Watch gift for first timer: SE is perfect? Series 6 is overkill? How important is AOD?

[staggerlee41]

My first foray into AW was with a Series 2, I didn't have the Series 3 but I believe the case dimensions were very similar if not exact. Series 4 got slimmer and this definitely affected me because my wrists are large. I'm wearing the M/L sport bands on the next to last hole so really no choice for me but the 44 which I'd have gone with anyway. The difference in case dimensions from AW 2 to AW 4 made for a much more comfortable experience. If you are used to wearing watches under 42mm then the 40 is probably good. I like the larger screen size personally because I'm not just looking at the watch to see the time but information. My mother has a 40mm and very small wrists. Screen size on it is still quite good and is a much better fit for her. The displays are significantly improved from S4 on up.

 

[EugW]

The other consideration for possibly getting cellular in my purchases was the fact we have two young kids, and in the future we could theoretically give these to the kids for family setup usage, which requires cellular.

However, judging by the reviews, this Watch family setup implementation is currently a little half-baked, and there is no guarantee the kids will want to use these Watches anyway. One complaint is the kid either just didn't want to wear it, or else would just always forget to charge it.

Plus we already have hand-me-down iPhones ready for them for when we decide they can use them outside the home, and I can already limit their access through Family Sharing anyway, so it's not as if giving them an iPhone unleashes the entire world to them unrestricted. When we do finally release them into the wild with iPhones in tow, I can put them on cheap tablet plans with no SMS or voice but with shared data that I can control on my cell plan, or I can put them on cheap full SMS/voice/data plans but with limited data, and I can still restrict their access through Family Sharing.

So, I was not sold on the Watch family setup idea, and thus I stuck with GPS only. The addition of cellular just for future proofing just in case I might want to use them for this particular family setup didn't seem like a good idea.

 

[lordhamster]

The other consideration for possibly getting cellular in my purchases was the fact we have two young kids, and in the future we could theoretically give these to the kids for family setup usage, which requires cellular.

However, judging by the reviews, this Watch family setup implementation is currently a little half-baked, and there is no guarantee the kids will want to use these Watches anyway. One complaint is the kid either just didn't want to wear it, or else would just always forget to charge it.

Plus we already have hand-me-down iPhones ready for them for when we decide they can use them outside the home, and I can already limit their access through Family Sharing anyway, so it's not as if giving them an iPhone unleashes the entire world to them unrestricted. When we do finally release them into the wild with iPhones in tow, I can put them on cheap tablet plans with no SMS or voice but with shared data that I can control on my cell plan, or I can put them on cheap full SMS/voice/data plans but with limited data, and I can still restrict their access through Family Sharing.

So, I was not sold on the Watch family setup idea, and thus I stuck with GPS only. The addition of cellular just for future proofing just in case I might want to use them for this particular family setup didn't seem like a good idea.

I have two boys 8 & 10 years old. Currently they are doing remote schooling due to covid, but when they go back to in-person schooling, I'm seriously considering 40mm SE models for them... I really like the idea of being able to track them and being able to get in touch with them. They definitely can't be trusted with phones yet... they literally lose everything that isn't strapped to them.

 

[EugW]

Despite everything I said in this thread...

I just ordered two cellular Series 5 40 mm models. It turns out there were some excellent Cyber Monday deals on the Series 5, and I had extra store coupons too, so while it's still more expensive than the SE, it's still a great bang for the buck. Actually the biggest reason I went with cellular is because they were actually in stock. The GPS models in the configs I wanted were sold out. The good news is that the cellular models on sale were only CAD$50/US$38.50 more than the GPS-only models. And the 44 mm was only another CAD$30/US$23 more than the 40 mm model, but I decided to stick with 40 mm.

I tried the iPhone Apple Store app Watch purchase sizing feature, and the 44 mm is just just frickin' huge on my 170 mm wrist.

BTW, due to the weird Cyber Monday pricing, the Series 4 actually cost more than the Series 5.

 

[EugW]

That was quick. I got my cell Series 5s just a day after I ordered. Too bad I won't be able to try them until Xmas.

 

[jz0309]

That was quick. I got my cell Series 5s just a day after I ordered. Too bad I won't be able to try them until Xmas.

View attachment 1684614

View attachment 1684613

You could always give yourself or the misses an esrky Xmas present 😎 ... just saying

 

[staggerlee41]

Congrats! The good news is that you got them. Had an experience last year with an Echo I had ordered as a gift on Black Friday. It ended up coming in the middle of January. So yeah, waiting may be a challenge but at least you were able to secure them for good prices. Will be worth the wait...if you can hold out until then 😂

 

[tops2]

My wife and I both got the cellular versions of the SE. We picked cellular versions but didn’t activate it yet since not sure if we’re ready to pay the extra $20 per month for each of us..but nice to have the option later. We generally keep our devices until it dies so didn’t mind paying the addition cost.

