speedier, apps load quicker and Siri talks to me; plus I like getting the elevation data from my exercise
 
I scooped up a series 2 in stainless and I have no regrets. The prices are so affordable now that S3 is out. I was also able to go for the Stainless Model for a bit more than a new sport S3 would have cost. I should mention I didn't care about or want LTE.
 
Every store around me has the series 2 for still quite a bit of money.like 300$ if they even still had them in stock. Even on Facebook garage sale sites, people were trying to sell them for not much less then the series 3.
 
Every store around me has the series 2 for still quite a bit of money.like 300$ if they even still had them in stock. Even on Facebook garage sale sites, people were trying to sell them for not much less then the series 3.

Yeah.. this is the issue that has been difficult for me... You can't find 42mm series 2 in stores for less than $320 even though a new S3 without LTE is only $40 more. Feel like that $40 is not much considering you get a faster chip and better battery. Also, there's tax that is pretty significant if you bought it at a store (even Apple refurb) compared to buying from a person on craigslist or elsewhere.
 
I think it depends on your thinking. If you know you want the watch and can afford the difference, the S3 might be the better option. If this is more of an experiment and you're trying to decide if the watch is worth it for you, you'd be gambling less with the used S2. Then, if you know you like it, you can put the difference toward the S4 or whatever.

Keep in mind that the S2 will have aged, so the battery may not be at full capacity and it doesn't have all the niceties of the S3 but, despite having bought an S3 myself, I have the feeling that it's going to be further refined in a future generation. Maybe a bit less bulky, a bit longer battery life.
 
S3 performance and additional features is just too good to pass-up. The current processing power is sure to last an easy 3 or more years, more so than S0.
 
despite having bought an S3 myself, I have the feeling that it's going to be further refined in a future generation. Maybe a bit less bulky, a bit longer battery life.
... perhaps some more sensors, integrated cam, better AR support ...

That's one main reason why I currently avoid going stainless: Knowing myself, I will probably upgrade to next year's watch as well. With an aluminum watch, both purchase price and value depreciation are lower.
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S3 performance and additional features is just too good to pass-up. The current processing power is sure to last an easy 3 or more years, more so than S0.
I wouldn't sign that. Progress in the wearable space is fast and the new hype (AR) is demanding. Imagine Apple released some AR glasses. The required tech would make the glasses look bulky and nerdy. So it seems logical to outsource the heavy lifting to an iPhone ... or an Apple Watch ;)

Or simpler still: Imagine the watch got a cam and needed to do live image processing. Or some new health-/fitness-related functionality required more oomph. Or Apple manages to squeeze more cores into the watch and orients OS functionality at those.

And following entropy, coming releases of watchOS will tend to become much more complex. I see current processing power as sufficient for 1-2 years, but beyond that ... It may not be as bad as with S0, but I expect the shortcomings starting to become visible after 2 years.
 
... perhaps some more sensors, integrated cam, better AR support...
I hope not, personally. I feel like with LTE, they're finally feature complete. They've crammed it all in and now need to work on user experience.

Of course there's been other times I didn't realize I "need" something until I had it, but I tend to be pretty utilitarian in my tech use and really don't see a need for a camera on my wrist until I have battery for long enough video calls to matter, and I'm not sure how AR works in a display bolted to my wrist.

If they add anything, I suspect it will be more health monitoring...
 
I hope not, personally. I feel like with LTE, they're finally feature complete. They've crammed it all in and now need to work on user experience.

Of course there's been other times I didn't realize I "need" something until I had it, but I tend to be pretty utilitarian in my tech use and really don't see a need for a camera on my wrist until I have battery for long enough video calls to matter, and I'm not sure how AR works in a display bolted to my wrist.

If they add anything, I suspect it will be more health monitoring...
I can't wait until they add the grappling hook. You really don't realize you need a grappling hook shooting from your wrist until you really need it and don't have it.
 
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I got an SS series 2 with Milanese and 1 year AppleCare+ on kijiji for less than a new aluminum s3. Way better deal. It’s clear Apple watches have low resale.
 
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... perhaps some more sensors, integrated cam .

I don't know that the camera will happen in the Apple Watch existence. Granted even those who would appreciate it, the Apple Watch has so many capabilities, I don't see this being an added feature, but I'm not saying it's not entirely possible either. I think the Apple Watch will start concentrating on more health related advancements/incorporating additional sensors, user interface changes and physical refinements when we see the next Apple Watch. Which on its own, is questionable when the next Apple Watch will actually launch again.
 
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