i got my perfect condition open box series 1 last Saturday. Coming from a first gen I am loving the speed increase. I don't swim much but I can't help but wonder if I'm missing out on the waterproof and most of all the extra screen brightness. I am a Speech Pathologist so I do most of my work indoors and when I am outside I haven't had issues seeing my screen but can't help but wonder about that brightness difference. Is it worth the $130 increase in price? (I bought an open box series 1). Thank you in advance.
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Should I return my series 1 for a series 2?
- Thread starter Jacoblee23
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The Series 1 has a display brightness of a 450 Nits compared to the Series 2 of a 1,000 Nits. Series 2 has a much brighter display over Series 1. If you think you would prefer the added screen brightness, you have that option.
Also, if you choose to upgrade to Series 2, it has a 50 Meter water resistance rating, where the Series 1 is rated at IPX7 for a splash resistance rating.
To me, those are two significant advantages over Series 1 and are worth considering IF you appreciate both of those specific features you mentioned. The added display brightness being very noticeable in outdoor lighting.
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Series 2 also has GPS tracking so if you want to track running or walking through an activity app like Nile Run + that would also be a significant reason to upgrade,
It is true that the Series 2 does have a built in GPS. now saying that the software will always default to the iPhone's built in GPS if it is in range ( battery savings on watch ) so in real world usage the watch's GPS is almost never used.
I find the 2 features of the series 2 that really appeals to me is the brighter screen (WOW!) and battery life is amazing.
Now it is important to know that the Series 2 is larger so assessores might not fit it if not made for it..
My .02 cents.
Seems for most users, the Series 1 is fine. So I'd say No to your question. Get 2 new Apple Sport or Nylon bands or 4 or 5 3rd party ones instead.
It is true that the Series 2 does have a built in GPS. now saying that the software will always default to the iPhone's built in GPS if it is in range ( battery savings on watch ) so in real world usage the watch's GPS is almost never used.
I find the 2 features of the series 2 that really appeals to me is the brighter screen (WOW!) and battery life is amazing.
Now it is important to know that the Series 2 is larger so assessores might not fit it if not made for it..
My .02 cents.
Yes I just bought a Series 2 3 days ago to replace my series 0 and the difference of both the screen brightness and the battery life has been great so far. I also like the waterproof feature more than the splash proof. With my series 0, at the end of the day my watch would have about a 35-45% charge left, since getting the series 2 it's been at 80%.left. Granted it's only been a few days but that is a huge difference.
It's going to depend on the software. Some have a switch to use the watch instead of the phone. Some won't use the watch at all since that option wasn't available until S2. Many updates I've seen have stated they now use the watch instead of the phone.
Is it worth the extra $130? I think so. Outside of what's already been stated:
- The screen brightness may now affect you now but it could on an especially bright day and you may find yourself wishing you upgraded.
- The water resistance upgrade may such that you find yourself in a pool or other especially wet situation. You may find yourself nervous enough wishing you had the S2. The S1 will probably be okay, but you'll still worry until you know.
- If you ever get concerned about being in a movie theater getting an alert or want to check the time, the S2 allows you to turn the crown to slowly increase brightness until you can read the display. S1 doesn't have that feature for some reason.
- The S2 may "last" you a little longer where you may not feel the need to upgrade as soon as you might with the S1.
Very cool I had no idea Apple allows the developers access to the GPS controls! Great!
I have a series 2 and the extra brightness is only noticeable in the sun. Indoors they look the same.
The added benefit with the Series 2 is the added screen brightness in direct sunlight. That's when it should be fairly noticeable, being its twice the brightness of the Series 1/First Gen Watch.
Not Quite. He stated the screen brightness was "Only" noticeable in sunlight. However, I was more so agreeing with the exception I commented on with the use with direct sunlight. Which is a significant difference between the two. And I added the comment distinguishing the double brightness over the first Gen/Series One. (Which is equivalent to 1,000 Nits in Series 2).
LOL...ok dude. Thanks for the clarity.
Happy to retort.
Thanks for the inquiry. By the way, I love that photo you posted of your new Nike band on your stainless Watch. It looks really sharp and I'm inspired to purchase one myself. Thanks for the photo. I went ahead and returned mine and got the series 2 instead. Thank you all for your input.
Now that I have the series 2 I have a question. How does the more brightness work? Is he watch just automatically more bright than the other one on each setting? I noticed there are still only three brightness settings.
There is an ambient light sensor similar to what you have on your iPhone. It will automatically get brighter. you can, of course, set it yourself with the brightness settings but it's not necessary. I leave mine on the 2nd level and it works fine for me. Mess around with it an see what your preference is.