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What's the best for people on a budget?

C

cuzo

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 23, 2012
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SE is 299 at amazon and it's the 44mn version, Series 5 is probably the same price on OfferUP.

I have a series 3 and just want the basic, I don't use any of the apps I just answer texts and the map.

What's the best option to upgrade and the cheapest option? I could sell my 3 for maybe 130 now.
 
I got my wife an SE as her first Apple Watch and she is loving it.

Seems to me it has all the important functionality of the S6 at a really good price point.

I upgraded from S4 to S6, but after getting to play a little with the SE, I could happily live with one.
 
How long do you think the 3 will get updates?
 
cuzo said:
How long do you think the 3 will get updates?
Click to expand...

Probably through 2021 and that’s it. I would not recommend the S3 at this point. At minimum, I would recommend the S4, which the price difference wouldn’t be that drastic between both models.
 
cuzo said:
SE is 299 at amazon and it's the 44mn version, Series 5 is probably the same price on OfferUP.

I have a series 3 and just want the basic, I don't use any of the apps I just answer texts and the map.

What's the best option to upgrade and the cheapest option? I could sell my 3 for maybe 130 now.
Click to expand...

If you can find the S4 (which is basically what the SE appears to be), go for it.
 
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cuzo said:
How long do you think the 3 will get updates?
Click to expand...
Relentless Power said:
Probably through 2021 and that’s it. I would not recommend the S3 at this point. At minimum, I would recommend the S4, which the price difference wouldn’t be that drastic between both models.
Click to expand...

I believe Series 3 will get updates for a couple/few more years yet.

It will officially be on sale from Apple until September 2021. It would present a bad customer experience if you buy a Watch Series 3 from Apple in September 2021 that can’t be updated to the new watchOS 8 in September 2021.

But of course, just as with watchOS 7, the Series 3 will miss out on a lot of newer features.
 
Abazigal said:
If you can find the S4 (which is basically what the SE appears to be), go for it.
Click to expand...
Yup, SE and S4 are the same watch apart from increased storage (32GB SE vs 16GB S4), International Emergency Calling (SE) and Electrical Heart Sensor (S4).
 
Get the Apple Watch SE if you're on a budget. It's just like the 6 series without all the bells and whistles.
If you're relatively young, don't have pre-existing health issues. Don't need blood oxygen or ECG. Go for the SE, I think you'll be happy.
 
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Had the same problem with choosing an AW. I ordered the SE. In Poland S5 is way more expensive. Now I await my order :). 2 weeks...

My wife has a S4 and she is extremely happy with hers. I don't need AoD.
 
GrandeLatte said:
Get the Apple Watch SE if you're on a budget. It's just like the 6 series without all the bells and whistles.
If you're relatively young, don't have pre-existing health issues. Don't need blood oxygen or ECG. Go for the SE, I think you'll be happy.
Click to expand...

That’s a decent summary right here in your post. If you’re not interested in all the latest health technology, the SE really is the better choice. The only reason I wouldn’t opt for the SE, if I just prefer the stainless, which obviously is only offered in the Series 6.
 
If you are on a budget but still want to buy a watch, I think the SE provides the best value. Larger display, latest electronics, good price point, etc. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, you might want to wait and look at the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales.... you will often find bargains. That said, I just purchased a 44mm SE GPS on Amazon for $269, which I thought was a fair price.

I would not get a Series 3. I have one and it has difficulties updating to the newest Watch OS (7 and 7.1) due to limited memory capacity. My guess is that Apple will soon drop the Series 3 in favor of the SE.
 
tcphoto1 said:
Why upgrade if you have a limited budget? Things may improve in the future but I would not spend it if you cannot afford to now.
Click to expand...

I don’t know OP’s situation, but being on a budget doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t afford it. It may simply mean that he/she doesn’t want to spend over the amount that they have set for that item, yet still have funds to pay for other things. You could be rich and still have a budget. Just saying!
 
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The SE is definitely the best bang for your buck (as long as you don't care about AOD). It's new and is sure to be supported for years to come.
 
boss.king said:
The SE is definitely the best bang for your buck (as long as you don't care about AOD). It's new and is sure to be supported for years to come.
Click to expand...

I got the series 6, but assume the SE will also be supported for a good 3-4 years.
 
GrandeLatte said:
I got the series 6, but assume the SE will also be supported for a good 3-4 years.
Click to expand...
It’s pretty likely. It’s largely the same hardware as the series 5, and they’re still selling and supporting the Series 3 now.

Obviously if money’s no object then get the flagship, but since this thread was about buying on a budget, the SE is a no-brainer in my opinion.
 
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