Wait for Watch 2?

[Ferc Kast]

Watching my boss use his Apple Watch for notifications, etc, makes it somewhat appealing. It'd certainly be handier in some of my normal activities where my phone is unreachable at the moment when a notification comes. And the upcoming improvements with its OS this fall seem nice too; but I imagine the new watch is probably coming around the same time. Being this late into the first apple watch's life cycle, would I be better off waiting on the next gen Watch before making the leap?

 

[MacDawg]

I'm considering one myself, but since I don't have to have one right away, I'm waiting

 

[Lennyvalentin]

Nothing wrong with waiting... The initial Watch is a little rough around the edges, especially the software. wOS3 will fix a lot of that from what it looks like, but that isn't out yet.

So, if you don't NEED one (and seriously - who does? ), you might as well sit tight for two and a half more months and see what the second iteration brings to the table. I'm guessing it will be some substantial upgrades; dream scenario would be iPhone4-like level of upgrades, but that's probably too much to hope for, most likely. iP4 was huge, and Watch is still a new product line, so it may still need more time to mature...

 

[BarracksSi]

Nah. Get it now.

Later, when the second gen gets released—which may be this fall, or next year, or later—you'll know how long to wait until the third version gets released.

(an aside: I think the yearly refreshes of the iPhone have made people forget about how infrequently most of the other Apple products get updated)

 

[kilcher]

If it were up to me I'd buy the current gen and sell it to buy the next gen when it comes out. But it's not up to me. My wife says I have to wait until the 2nd gen comes out. I just wish I knew if that was going to be in September or April.

 

[Arran]

...Watch is still a new product line, so it may still need more time to mature...

Speaking as someone who's worn one (and bought two) since launch, it's pretty mature, hardware-wise, as is.

IMHO, all improvements will come in software for the foreseeable future. The current electronics has a lot of potential left and as far as the outward industrial design goes, it's pretty robust, attractive and eminently suited for purpose.

Remember Apple's had over a decade of making iPods and iPhones (personal tech devices and arguably the first "wearables") in order to get the details right. IMHO they've put that experience to excellent use in the Watch.

 

[MrJM]

Buy now - regret nothing!

 

[Xenden]

I'd get a sport personally. Especially since there have been some really great deals on some of the sales papers lately.

Just keep an eye out and you can save $50-$100.

 

[circatee]

Buy this current model. At least they'd be no issues with waiting for technical issues to be resolved with the new Apple Watch. I'm buying another watch within the next week...

 

[Zmonsters20]

I was going to wait for the AW2 as well but this past Saturday I saw Best Buy had $50 off and I had some points with BB so I decided to go for it. I use it a lot more than I thought I would and I am actually really impressed! Now I wonder why I waited so long to get it! Like others said just get it and if the new comes out wait a bit, sell yours and get the AW2 when it gets a price drop!

 

[jrcsh6]

I went ahead and bought a refurb from best buy. Watch the prices. I ended up paying $225 for a 42mm Sport.

I'm thinking Apple may push the current watch for holidays with new software as the kicker. I think we'll be looking at Gen 2 next year. Like Apple TV, I don't think we're looking at annual refreshing of these products.

 

[tgara]

I went ahead and bought a refurb from best buy. Watch the prices. I ended up paying $225 for a 42mm Sport.

I'm thinking Apple may push the current watch for holidays with new software as the kicker. I think we'll be looking at Gen 2 next year. Like Apple TV, I don't think we're looking at annual refreshing of these products.

I'd agree. If you want a watch, try to find a good deal on the current sport model as a starter to see if you like it. Like others posted above, WatchOS 3 will be out in September, and will likely have many upgrades compared to OS2 especially in speed. Check out some of the posts from the OS3 beta testers to see what's in store in terms of improvements. I'm hoping for good things.

 

[Freida]

I wouldn't buy one now. Its just not advice able given that we are few months away from an update. If you have waited this long wait little longer. There should be one before xmas so you will be glad you did. Buying now is just waste of money unless you get extremely good deal.

 

[mrklaw]

I'm in the uk and I just bought one. With the exchange rate tanking, I expect any watch 2 in the autumn to have a price hike so I figured I'd jump in now

 

[Oohara]

I'd wait at least a few weeks more. If the AW2 is coming up during the fall or for the iPhone 7 release, we should be seeing leaks soon. The 1st gen AW is great and I love mine, but it really is frustrating how slow it is. I'm expecting the 2nd gen to be considerably faster.

 

[BarracksSi]

I'd wait at least a few weeks more. If the AW2 is coming up during the fall or for the iPhone 7 release, we should be seeing leaks soon. The 1st gen AW is great and I love mine, but it really is frustrating how slow it is. I'm expecting the 2nd gen to be considerably faster.

When OS3 gets released, try it for a while and see if it's still too slow.

 

[maflynn]

would I be better off waiting on the next gen Watch before making the leap?

We tell people over in the MPB and iMac forums to wait until you absolutely need it. I can't help but think that logic applies. The rumors are a fall release for the apple watch 2, why not wait until then at the very least. If not, then buy the current one.

