Reason not to upgrade

[Ghost31]

To get it as cheap as possible the Series 3 GPS is a pretty decent price drop over the Series 2 - by making it a composite back and 8GB it cuts costs. The LTE Watch is only $30 more than the Series 2 was

After that last line, I’m tempted to just go get a cell version. Can I get one and just not activate the cell part and use it just like a regular series 3?

 

[musicpenguy]

After that last line, I’m tempted to just go get a cell version. Can I get one and just not activate the cell part and use it just like a regular series 3?

Yes you can - from reports even an inactivated Watch can call 911 if an emergency does arise.

 

[broadbean]

Apple only made the LTE version with ceramic back. The wifi only version gets the cheap composite back (that can scratch easier).

Having used the S0 with composite back for two years, I really have not had any issue at all with scratching. Of course your usage case may be different, but my Watch's back touches mainly my bare wrist, the charger, occasionally a watch band, and water.

Yes you can - from reports even an inactivated Watch can call 911 if an emergency does arise.

That's pretty cool if true, and would to some degree cover roaming issues where LTE bands were supported.

 

[pika2000]

Having used the S0 with composite back for two years, I really have not had any issue at all with scratching. Of course your usage case may be different, but my Watch's back touches mainly my bare wrist, the charger, occasionally a watch band, and water.

If you’re coming from a composite back S0/S1, then it is probably not an issue. The issue for me is I already have a ceramic back S2. Due to Apple’s wisdom, if I want to upgrade to the S3, I’ll be “upgrading” to a composite back. I am not too fond of that, so I’m keeping my S2.

 

[44267547]

Reason not to upgrade: Apple only made the LTE version with ceramic back. The wifi only version gets the cheap composite back (that can scratch easier).
There's no way I'm going to "upgrade" my S2 with ceramic back to an inferior S3 wifi. And worse, Apple is not selling the LTE model in every market.

As far as the composite and ceramic backings are considered. I understand the differences and how one is more resilient over the other. But I also think it's how one treats their Apple Watch, just like any other product. For some, it's a non-issue.

 

[Abazigal]

You are not expected to upgrade your Apple Watch annually at any rate.

Anyways, this video shows the performance improvements between the series 3 and 2 watches. You can decide for yourself if the speed boost is worth the upgrade.

 

[Neodym]

You are not expected to upgrade your Apple Watch annually at any rate.

As the speed of technological advancements in the wearable sector is far higher than in saturated markets (such as Desktops, Notebooks and even Smartphones and tablets), I'm expecting a few more years to come, with sufficient improvements to make annual upgrades worthwhile to many.

It may require a closer look sometimes, to actually get _all_ the improvements, as marketing focuses on a few select features and thus tells only half of the story. Of course this also depends on personal preference as well as priorities, as always.

Anyways, this video shows the performance improvements between the series 3 and 2 watches. You can decide for yourself if the speed boost is worth the upgrade.

This is not against you personally, but I wish the focus would not often be so fixed on speed/performance. While this is an important improvement for sure and still notable even over Series 1/2, there are lots of other small improvements, which together make for a pretty nice upgrade.