So far we love the watch. She loves using Apple Music directly from the watch when she runs. She actually just leaves her phone at home when she goes to the track nearby to run.

My most used feature is actually as a Pomodoro timer for work and I use Siri to set timers all the time, especially when cooking.

Not having always on display (AOD) wasn’t such a deal since the watch usually turns on when I flick my wrist. I got used to tapping on the screen also to wake the screen and the quick covering the screen to turn off the screen. (I have the Mi Band 4 where the wrist turning on the screen never worked reliably).

 

[EugW]

Haha. This is getting out of hand.

I just ordered two more Watches, one each for my wife and me. Hopefully they have enough stock to fulfill the orders. This time I ordered the stainless steel Series 5 with Milanese loop. Crazy sale today, Brand new with 50% off retail from a major national chain.

I have a bunch of unopened Watches to return now, so I guess I'm not an ideal customer, but this sale was just too good to pass up.

 

[jz0309]

Haha. This is getting out of hand.

I just ordered two more Watches, one each for my wife and me. Hopefully they have enough stock to fulfill the orders. This time I ordered the stainless steel Series 5 with Milanese loop. Crazy sale today, Brand new with 50% off retail from a major national chain.

I have a bunch of unopened Watches to return now, so I guess I'm not an ideal customer, but this sale was just too good to pass up.

I refrain from commenting on your purchainsc habits ... only if you decide to keep the Milanese loop, go read hear about user experiences, it seems to be scratching every single watch out there ...

 

[EugW]

I refrain from commenting on your purchainsc habits ...

It was the Black Friday sale that was good, but then the Cyber Monday sale that was even better, but now this random sale is crazy good. I bought two watches each time. Luckily I haven't opened up any of the boxes yet.

only if you decide to keep the Milanese loop, go read hear about user experiences, it seems to be scratching every single watch out there ...

Yeah, I was a bit afraid of that. However, I'm buying silicone or fabric bands anyway for sport. I hear the Milanese band is not good for exercise as it comes loose. I also hear it tends to rip your hairs out. Also, I got the silver colour so at least there will be no paint colour to scratch off.

The weird part of this latest sale is that the SS with sport band and SS with Milanese band were the exact same price, so it was hard to pass up the Milanese.

 

[satchmo]

Warning! This is old news for most of you...

As for the size, judging by the info out there, it seems I'm on the fence for wrist size. Yes some people like big watches even though they have smaller wrists, and other people like small watches even though they have bigger wrists, but it seems a consensus out there is that around 170-ish an average person could go either way, and I have 170 mm wrists. I'm not sure what size my wife's wrists are, but it's not as if I can easily surreptitiously measure her wrist size.

Apple says the 40 mm is best for 130-200 mm, whereas the 44 mm is best for 140-220 mm, so their respective mid-points are at 165 mm and 180 mm.

What did surprise me a little though was the fact that the 40 mm screen on the SE is actually bigger than the 42 mm screen of the Apple Watch Series 3 (curved corners not withstanding). Both have a diagonal of about 40 mm (again if you ignore the rounded corners of the SE), but the 40 mm SE is actually about 5% larger than the 42 mm Series 3. I know I'm looking at the Series 3 with 2020 eyes, but the Series 3 looks kind of awkward these days with all that bezel and sharp corners.

As I mentioned, I know this is all old news, but it's nice to be reminded of these things when you're someone that hasn't followed this stuff closely.

However, I still think these watches are too thick, even though the SE is 1 mm thinner than the Series 3.

Apple's store does allow you to try them on virtually through their store app. It's not that realistic (not 3D or augmented reality), but simply hovering your phone over your wrist.

My general rule is if the front case is close to the width of your wrist, it's too big. In other words, you want to see some of the band begin to wrap around the to the back.

How to (virtually) try on both Apple Watch sizes with the Apple Store App

Need help deciding between the 41mm and 45mm case? The Appel Store can help you out.

www.imore.com

 

[EugW]

Apple's store does allow you to try them on virtually through their store app. It's not that realistic (not 3D or augmented reality), but simply hovering your phone over your wrist.

My general rule is if the front case is close to the width of your wrist, it's too big. In other words, you want to see some of the band begin to wrap around the to the back.

How to (virtually) try on both Apple Watch sizes with the Apple Store App

Need help deciding between the 41mm and 45mm case? The Appel Store can help you out.

www.imore.com

We're in lockdown. All the local Apple Stores are closed for in-store shopping.

 

[MacCheetah3]

We're in lockdown. All the local Apple Stores are closed for in-store shopping.

