Wait for Watch 2?

[DizzyV6P]

I read a lot of hopes that AW2 will have GPS, but I'm hoping that it will not unless they can fix the already current battery drain issues. Yes, I know the updates have hopefully fixed this problem but its only going to crop up again with a GPS inside an AW2. Just using Pokémon Go as an example, having GPS active already drains a 6s Plus's battery down to zero in a day, I can't imagine what putting a GPS inside a small AW2 will do it its battery life.

 

[BarracksSi]

Just using Pokémon Go as an example, having GPS active already drains a 6s Plus's battery down to zero in a day, I can't imagine what putting a GPS inside a small AW2 will do it its battery life.

My Garmin 410 can last over a week with normal use (specs say 8 days, I think) and can run for about 8 hours with GPS active. Let's say, as a percentage, 8 hours is 1/24th of 8 days -- less than 5%. I could wager that active GPS in my 410 reduces battery life to 5% of its potential maximum.

And that's with a plain LCD display and ANT+ wireless connection to the HR strap -- no Bluetooth, no OLED, a much simpler CPU, and no bright LEDs on its back.

I would be totally amazed if a GPS-equipped AW can run for an hour if it tries to use its LEDs at the same time.

In other words: I don't see it happening.

 

[convergent]

If you think you want one, then I'd go ahead and get it... and also try to find a good used one with AppleCare in place. That is what I bought and got a really good deal. A lot of people buy them and end up not really getting into it and sell them with practically no use.

Personally, I think the new one will be a slightly improved version of the current one, so no big deal to miss out on. The people thinking it will have integrated cellular or GPS, radically thinner, or round... I think they are dreaming. It will be a little faster and possibly a little thinner... not much else.

 

[nickyD410]

If you think you want one, then I'd go ahead and get it... and also try to find a good used one with AppleCare in place. That is what I bought and got a really good deal. A lot of people buy them and end up not really getting into it and sell them with practically no use.

Personally, I think the new one will be a slightly improved version of the current one, so no big deal to miss out on. The people thinking it will have integrated cellular or GPS, radically thinner, or round... I think they are dreaming. It will be a little faster and possibly a little thinner... not much else.

I agree, if they update the watch it will probably be an "s" like update with just better internals. I've been itching to get one, especially after seeing what watchos3 can do.

 

[almostirish]

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?

Save yourself the money and do not buy the Apple Watch. I bought mine at launch and it is/was quite useless. I sold it recently and decided to get a Swiss watch with a mechanical movement.

 

[Osamede]

I dont know what model number it will be, but wait until the watch is a proper phone with its own cellular/4G radio and doesnt need to be tethered to a phone. At that point, you've got a "buy", because there wont be any other smartwatch with the combination of features & ecosystem.

But without that data radio, the device is matched up against a wide range of much cheaper competitors and one can wait.

 

[fischersd]

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?

That would be like upgrading your iPhone right now (when there's a new one on the horizon). I'd wait. You'll get more features and functionality for the same $. (Or, if you don't care about the delta, then you can buy the Watch 1 at much reduced pricing). Either way, you're better off to wait and see what happens in the fall.