Stick with S4 or Get S6 or Wait For S7

[MichaelMidnight]

Hi All! I'm sort of stuck in a pickle. I currently have a Gold Aluminum S4 and while it's ok, I'm no longer liking the color and AM actually wanting Always On Display. But should I go for the S6 in a different color or material or just wait it out longer for the eventual S7?

 

[RPhoto]

How about a used S5 whilst you wait to see what the S7 is all about? I have a SS 5 & 6, for reference.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Yeah, with the exception of Always On, it’s hard to find a strong argument to upgrade from a series 4. But if you do upgrade, at least you’d be coming from a less expensive material and could justify changing to a watch body you like more. Do you have or need LTE?

I love having LTE and am happy to pay the extra $10 monthly to T-Mobile. I’m a cyclist, and love long walks and leaving my phone at home. Also like the peace of mind knowing if something happened to my iPhone, I would still have a phone on my wrist.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I'd stick with series 4.

 

[stanza.richi]

I bought a Series 4: stainless steel at 419€ instead of 839€. No need, for me, for AOD, O2 or compass. And the bronze gold of Series 4 is absolutely wonderful.

 

[CG2382P]

I have a SBSS Series 4 and bought a graphite SS series 6 which I tried for 2 weeks and just returned it. The 6 was maybe a little faster but other than that the only noticeable difference was the AOD. AOD was nice, but ultimately not worth the cost for me to upgrade particularly because I buy stainless models.

I also recently had my SSBS 4 replaced by Apple so it has a brand new battery and still feels very fast with WatchOS 7.

 

[Night Spring]

I had this same thought. What finally made me decide to get S6 is I was able to get $140 by trading in my S4. Very happy with the S6. The screen is crisper, it charges faster and battery life is longer, and the new sensors are fun to play with, even though I don't have much practical use for them.

 

[jz0309]

S4 here, I’ll keep it for at least another year, I like the idea of AOD but not enough reason to upgrade, and the other new features on the S6 the same is true, nice but not enough.

 

[Natzoo]

My two cents is to just wait for the s7, there is not much of a difference between the s4 and s6. Pulse ox sensor is a big gimmick and I don't think it is worth the trade-in value. I have the s4 and will probably upgrade next year.

 

[Frankfurt]

I upgraded from an Alum 4 to Alum 6 (Blue). AOD, Ox sensor, new color and snappiness made it worthwhile for me. However, I always buy Aluminum, since any other (SS, Titanium, Ceramic) just has a horrible resale value.

 

[Vader2]

I upgraded from a S4 to S6. Both are space gray Nike versions. I initially made the switch due to blood O2 sensor. That is nice, but not as useful as I had hoped it would be. I will say though that I like having the AOD much more than I thought I would. I still have my S4 that I wear from time to time and I miss the AOD when I have it on. The S6 seems a little snappier too.

 

[scoblep]

I stuck with my S4. I don't think the upgrades are enough for me to justify upgrading. Other than the AOD my S4 does everything I want and expect from Apple Watch. I'd be more inclined if the resale value of watches were better to offset the price of a new one but watch resale value is so bad that I think I'm just going to use this watch until it's no longer supported or there is an upgrade that is compelling enough to make me upgrade. A newer design or substantially increased battery life would be two features that might make me want to upgrade.

 

[44267547]

I’ve said this probably for the 15th time, S4 owners, (even S5 owners) are not the target demographic for the S6. Apple knows that, and they want Series 3 owners and below to upgrade to the Series 6. Realistically, the expected upgrade for consumers is probably every three years for the Apple Watch, so that would put S4 owners at the S7 model for the next upgrade, which we every three years offers some substantial leap for the watch.

 

[a.jfred]

I will say for me, the battery life improvement from the S4 to the S6 was worth it.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I went from the S4 to the S5 for the AOD which i really liked and then to the 6 after debating about another minor update. I am glad i did because the S6 is (in my view) noticeably faster than the S5 with a brighter display and a lot faster than the S4.
If you are going to upgrade then I would go for the S6. Having said that, there's very little that the S6 can do that the S4 and S5 can't. We have had two "S" upgrades since the S4 and I agree with Relentless about significant updates for the S7. Perhaps a redesign or a 46mm screen, better battery life, more independence from the Phone, maybe even low res video calling if they make the screen larger and can incorporate a tiny camera in to the watch....who knows. I am only guessing but if it does turn out to be the case then its certainly worth waiting for the S7 if you only upgrade your watch every few years.