Look at the photo in the article @satchmo linked to. You don’t actually try the watch on. It’s a crude size depiction using a close to true size image of the watch on your iPhone screen.

 

[EugW]

Look at the photo in the article @satchmo linked to. You don’t actually try the watch on. It’s a crude size depiction using a close to true size image of the watch on your iPhone screen.

Ah yes, I misread that.

However, I've already done that a while back. Problem is the phone is so damn huge it obscures everything. What I then did is took a piece of paper and traced out the pictures from the phone and then cut them out. Then I put on my chronograph watch and put the paper on top to get a rough idea of what the sizing would be.

The 44 could work, but feels like a big block on the wrist. The 40 mm feels much more like a traditional watch.

Using the rough guides for traditional watch sizing, 40 mm would be the better fit, even though the 44 will physically fit. I'm not a big fan of the oversized watch trend, but many people like it.

Here are the various guides I've tried:
1. Watch size range is wrist circumference divided by 4 and 5 = 34.4 to 43 mm.
2. Wrist width vs credit card. Is it covered by the credit card? If yes then 40 mm. If wrist sticks out more than 1 cm past edges of credit card, then 44 mm. If wrist sticks out but less than 1 cm, then you could go either way.
3. <165 = 40 mm but >175 = 44 mm, but if around 170 mm you could go either way. I'm around 172 mm.

My main concern with going smaller is the readability, but I take solace in the fact that the 40 mm has a bigger screen than the 42 mm Series 3.

 

[staggerlee41]

Nice, that's a score that's too good to pass up. I first purchased a Series 4 Aluminum GPS only model and when the 5's were announced they had the 4 SS models discounted to 40%. So I bought one. Fantastic watch, still. Definitely use the Milanese loops for those occasions when you want to dress up a bit and be mindful they can scratch the SS. Which finish did you get? If the Stainless Silver model, you could buff out the case with Cape Cod cloth. Do get some alternatives to wear for fitness and general day to day use. The Sport Loops are fantastic and incredibly comfortable. Many of us feel as though they're the sweatpants of Apple Watch bands. The Solo Sport Band is also very nice if you get it to fit right, though I really prefer the texture of the traditional Sport Band as I feel it's much silkier. Not a bad trade off though as the Solo Sport Loop has nothing under your wrist so when typing or resting your wrist it feels like a second skin.

When I first looked at Apple Watch, back when the 2's were out one of the guys I was talking to in Best Buy here in the States had an original Stainless silver and it had micro swirls all over it. Recalling his watch, it actually looked kinda cool. It had a lot of character, especially for a piece of tech. Much like many of us with our day to day watches. Funny how when it comes to technology people get really obsessed about scratches, cases, screen protection. I'm guilty of it too. I have a Bulova that was my day to day watch for the longest time. Scratches all over it, Chipped the crystal, had that replaced but the scratches are still there.

Congrats on your purchaseS. Looks like we have maybe created a monster 🤣

 

[EugW]

Nice, that's a score that's too good to pass up. I first purchased a Series 4 Aluminum GPS only model and when the 5's were announced they had the 4 SS models discounted to 40%. So I bought one. Fantastic watch, still. Definitely use the Milanese loops for those occasions when you want to dress up a bit and be mindful they can scratch the SS. Which finish did you get? If the Stainless Silver model, you could buff out the case with Cape Cod cloth. Do get some alternatives to wear for fitness and general day to day use. The Sport Loops are fantastic and incredibly comfortable. Many of us feel as though they're the sweatpants of Apple Watch bands. The Solo Sport Band is also very nice if you get it to fit right, though I really prefer the texture of the traditional Sport Band as I feel it's much silkier. Not a bad trade off though as the Solo Sport Loop has nothing under your wrist so when typing or resting your wrist it feels like a second skin.

When I first looked at Apple Watch, back when the 2's were out one of the guys I was talking to in Best Buy here in the States had an original Stainless silver and it had micro swirls all over it. Recalling his watch, it actually looked kinda cool. It had a lot of character, especially for a piece of tech. Much like many of us with our day to day watches. Funny how when it comes to technology people get really obsessed about scratches, cases, screen protection. I'm guilty of it too. I have a Bulova that was my day to day watch for the longest time. Scratches all over it, Chipped the crystal, had that replaced but the scratches are still there.

Congrats on your purchaseS. Looks like we have maybe created a monster 🤣

I promise, this is the last purchase this year! That's assuming I actually get them in hand. I think Staples had oversold the lower cost aluminum ones, so a bunch of people who ordered those cheaper models got cancellations. Definitely not the way to endear your company with the masses. However, I got the silver stainless steel models for both of us, as there seemed to be plenty of stock at the time so hopefully there won't be any issue. I was originally going to get the wife the gold model, but to my surprise they had sold out of that one really early.