 

[Gooberton]

Nah. Get it now.

Later, when the second gen gets released—which may be this fall, or next year, or later—you'll know how long to wait until the third version gets released.

(an aside: I think the yearly refreshes of the iPhone have made people forget about how infrequently most of the other Apple products get updated)

You just wish you would have Waited so tell others not to wait hahah

 

[circatee]

No matter if you wait or purchase the current one, there will ALWAYS be something newer coming on the horizon. We live once, make the most of it now. Just saying...

 

[Cvx5832]

I likewise chose not to wait. I bought a SS and BSS recently. One for the office, the other for workouts. I don't regret purchasing either one bit. Admittedly I was still on the fence when I bought it.

The watch is very usable and not frustrating at all. Then again I came in late where my only experience is 2.2.2. However that's all it took. A few hours with the watch and I knew it would fit in nicely with my life. OS3 will be pure gravy for me.

Ignoring the "tech" aspect of the watch, the watch head itself is something to behold. Having experienced 4 Rolexes and a Panerai (and still have 3) I can tell you the level of precision tooling is top notch and Apple has it right from version 1. Big (and in my opinion successful) effort all around to "stay true" to age-old watch traditions.

In other words, feel free to jump in. While AW2 will almost certainly be better (as will AW3, AW4, etc.) there's absolutely nothing wrong with AW1.

My usage is fitness tracking, answering calls when behind the wheel, notifications and weather. I also love that easily accessible and set timer right from the watch face. I can end the day at 30-40% with this usage.

 

[sean000]

Watching my boss use his Apple Watch for notifications, etc, makes it somewhat appealing. It'd certainly be handier in some of my normal activities where my phone is unreachable at the moment when a notification comes. And the upcoming improvements with its OS this fall seem nice too; but I imagine the new watch is probably coming around the same time. Being this late into the first apple watch's life cycle, would I be better off waiting on the next gen Watch before making the leap?

Is your boss the type of boss who will become jealous if you have a newer or fancier model?

If you are the patient type then you don't have that much longer to wait before you find out if there will be a new model or not. If a new model actually materializes in September: Expect a thinner version of the current model, running a newer generation processor, maybe offering better battery life (although battery life is not an issue with the current model). I'm not expecting the new watch will make current watch owners want to upgrade immediately (if at all). Maybe it will offer a new feature or two (built in GPS for example). Maybe not. The real story will be iOS 10 and Watch OS3. The current and previous Watch OS versions were designed to favor longer battery life over performance. OS3 will allow your docked apps to stay up to date, which will mean improved performance for the current hardware. The impact on battery life has been minimal for the beta testers.

I could see Apple pushing for a September release of the new watch in order to be available for the holidays. I could also see them just releasing Watch OS3, and letting the improved performance drive sales of the existing watch for the holidays. That would make the release of the new model likely to be in March - two years after the release of the original model.

Of course I'm just speculating and I have no crystal ball. I will say this though: The current model will remain the more affordable choice, but that doesn't mean its price will drop more than it already has if a new watch is announced. You can already find excellent sale prices on the current model. If you are a "best bang for your buck" shopper, you might end up buying the current version of the watch anyway.

Sean

 

[rockyromero]

Buy the AW1 now, or wait to buy the AW2 when it's released.

Either way, you'll be glad you did.

➰

 

[0003462]

I bought a Sport a month ago and I'm very happy I did. WatchOS 3 will keep it up-to-date for at least another year, at which time - hopefully - Apple will have a trade-in/gift card program for the Watch like they do with the other products. People often recommend waiting, but if you like what the Watch is now, why not get it now? If what the Watch is now isn't enough for you then, sure, waiting for an update makes sense.

 

[kilcher]

I bought a Sport a month ago and I'm very happy I did. WatchOS 3 will keep it up-to-date for at least another year, at which time - hopefully - Apple will have a trade-in/gift card program for the Watch like they do with the other products. People often recommend waiting, but if you like what the Watch is now, why not get it now? If what the Watch is now isn't enough for you then, sure, waiting for an update makes sense.

Yeah, I'll second that. I just bought a used AW last Friday thinking I'd resell it and buy an AW2 when it comes out. With watchOS3 coming out in the next month or two I'm starting to think about keeping this even longer. Guess we'll see what the new one has to offer.

 

[sean000]

I bought a Sport a month ago and I'm very happy I did. WatchOS 3 will keep it up-to-date for at least another year, at which time - hopefully - Apple will have a trade-in/gift card program for the Watch like they do with the other products. People often recommend waiting, but if you like what the Watch is now, why not get it now? If what the Watch is now isn't enough for you then, sure, waiting for an update makes sense.

You would think they would have to have a trade-in deal for the Edition owners! I bet they will offer trade-ins for the SS and AWS models as well. It will probably be more profitable to sell the first generation watch on the used market (at least for a while), but of course it will be easier to trade up. Even if I just got $50 for my current 38mm AWS after two years of use, that would mean that the cost of owning that watch for two years was only about 50 cents a day. Absolutely worth it to me. However if you buy the watch now and want to upgrade in the next six or eight months, it will probably be better to sell the first generation watch.