Time to upgrade my Series 5 - Looking for advice

[barry.pearson]

Hey guys, just looking for some thoughts on upgrading my Apple Watch.

I currently have a cellular Series 5 44mm Apple Watch which I’ve had since it came out about 5 or 6 years ago when I replaced my original Apple Watch. I use when out and about without my phone and just a pair of AirPods quite regularly for receiving iMessage, calls, making payments, my train pass and listening to podcasts and music. However the battery on the Apple Watch is struggling to get me through a full day now, usually by about 18:00 I’m hitting around 10-15%, and I’m no longer receiving any updates as of WatchOS 11.

The features I’d want in my replacement would be:

• Always on display (this is a want but I could live without).
• Cellular connectivity for receiving calls, iMessage and FaceTime.
• ‘All day battery life’, I’d want to get a minimum of around 14 hours per charge.
• Enough storage to save a hundred or so songs locally for when I don’t want to stream on cellular.

I’ve been looking at upgrading and the current choices are:

1. Refubished Apple Watch Ultra/Ultra 2 - An Apple Watch Ultra in ‘excellent’ condition can be picked up for around £460 (~$610) or an Ultra 2 for around £530 (~$700). I do like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra but I certainly don’t need any of the additional features that it has over my existing Series 5.
2. New Apple Watch Series 10 46mm - This would be the logical upgrade for what I have, with the same feature set that I’m after (always on screen and cellular connection for when I’m out and about). I can pick one of these up for around £430 (~$575).
3. New Apple Watch SE 44mm - This would be the cheapest current device to replace my Series 5, this would give me the cellular connectivity but at the expense of the always on display. This one would set me back around £310 (~$410).\

Am I also correct in assuming that all the new watches have fall detection? I cycle to work each day and it would be peace of mind that if I was knocked off my bike by a motorist that it should detect the fall.

Any suggestions or feedback from users of any of the devices above would be really appreciated - or if there’s any realistic alternatives to the Apple Watch I’d love to hear about them too. Thanks in advance.

 

[Chevyguy2021]

A used AW U2 from Swappa. Recently got one for $450 total USD with 99% bath heath in mint condition.

 

[barry.pearson]

A used AW U2 from Swappa. Recently got one for $450 total USD with 99% bath heath in mint condition.

Thanks for the suggestion, I just had a look and unfortunately none of the Ultra 2 sellers ship internationally to the UK, and the prices of the Ultra 1 come out similar to sellers in the UK once you add on shipping and taxes. How do you find you Ultra 2, did you upgrade from an older Apple Watch or is this your first one?

 

[goldmac2006]

Since you don’t need the adventurous and rugged stuff, why not consider the Apple Watch Series 10? It still has long-lasting battery life for up to 18-20 hours on a single charge, and you can still use the straps you have with your 44mm Apple Watch Series 5 with a 46mm Series 10.

The Series 10 46mm isn’t as bulky as the ultra’s hefty 49mm titanium casing. The Apple Watch Ultra has battery life up to about 2.5 days and is a brick 🧱 for small wrists which is the downside.

All Apple Watches since the Apple Watch Series 4 have fall detection, and the Series 8 and newer models have crash detection, which came from the iPhone 14 Pro and newer models.

 

[haddy]

Hey guys, just looking for some thoughts on upgrading my Apple Watch.

I currently have a cellular Series 5 44mm Apple Watch which I’ve had since it came out about 5 or 6 years ago when I replaced my original Apple Watch. I use when out and about without my phone and just a pair of AirPods quite regularly for receiving iMessage, calls, making payments, my train pass and listening to podcasts and music. However the battery on the Apple Watch is struggling to get me through a full day now, usually by about 18:00 I’m hitting around 10-15%, and I’m no longer receiving any updates as of WatchOS 11.

The features I’d want in my replacement would be:

• Always on display (this is a want but I could live without).
• Cellular connectivity for receiving calls, iMessage and FaceTime.
• ‘All day battery life’, I’d want to get a minimum of around 14 hours per charge.
• Enough storage to save a hundred or so songs locally for when I don’t want to stream on cellular.