I already have some cheaper braided loops on order, just as a test. Once the stores open though I'll be able to visit some shops in person to see what they have and what the quality is like, instead of just relying on online shopping. Plus by that time I'll know what to get the wife, since I still don't know what types of bands/loops she likes or the proper sizing.

BTW, nice score with your SS purchase too. 40% of retail is sweet.

P.S. This shopping experience during lockdown has been pretty interesting. Besides curbside purchase pickups, some are actually doing curb-side returns too. I'll be returning a couple of Watches from the previous purchases this way hopefully instead of having to pay for shipping back to the warehouse and waiting days to weeks for the verification and refund. And in general the curbside transaction experience has been relatively pleasant. My fellow customers have followed the rules and have been polite and patient.

 

[EugW]

Uh oh. Staples is cancelling orders left and right. Things are not looking good for the SS Milanese. I had ordered two but I've already gotten one of my orders cancelled with saying they have "in-stock limitations" whatever that means. The cancellation was before the sale ended so I managed to order another SS model but with the Sport Band instead, but who knows if I'll get either of those latter two remaining orders. And the sale has ended now so I can't order another.

 

[EugW]

Staples is still having serious shipping issues, but I eventually did get both watches. As mentioned, one of my Milanese was cancelled, but I received the Sport Band SS 5 version I ordered later, which actually works out because the silicone Sport Band is better for my wife's workplace.

Apple's servers must have been getting slammed today or something, because it took us like a dozen tries each just to get the phone to start the software update on the Watches, and then once it started it took quite a long time. But eventually, everything completed.

I am so glad we got the 5 instead of the SE, because it turns out always-on-display is a feature I really, really like. I'm not sure how well this battery is going to do though. We'll just have to religious about charging it consistently. It would have been nice to see it charge faster, but given they're half the price of the corresponding Series 6 models, I'm not going to complain too much about that.

My wife and I are also very pleased with the 40 mm sizing. I didn't know my wife's wrist size until today, but it turns out both my wife and I have ~172 mm wrists. I think we could get away with the 44, but 40 works very well. It looks like a watch on our wrists, as opposed to some big gadget. The current thickness is too much IMO. I'm thinking the perfect size would be 40-42 mm with an 8 mm thickness. Neither have any complaints (yet) about the screen size and the amount of displayed info. Notifications and what not work just fine on the 40 mm screen. Default font sizes are also OK since when I look at the watch, as it's closer to my face than an iPhone would be.

We're still debating whether or not to get cellular, but I'm leaning towards getting it just to try it out. I'm thinking the battery would not take that much of a hit, because it would be less than 1 hour per day that the Watch is connecting with the iPhone via Bluetooth or WiFi.

EDIT:

It looks like I was not the only one:

Apple Setup Issues: Apple Watch Verification Failed, HomePod Stuck on Configuring

Apple's status page shows an ongoing issue with "iCloud Account and Sign In" since early Christmas morning. The issue seems likely to...

www.macrumors.com

 

[staggerlee41]

Glad to hear that you found the right ones for the two of you and even better news the wife is happy! If you're not so thrilled with the case thickness of the S5, be glad you didn't go S3. I had an S2 before the 4 and now 6 and they were noticeably thicker. When they slimmed the case on the S4, it was a huge improvement in terms of comfort for me and I'd imagine others with large wrists. I wear my Sport Band on the 2nd to last hole on the large band and am using a size 11 Solo Loop.

I feel like the 40's are a definite improvement over the previous 38 screen wise. Happy to hear you're enjoying them thus far. As someone who wore traditional watches all the time, I couldn't imagine wearing one of these at first. I waited for a couple of revisions and haven't looked back since. Here's hoping you and the Misses enjoy yours as much as I have.

 

[jessejesse]

I'm a psychotherapist and I immediately upgraded from the 3 to the 5, to get AOD. I couldn't have a watch that I need to lift or tap to tell the time. Subtlety is pretty important. Really only something you can answer based on specific need.

 

[Jimbo Limbo]

I have the AW S5 Nike Edition in space grey with the dark grey nike band.

The Nike band breathes better than the sport band.

I LOVE having the LTE watch, so that I can leave my phone at home. I have playlists stored on my watch, and enjoy walking and listening on my Beats Flex earphones. (The Beats Flex are a great value, btw.)

I mostly use the Series 5 with the AOD off as the battery life is better, but if I was going into in-person meetings again, I would use the AOD because you can see the time without being obvious about it.

Think hard about the LTE version! It is so nice just to be able to answer calls, dictate texts, and all that stuff right from you wrist, and not have to carry that phone around all the time!