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bryanc28

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 7, 2007
386
79
Arlington, Va
Is it really worth it to upgrade my 4 to a 5? Is the AOD better than raising to access the watch? I have until Sunday to return the 4...so any advice would be good...
 
No. I would keep the 4. I have the 5. And really, I still raise my wrist to look at the time anyway. But it's how much you want the AOD. Up to you.
 
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The always on display is enough for me because I exercise a lot. Otherwise they’re pretty similar. The 5 isn’t any faster than the 4.
 
I did it with zero regrets. I can't imagine going back to not having AOD but it's not important to some people. Only you can determine that.
 
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I personally like AOD but if it disappeared next year not a deal breaker

Apple wouldn’t retract AOD for the Series 6. It’s here to stay, removing it wouldn’t make sense/would only cause confusion for a feature that’s been offered by other smart watch competitors for years.
 
IMO..No!. The only difference I see is just AOD, while it’s the same chip used. If you really need AOD the go for it. But if you don’t need AOD yet, just wait till S6
 
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I'd suggest to wait for the S6 or S7. AOD is nice but frankly you'll get more value if you wait for the next generation to come out.
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No, they use the same processor so in terms of longevity and support for updates, they are basically the same watch minus a compass , and always on screen.
Also, like how the S3 could barely support the cellular modem with its battery, there are reports the S5's battery can be questionable, so better to wait for a second-gen AoD if you already have an S4.
 
Apple wouldn’t retract AOD for the Series 6. It’s here to stay, removing it wouldn’t make sense/would only cause confusion for a feature that’s been offered by other smart watch competitors for years.

I realise that I’m just talking about the differences from 4 to 5 and that not having it isn’t a huge deal
 
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At this point - would just wait and upgrade in the Fall. Not that many new features to upgrade, IMO, plus trade in and resale value of a 4 stink.
 
Also, like how the S3 could barely support the cellular modem with its battery, there are reports the S5's battery can be questionable, so better to wait for a second-gen AoD if you already have an S4.

The battery life on my S5 was terrible at first but now after software updates it's no different from my S4 was. I have AOD and raise to wake both turned on.
 
Even though AOD is nice to have, it isn't necessarily something you'll desperately need. I'd just keep the 4. It all depends on how much you want AOD as noted above.
 
I'm kind of knocking around the same general concept, but in my case, it's a price comparable Series 4 Stainless (black), GPS+Cellular, vs. a Series 5 Sport/Aluminum (gray) GPS. Same prices, either would have a near complete factory warranty and/or AC+ added (so it's not like comparing a no-warranty device).

Kind of leaning towards the SS model, it would be something different from my existing Sport model, and I've got a couple of use cases where having cellular on the Watch would be super handy.
 
The 5 has much more storage, so if you listen to lots of music and/or podcasts and wish to leave your phone behind, that might be compelling.

The cellular 5 can do emergency alerts and fall detection in most countries even if not activated on a cell plan. More info: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT206983 and https://www.apple.com/watchos/feature-availability/#branded-international-emergency

Then there's the always-on display and compass.

The processors are the same and the screens, aside from the AOD, are similar.

Personally I valued the storage and international SOS capabilities, so I went for the 5.
 
My personal opinion is that it would ONLY be worth the change if it bothers you a lot to turn the Apple Watch to see the time, or in other words if you would appreciate the always on display.
 
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