I’ve been looking at upgrading and the current choices are:

1. Refubished Apple Watch Ultra/Ultra 2 - An Apple Watch Ultra in ‘excellent’ condition can be picked up for around £460 (~$610) or an Ultra 2 for around £530 (~$700). I do like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra but I certainly don’t need any of the additional features that it has over my existing Series 5.
2. New Apple Watch Series 10 46mm - This would be the logical upgrade for what I have, with the same feature set that I’m after (always on screen and cellular connection for when I’m out and about). I can pick one of these up for around £430 (~$575).
3. New Apple Watch SE 44mm - This would be the cheapest current device to replace my Series 5, this would give me the cellular connectivity but at the expense of the always on display. This one would set me back around £310 (~$410).\

Am I also correct in assuming that all the new watches have fall detection? I cycle to work each day and it would be peace of mind that if I was knocked off my bike by a motorist that it should detect the fall.

Any suggestions or feedback from users of any of the devices above would be really appreciated - or if there’s any realistic alternatives to the Apple Watch I’d love to hear about them too. Thanks in advance.

2.

 

[svish]

Hey guys, just looking for some thoughts on upgrading my Apple Watch.

I currently have a cellular Series 5 44mm Apple Watch which I’ve had since it came out about 5 or 6 years ago when I replaced my original Apple Watch. I use when out and about without my phone and just a pair of AirPods quite regularly for receiving iMessage, calls, making payments, my train pass and listening to podcasts and music. However the battery on the Apple Watch is struggling to get me through a full day now, usually by about 18:00 I’m hitting around 10-15%, and I’m no longer receiving any updates as of WatchOS 11.

The features I’d want in my replacement would be:

• Always on display (this is a want but I could live without).
• Cellular connectivity for receiving calls, iMessage and FaceTime.
• ‘All day battery life’, I’d want to get a minimum of around 14 hours per charge.
• Enough storage to save a hundred or so songs locally for when I don’t want to stream on cellular.

I’ve been looking at upgrading and the current choices are:

1. Refubished Apple Watch Ultra/Ultra 2 - An Apple Watch Ultra in ‘excellent’ condition can be picked up for around £460 (~$610) or an Ultra 2 for around £530 (~$700). I do like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra but I certainly don’t need any of the additional features that it has over my existing Series 5.
2. New Apple Watch Series 10 46mm - This would be the logical upgrade for what I have, with the same feature set that I’m after (always on screen and cellular connection for when I’m out and about). I can pick one of these up for around £430 (~$575).
3. New Apple Watch SE 44mm - This would be the cheapest current device to replace my Series 5, this would give me the cellular connectivity but at the expense of the always on display. This one would set me back around £310 (~$410).\

Am I also correct in assuming that all the new watches have fall detection? I cycle to work each day and it would be peace of mind that if I was knocked off my bike by a motorist that it should detect the fall.

Any suggestions or feedback from users of any of the devices above would be really appreciated - or if there’s any realistic alternatives to the Apple Watch I’d love to hear about them too. Thanks in advance.

Go for the Series 10. I upgraded to Series 10 from my Series 5 a few months ago. The new watch is fantastic and I like it very much. Always on display is something that I really wanted when I got my Series 5 and now with certain watch faces supporting the seconds hand, it is even better.

 

[barry.pearson]

Go for the Series 10. I upgraded to Series 10 from my Series 5 a few months ago. The new watch is fantastic and I like it very much. Always on display is something that I really wanted when I got my Series 5 and now with certain watch faces supporting the seconds hand, it is even better.

Thanks for the input. Just curious, which colour did you go for? I’ve always had the aluminium space grey colours but it appears the Series 10 only does what appears to be a glossy black colours. I’m worried it would get scuffed up easier.

 

[goldmac2006]

Thanks for the input. Just curious, which colour did you go for? I’ve always had the aluminium space grey colours but it appears the Series 10 only does what appears to be a glossy black colours. I’m worried it would get scuffed up easier.

If you want the grey colour your best bet is the slate titanium series 10

There are no midnight or space grey or graphite in series 10

 

[tcuprof]

Personally, I would wait until September. Then you can decide if the improvements in the new Apple watch are worth it, and if not, the 10s should be even cheaper.

