So I got a series 1 here the other day through Target's price mistake but I'm really questioning whether I should have got a Series 2 or not. I do like to run quite a bit but always have my phone with me and probably always will. I never swim and don't see myself picking up swimming (just costs too much for pool membership around here I think). The one spot I think having a Series 2 vs 1 is resale value when future series come out. Just curious what you guys think and if I should spend the $200 more to upgrade. Thanks
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Stick with Series 1 or upgrade?
- Thread starter have24
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Series 2 also offers twice the display brightness over series 1. Series 2 also has a 50 m water resistant rating compared to the IPX7 water Rating compared to the Series 1.
I Think you have to ask yourself if you would really appreciate the added features for the Series 2 with the GPS, added screen brightness and additional water resistant rating. Something to consider as well, is I own the stainless model and this is something exclusive to Series 2, which is an added benefit with the Sapphire display. If You're not interested in the above features, then I don't believe $200 would justify an upgrade.
I think the added screen brightness is a huge difference over the Series 1. Especially in direct sunlight where you will really appreciate the added screen brightness. I don't necessarily know if this is a compelling reason just to upgrade because of the screen brightness, but it certainly is a really nice feature to have when you least expect it in certain lighting conditions.
Resale value is always worse than what you paid for the item, so in that regard it doesn't make much sense to spend extra for the Series 2. Even if they go for a higher price than the Series 1, the difference isn't likely to be much, which makes it more likely that you'll just lose money by making the upgrade. You could justify that if the Series 2 offered some sort of feature that you found compelling (whether it be something functional or even the appearance), but otherwise it's a waste of money.
I would agree. Technology becomes dated very quickly. Especially when you consider how fast it evolves and a new iteration of that same device will likely be out within a year. The Apple Watch is no exception. I own the stainless Apple Watch, and even that does not hold value considering it's $200 more than the aluminum model.
My advice, whatever Apple Watch someone decides to invest in, use it as much as you can and appreciate for what it's worth, because overtime it loses its value no matter what the condition.
Good point.
If you don't swim or workout without the iPhone I don't see a reason to buy series 2.
And I have no problems in reading stuff on the Watch outdoors, so the brightness of series 2 is not really important to me.
And if the rumor proves true, Series 3 will debut Fall 2017 with minor upgrades, including LTE as an option.
Not sure if it matters, but if u use the series 0/1 for runs, the iPhone sometimes takes some time to calibrate the GPS. Occasionally it's instantaneous if it can successfully use nearby wifi networks for calibration.
I'm not sure if you experience the same issue with the series 1, but I did upgrade to the series 2 (while also keeping the series 1).
The series 2's on board GPS has always been instantaneous for me. Whether I bring the iPhone for a run or not, that is a huge step up in my opinion.
I'm not sure if you experience the same issue with the series 1, but I did upgrade to the series 2 (while also keeping the series 1).
The series 2's on board GPS has always been instantaneous for me. Whether I bring the iPhone for a run or not, that is a huge step up in my opinion.
I did the same, from a Gen 1/Series 0. I had planned to wait for the 3, but got tired of watching the progress ring circle the icons on launch and wanted the GPS funtion
I agree. I went with the Series 1 as well and have no issues seeing the watch while outdoors. I also want to see how long these watches will last before making a big investment in them.
I like to think I have decent experience with the Apple Watch since it's first debut in April 2015. They do last, as others will attest. But ultimately, it comes down to how someone frequently charges, uses the Watch appropriately for conditions it's rated for, and cares for it.
Yeah it really has made it feel like a different device for me. I wasn't expecting so much difference in battery life. I'm at 55% at the moment that's 24 hours and one work out after I took it off charge!!
Has Apple identified how long they will support these watches in software?
I know they eventually classify their devices as legacy and don't offer Operating System upgrades after a number of versions. My iPad 3rd gen that I bought in March of 2012 wasn't allowed to install IOS 10 that came out last fall, so it basically had a 4 year life span for new updates and was stuck at IOS 9. I'm curious how the watches will make out with updates.
I know they eventually classify their devices as legacy and don't offer Operating System upgrades after a number of versions. My iPad 3rd gen that I bought in March of 2012 wasn't allowed to install IOS 10 that came out last fall, so it basically had a 4 year life span for new updates and was stuck at IOS 9. I'm curious how the watches will make out with updates.
No, Apple has not specified how long of a duration the Apple Watch will last through watchOS updates. It's likely the first generation Apple Watch will suffice through watchOS 4 when it debuts in September 2017, but nothing is guaranteed. After the WWDC conference in June, we should know more what to expect for watchOS four.
Last edited:
Isn't the length of software support mainly dependent on the hardware on iOS devices? For example, the iPad 2 was supported all the way to the second half of 2016 (5 years+ support) with the latest version of iOS 9 wasn't it?
I think RAM is a good indicator for the longevity of iOS devices. For example, iPad Air 2 (and iPhone 6S) gained 2 GB RAM. And even now, iPhone 7 has 2 GB RAM (iPhone 7+ has 3 GB). The iPad 2 was very slower and terrible at multi tasking.
Until iOS updates require higher RAM to retain most functionality or if Apple outright stops support, the iPad Air 2 could have received longer support (it's already more than 2 years old and still extremely responsive) than say the iPhone 7.
I might be totally wrong here, but I've always viewed RAM as a good starting place to predict the amount of time a product will stay supported. Not always true as the iPad 3 was discontinued due to SoC (as someone mentioned in another thread). If the next cycle of iOS devices all contains 4 GB of RAM (currently, only the 12.9 iPad Pro has this, making it the most future proof iOS device, and its already more than 1 year old), then we know that all 2 GB iOS devices may lose some functionality or run slower within the next update or two. And eventually, lose support altogether.
I wonder if the same is true for Apple Watches.
I think RAM is a good indicator for the longevity of iOS devices. For example, iPad Air 2 (and iPhone 6S) gained 2 GB RAM. And even now, iPhone 7 has 2 GB RAM (iPhone 7+ has 3 GB). The iPad 2 was very slower and terrible at multi tasking.
Until iOS updates require higher RAM to retain most functionality or if Apple outright stops support, the iPad Air 2 could have received longer support (it's already more than 2 years old and still extremely responsive) than say the iPhone 7.
I might be totally wrong here, but I've always viewed RAM as a good starting place to predict the amount of time a product will stay supported. Not always true as the iPad 3 was discontinued due to SoC (as someone mentioned in another thread). If the next cycle of iOS devices all contains 4 GB of RAM (currently, only the 12.9 iPad Pro has this, making it the most future proof iOS device, and its already more than 1 year old), then we know that all 2 GB iOS devices may lose some functionality or run slower within the next update or two. And eventually, lose support altogether.
I wonder if the same is true for Apple Watches.
Last edited: