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Series 5 to Ultra - Worth It?

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xxray

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Original poster
Jul 27, 2013
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I wasn't originally going to upgrade my Apple Watch this year. My logic was that my Series 5 was working fine, there has only been one processor upgrade since the S5, meaning the current processors are 2 years old already. However, my battery life on my S5 has gotten really bad lately. I wear my watch ~22/hours day (~2 hours for charging) since my main point of owning one is to track all my activity, health, and sleep, and I used to get by with just charging once per day, but now I'm charging 2x per day which is becoming very annoying.

With recent discounts on the Apple Watch, I'm considering upgrading to the Ultra for the better battery life, brighter display/AOD, faster processor, and blood oxygen monitoring, but I still don't know if it's worth it. I would feel better about being able to own the Ultra for longer than 3 years (which is how long I've owned an S5) since the battery life is so much longer, but again, the processor is 2 years old already. I'd be spending nearly double what I paid for my S5, and a lot of the features would just be wasted on me. I don't run marathons, go scuba diving, go hiking in the wilderness, use cellular, can't benefit from thermometer since I'm a man, I don't really download/utilize Apple Watch apps, I don't send texts or make phone calls from my watch, I don't go without my phone, etc. Fast charging is nice to have but not a must.

For those who are wondering why I don't just upgrade to an S7 or S8 at a discount, I'm really tired of the S0-S8 design to the point where I don't even like it anymore. Also, battery life would probably get me back to 1 charge per day again, but that's not really much of an improvement. The improvements from S5 to S7/S8 don't even seem worth it from at an extreme discount.

Did anyone make this upgrade from the S5 to Ultra or consider making this upgrade? What made it worth it or not worth it for you?
 
I went from a series 6 to Ultra, for me the design and features such as screen and battery life made it attractive and a worthwhile upgrade. The flat screen and slightly larger display are great and make seeing workout data very easy.
I would not get too hung up on the processor, the Ultra works well and I have never noticed any lag or issues.
 
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Ar first it’s your money and your choose :)

As have already said the extra stuff which is only in Ultra will not be used except better battery.

So only benefit in Ultra over S7/S8 is better battery for you.

Ultra, S7 and S8 have fast charging, but I could not compare battery life from S5 to S7 as it’s my first AW.

But my S7 (AOD and hand washing disabled) with 96% Battery Health allows for 1,5day with 2 sleep recordings and few walks activities tracked by Fitness app, so I guess it will be better than S5.

Edit:
You can also replace battery in S5 :)
 
Last edited:
Don't do it.

If you don't see the benefits of the newer devices then hang on to your current one and charge it twice a day.
 
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It's sad to see people STILL hanging on the 2-year-old SoC thing. It DOES NOT MATTER for a smartwatch as much as an iPhone or iPad does. If anything, Apple would drop S7, S8 and Ultra at the same time or stagger it. We don't know yet. Just like someone says: are you buying a bullet sheet from the internet, or an Apple Watch?

Factor in other aspects of what you want out of your smartwatch and ignore SoC, knowing you can still recoup some of those costs should newer SoC arrive 1-2 years down the line and enjoy the product if you decide to hop on the train of Apple Watch Ultra users.
 
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I went from an S5 to an Ultra, and am very happy I did. I kept my GSS S5 for when I am doing things I don't want to risk damage to my Ultra, and for the few minutes of Ultra charging.

Fast Charging alone is worth the move from S5 to the Ultra (in your case, since you don't want an S8). But you also have the MAJOR battery life change (I charge every other day, I use about 35%-40% per day). I'll leave all the other sensors that come with the upgrade alone (Blood O2, Temp).

It's worth it. Fast charging, I can't believe how much faster it is than regular charging.
 
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Here is what I recommend. Go try one out. My focus was on the screen and how it looked and felt.
That’s what sold me on it.
If the ultra didn’t come out I would have kept the S5 as my primary watch
 
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Shirasaki said:
It's sad to see people STILL hanging on the 2-year-old SoC thing. It DOES NOT MATTER for a smartwatch as much as an iPhone or iPad does. If anything, Apple would drop S7, S8 and Ultra at the same time or stagger it. We don't know yet. Just like someone says: are you buying a bullet sheet from the internet, or an Apple Watch?
Click to expand...
THIS! 100%
 
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Compared to the S5: bigger screen, better battery, better brightness, better mic, better speakers, better Bluetooth, better GPS, a better processor, and a new blood oxygen sensor and thermometer.

Just do it. You won't regret it.
 
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egodspeed said:
LOL! I forgot some things, people! The Ultra is amazing! So amazing, you forget to post about features because there are so many of them!
Click to expand...

It really is a HUGE jump from the S5. This is why I waited so long. All the previous years were minimal. Fast charging and Battery life really make the biggest difference in keeping the watch off the charger for much longer times.

To me, this is the number 2 drawback to a smart watch. 1, is that it has an end of life (unlike a mechanical/quartz watch), and 2 that it has to be taken off to charge. So when you can drastically shorten the amount of time it has to be on a charger, you have made a major shift.
 