 

[svish]

Thanks for the input. Just curious, which colour did you go for? I’ve always had the aluminium space grey colours but it appears the Series 10 only does what appears to be a glossy black colours. I’m worried it would get scuffed up easier.

I bought the silver aluminium. The 'jet black' aluminium one has a glossy finish but not so sure about its durability.

The back of the watch is now aluminium (for aluminium models) as opposed to a ceramic back on the Series 5. The aluminum could corrode when it comes in contact with sweat and this might be visible if it is having a jet black finish. Besides this any scratches might be more visible on the jet black one.

 

[barry.pearson]

Thanks everyone for some food for thought.

If you want the grey colour your best bet is the slate titanium series 10

There are no midnight or space grey or graphite in series 10

I think the Titanium model for the grey colour is far too much for me to consider (especially since it’s the same price as a new full-priced Ultra 2). I’d likely just opt for the silver colour one instead, in all fairness I do have a black protector on my existing watch anyway so it likely wouldn’t make too much of a difference.

Personally, I would wait until September. Then you can decide if the improvements in the new Apple watch are worth it, and if not, the 10s should be even cheaper.

This might actually be the best option. If I knew they’d announce new watches in September I’d definitely hold off, but Apple Watch announcements aren’t as regular as iPhone ones are they?

I bought the silver aluminium. The 'jet black' aluminium one has a glossy finish but not so sure about its durability.

The back of the watch is now aluminium (for aluminium models) as opposed to a ceramic back on the Series 5. The aluminum could corrode when it comes in contact with sweat and this might be visible if it is having a jet black finish. Besides this any scratches might be more visible on the jet black one.

I think if I went with the S10 I’d likely give the silver a chance, in all fairness I’ve had a lot of ‘space grey’ apple products and I’m starting to appreciate how clean the silver devices often look.

 

[BigBlur]

I’ve always had the aluminium space grey colours but it appears the Series 10 only does what appears to be a glossy black colours. I’m worried it would get scuffed up easier.

I know what you mean. I've always gone for the aluminum Space Grey or Midnight color as well, and was disappointed that the glossy Jet Black was the only dark aluminum option this year. I thought I would want a dark matte color; however, I saw the Jet Black Apple Watch in a store and actually liked it. I've had mine since December, and it has no scratches or scuffs despite me banging it into a wall a few times (same for other people). Another thing I ended up liking about the Jet Black color is that there's virtually no bezel. I mean, of course it has a bezel...you just can't see it because the shiny black bezel blends in so well with the glossy black frame of the watch. If you haven't seen Jet Black in person yet, I'd highly recommend checking it out first before knocking it like I initially did.

This might actually be the best option. If I knew they’d announce new watches in September I’d definitely hold off, but Apple Watch announcements aren’t as regular as iPhone ones are they?

Every single Apple Watch has been announced in September, alongside the iPhone (except in 2020, when the Apple Watch Series 6 was announced in September and the iPhone 12 was announced in October).

 

[goldmac2006]

I think the Titanium model for the grey colour is far too much for me to consider (especially since it’s the same price as a new full-priced Ultra 2). I’d likely just opt for the silver colour one instead, in all fairness I do have a black protector on my existing watch anyway so it likely wouldn’t make too much of a difference.

So silver aluminum then? It’ll be matted man…. Slate is the only dark grey colour offered which is intended to replace the graphite we know about from the previous stainless steel Apple Watch models.

 

[AJACs3]

I’m still on a series 7. I’m eying an Ultra as my next watch because everyone claims the battery life is amazing. I want to leave my phone behind more often and the battery life of the ultra would seem to make that fairly free of worry.

 

[goldmac2006]

I’m still on a series 7. I’m eying an Ultra as my next watch because everyone claims the battery life is amazing. I want to leave my phone behind more often and the battery life of the ultra would seem to make that fairly free of worry.

Are you looking for a rugged Apple Watch that can handle extreme sports like camping, fishing, hiking, or extreme sports? The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the perfect choice for you. It boasts the best cellular, compass, and other features that make it ideal for being off the grid.

 

[gigaguy]

I just got a 1-month old S10 Cellular 46mm for $250 USD on ebay, replacing an S7. I wear the 7 most days in Theatre mode, battery lasts for days. May try it on the 10.