Never had an Apple Watch, and i use an iPhone 7 which limits me to what WatchOS I can use. It seems like unless I find a brand new series 7 or older, it may be difficult to find a watch that will work for me. Unless I go for a Series 3 which should have no problems pairing with my geriatric iPhone. I won’t need LTE as my phone doesn’t have data. Anything I’m missing?
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Series 3 Today?
- Thread starter MacPoulet
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I wouldn't get a Series 3. You will get more use and longevity with a Series 7.
Yeah. Just hard to find a brand new one that ships with the original OS.
If I do go for a series 3 it would be like a ceramic one.
An Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) would work for you as well.
Series 5 is even better imo. Series 7 is so new finding one with supported watchOS version is quite difficult.
Series 3 is deficient in so many ways I would steer away from it as far as possible.
Series 3 is deficient in so many ways I would steer away from it as far as possible.
Exactly. Basically I’m limited to a brand new series 7 if I go for a newer model as most folk will have updated to Watch OS 9 or 10 which are incompatible wit iOS 15 (max os for iPhone 7). So used is a dice roll…
It wouldn’t. Its os is incompatible. I bought it in November and had to return it.
Thank you for the correction. Sorry for giving bad advice with that.
Still some watch 3 in use here in my friends&family-bubble. Since the watchOS update procedure hassle on this model (not enough memory) is over now (no new updates any more since quite a while), they do what they were intended for at the time of release. Most still have remarkable battery duration.
No apology necessary. You’ve been such a help to so many on the forums, I’m grateful that you’re taking the time to address my query.
Sounds like you'd be better off upgrading your iPhone first, then you'll have options.
So you can only run watchOS 8 or earlier?
Which watches have that as their max update? Get one used with a bad batt (because it might and should be cheap) and have the batt, hopefully the entire watch, replaced by Apple for the money you saved going cheap.
Btw what limits you to sticking with the iPhone 7? Not that I don’t appreciate the phone and people using their devices for as long as possible.
Which watches have that as their max update? Get one used with a bad batt (because it might and should be cheap) and have the batt, hopefully the entire watch, replaced by Apple for the money you saved going cheap.
Btw what limits you to sticking with the iPhone 7? Not that I don’t appreciate the phone and people using their devices for as long as possible.
I have one friend that still uses their Series 3 and is awfully slow in comparison to the rest of us that has S4, S5, S7, etc.
Id definitely stay away from the S3 and ideally go for the S7, but wouldn't be upset if I ended up with an S6.
Id definitely stay away from the S3 and ideally go for the S7, but wouldn't be upset if I ended up with an S6.
I had an s3 for several years. Quite slow, and updates often failed and took forever. I don’t really think that old a watch is that useful. Not like a computer or a phone.
I don't think the experience will be very good. The Series 3 was my 1st Apple Watch and I remember it being slow as ****.
The upgrade from Series 3 --> Series 6 was incredible, super smooth and no lag what so ever (the Series 8 and Ultra 1 even use the same chip as the Series 6).
So I highly recommend going for the Series 6 atleast. Else you won't have a "good experience" in my opinion. The Series 6 should be cheap as it is now more than 3 years old.
You can probably get a used S3 super cheap from eBay. It might have some scratches and battery time might be limited, but at least it will work and will give you a jumping off point for your next upgrade. Worst case it’s not for you and you lost 30% on re-sale, which is not huge. It would be a cheap (though limited) way to get into the Apple Watch world.
The Series 3 is fine, especially for someone who doesn't know if they like Apple Watches or thinks they won't get much use out of one.
Be aware that they are already unsupported and cannot run WatchOS 9 or later and they don't have ECG or Oxygen sensors. But they do have fitness tracking, heart rate sensors and full integration with your iPhone though.
If you take it to account the limitations and the fact it will only last you may be a year or two at best, they are a good way to test if you want to get a newer one. You can get some bargain Series 3 watches out there at the moment!
Be aware that they are already unsupported and cannot run WatchOS 9 or later and they don't have ECG or Oxygen sensors. But they do have fitness tracking, heart rate sensors and full integration with your iPhone though.
If you take it to account the limitations and the fact it will only last you may be a year or two at best, they are a good way to test if you want to get a newer one. You can get some bargain Series 3 watches out there at the moment!
While it is true that series 3 can give OP a great chance to try out Apple Watch on a cheap, it can also adversely impact OP’s impression on Apple Watch because series 3 is so bad, pushing him to not bother a better one in the future, no matter how good future ones might be. On top of that, while series 3 can no longer receive watchOS update, should OP need to update one, he would find the experience subpar to say the least. Even series 4 offers overall better experience than series 3 and probably can also get it cheaply nearby, though its watchOS 10 compatibility could prove to be problematic For OP using iPhone 7.
For the love of god, buy a slightly newer iPhone first! You’re currently using an almost 8 year old iPhone. Buy a used XR, 11, or 13 and then your options open up quite a bit.
Yeah but at the same time, if things ain’t break, don’t fix it. Why spending money on better things when current thing does all that you need, right?
Of course Apple clearly hate this kind of idea, so does rest of the industry.
Having used a series 3 and iPhone 7 in the past, I would strongly recommend upgrading the phone first as a priority, then getting whatever newer watch you like when you can. The series 3 is underpowered and short on storage, which makes longevity a nightmare, and the iPhone 7 always gave me terrible battery life in comparison to newer model designs from X and up. Personally, the iPhone 11 was a favourite of mine, and good value now. Software support is also important to consider.
Oh to keep this in mind, if you sneakily want to contact Apple for a replacement of whatever model you end up buying to get a fresh battery, Apple will guarantee to update watch software to the latest, rendering it unusable with your iPhone 7. Even if you mention it, I don’t think they will care, instead would try to convince you to buy a new phone.
In the end, the series 3 that you think you can get might end up with poor performance and abysmal battery life even with a new watch from Apple.
In the end, the series 3 that you think you can get might end up with poor performance and abysmal battery life even with a new watch from Apple.
Tbh an S3 stuck on WatchOS 8 wouldn't be that bad. The only issue that I had was I was very tired of scribbling my texts and I wanted to be able to use the keyboard directly on my watch. Went from an S3 42mm to a 45mm S8 and tbh the battery on my S3 was better. watchOS apps are kind of pointless and all the useful parts of the watch are integrated with the OS like maps, notifs, and NFC. all depends on what you want.
if you can find an S3 for <$100, I'd say do it OR if you can verify an S4/S5 on a lower OS, then spring for that.
I forgot to ask--what do you want this thing for? other than compatibility with your iPhone?
if you can find an S3 for <$100, I'd say do it OR if you can verify an S4/S5 on a lower OS, then spring for that.
I forgot to ask--what do you want this thing for? other than compatibility with your iPhone?