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I upgraded from an S5 to the Ultra and am thrilled with my new watch. The battery on my 5 was not even lasting a whole day any more. The improved battery alone was worth it for me.

I also like being able to put the Wayfinder face in red-only at night and wish that feature would expand across all the faces.

I'm also really loving the flat-face design. It just feels nice. The crown is much easier to turn than it was on my S5. I always had a case on the S5 and have not found the Ultra to be much bigger or heavier than the 5 with a case.

The only thing I don't love so far is the Action button. I had it set to flashlight, but twice I hit it without noticing, and the flashlight was on for a while and made the watch hot and battery life tank. Eventually I will find a benign shortcut to run with it, but for now, I have it disabled.
 
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Up graded to a Ultra from S4 ... Will never go back to a regular apple watch again! Period! THis is what I was waiting for. Screen bright, Volume Loud, Love the new design and I get 3 day battery life! That's that ..
 
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Thanks for all the replies everyone! I ordered an Ultra that I'll be picking up tomorrow. I'm having a hard time deciding, so I figured I just need to try it for two weeks to see if it's worth it.
 
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I went from a 5 to the Ultra and I am glad I did. As already mentioned, the battery is great and the bigger screen just makes it a more pleasant experience.
 
xxray said:
Thanks for all the replies everyone! I ordered an Ultra that I'll be picking up tomorrow. I'm having a hard time deciding, so I figured I just need to try it for two weeks to see if it's worth it.
Click to expand...
I jumped from a 4 but tried the 7 for a few weeks. Wasn’t excited about the 7. Just wasn’t different.

The ultra is almost a different category. I don’t even think of battery life. Literally. I take my watch off to shower. Always have. I now have the fast charging puck in my bathroom and put it on when I pop in and put it back on after I get dressed. If I forget to put it on the charger, it still lasts a whole extra day. I have gotten 3 days and still been at 20% - and I work out an hour every day AND I sleep with it on.

Everyone has mentioned all the other things - and yes - that’s all good. But I used to own a watch I charged every night and had to preempt the battery drain. Now I just own a watch and don’t think about it.

It’s my favorite apple device out right now. Easily. Design AND function.
 
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xxray said:
I wasn't originally going to upgrade my Apple Watch this year. My logic was that my Series 5 was working fine, there has only been one processor upgrade since the S5, meaning the current processors are 2 years old already. However, my battery life on my S5 has gotten really bad lately. I wear my watch ~22/hours day (~2 hours for charging) since my main point of owning one is to track all my activity, health, and sleep, and I used to get by with just charging once per day, but now I'm charging 2x per day which is becoming very annoying.

With recent discounts on the Apple Watch, I'm considering upgrading to the Ultra for the better battery life, brighter display/AOD, faster processor, and blood oxygen monitoring, but I still don't know if it's worth it. I would feel better about being able to own the Ultra for longer than 3 years (which is how long I've owned an S5) since the battery life is so much longer, but again, the processor is 2 years old already. I'd be spending nearly double what I paid for my S5, and a lot of the features would just be wasted on me. I don't run marathons, go scuba diving, go hiking in the wilderness, use cellular, can't benefit from thermometer since I'm a man, I don't really download/utilize Apple Watch apps, I don't send texts or make phone calls from my watch, I don't go without my phone, etc. Fast charging is nice to have but not a must.

For those who are wondering why I don't just upgrade to an S7 or S8 at a discount, I'm really tired of the S0-S8 design to the point where I don't even like it anymore. Also, battery life would probably get me back to 1 charge per day again, but that's not really much of an improvement. The improvements from S5 to S7/S8 don't even seem worth it from at an extreme discount.

Did anyone make this upgrade from the S5 to Ultra or consider making this upgrade? What made it worth it or not worth it for you?
Click to expand...
I did! I as you was set on keeping my S5 longer, I even had the battery replaced. Bu the Ultra is just what I need and want. The bigger and brighter screen, the longer battery life is great for me as an avid runner with ageing eyes. I’m very happy with my Ultra!
 
I see you’ve already decided to give the Ultra a go. I thought I’d still post my thoughts. I upgraded from a Series 5 to an Ultra. The battery life on my Series 5 has degraded but I found it still wasn’t worth upgrading to the Series 6 or 7 as they had minimal improvements and the resale value of the watches is quite poor ( I’ve kept my Series 5 as a back up for that reason ). I do think like others have said people get too concerned over the SoC upgrades or lack there of.

I am not an outdoor activity person and I don’t really do any of the activities the Ultra is designed for. It is however a significant jump In design and specifications to the previous models. The bigger and brighter flat display as well as the better battery life was enough for me. I really love the design too. I did think it might be too big for my wrist but it looks just fine. All in all I’m happy with it.
 
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If you need to write so much you want it. I didn’t even read your post and I know my suggestion to you is to buy it. Haha!
 
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I use my AW Ultra standalone via LTE, still lots of the same limitations but the battery capacity that let me last a full day + sleep tracking running soley of LTE is amazing concerning Apple watches.

No more iphone surf destractions near me, it really calms my mind, now i need to fix this particular browsing i am doing right now but still every step away from the internet is a good one :D
 
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