When to buy Apple Watch

[thepitchfinder]

I've been wanting to get an AppleWatch ever since I got my iPhone 6s in the fall of 2015, but wanted to wait to see if there would be improvements. Since they just had their event, the watch is now cheaper to buy, my question is whether I should buy it now or wait for a second edition that may or may not come with the year?

 

[The Doctor11]

I say wait, I strongly believe the next watch will be released in the fall.

 

[chickenwingfly]

Think it depends on whether you need it now or not. That's always the case with technology.

From what I read the v1 needs more work on the sensors and the responsiveness is not that great. So most likely the v2 will be snappier and will pack new and improved sensors.

However since I just upgraded from a 4s to a 6s+ and have wanted a smartwatch for a while now, I will buy one next week because I think it will be a great accessory to compliment my phone and I don't want to wait another 6 months or 7 to get the v2.

Also I'm confident that with the high price of the bands, v2 whether curved or rectangular will support the existing ones. I will personally just get knock off bands from third parties, but still.

 

[Blujelly]

I would wait I feel the next event will bring AW 2.

Although I personally would like them to be a two year upgrade cycle....

 

[hovscorpion12]

The Apple Watch 2 is not coming until 2017. Apple recently announced new bands and prices. Every Apple event for the rest of the year is focused on iOS, WatchOS, OS X, iPhone 7 and iPad. If your interested in an Apple Watch, buy it now or wait

 

[Blujelly]

The Apple Watch 2 is not coming until 2017. Apple recently announced new bands and prices. Every Apple event for the rest of the year is focused on iOS, WatchOS, OS X, iPhone 7 and iPad. If your interested in an Apple Watch, buy it now or wait

You don't think the next event they could get one out?

 

[hovscorpion12]

Announce it yes at the end of the September iPhone even. Release not until March/April 2017. Or even Feb.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Possible the AW will not be updated till 2017 but no one knows.

I am still so busy learning all the new features from the latest Apple Watch update!

 

[zhenya]

I doubt it will be released in June - that is a Mac event.

It could be released in September, but that's when the iPhone is released. A new AW at the same time would hurt sales because most people's first priority is getting a new phone, but few will be willing or able to buy both at the same time. That could point to no new watch until next year, but that too seems unlikely.

In other words we don't know.

Buying now is not a terrible idea. The watch is still supremely functional, and bought now at a discount could be re-sold in the future at a minimal loss. The first most likely release timeframe is nearly 7 months away. You could get a lot of use out of an AW between now and then.

 

[lars666]

I would wait – it's different in this case (IMO) than a jump from an already mature iPhone to an even more perfected one. The loading of apps takes forever and can be really annoying on the watch, that's a *fundamental* downside which probably will be fixed in Gen 2 with a faster processor.

There is the risk though that we will wait longer for Gen 2 of the Apple watch as expected as we don't have any historic guidance of the cycles yet. I'm pretty sure though that we will see the new one in fall if not earlier – as Apple definitely has to push the watch forward so it doesn't fade away in meaninglessness. Price cut on Gen 1 just stresses again that this is not the immediate sales hit they surely hoped it will become.

 

[BarracksSi]

Always wait for the next version. ALWAYS.

The money you save by not buying anything ever again can be used to solve world hunger.

[edit] As long as you put it in your will, of course.

 

[BarracksSi]

Stop thinking of the AW like it's an iPhone. Think of it more like an iPod. When was the last iPod update? How long are the update cycles among the iPod family?

 

[Psyfuzz]

Stop thinking of the AW like it's an iPhone. Think of it more like an iPod. When was the last iPod update? How long are the update cycles among the iPod family?

To be fair - during the height of the iPod's popularity there was annual updates, and in many instances bi-annual updates. The iPod's family is on the decline, the Watch is meant to be growing.

 

[kapolani]

I'm pretty certain I will pick one up soon.

If a new one comes out I will either:

- sell it to use towards the next iteration or,
- give it to my mother/wife/daughter to use and buy the new one.

 

[LordQ]

We are almost 5 months away from the second-gen introduction, hold on!

 

[kapolani]

We are almost 5 months away from the second-gen introduction, hold on!

Due to "I want my new Apple product time dilation" five months equates to almost five years. Much too long to wait. I'm an immediate gratification kind of guy.

 

[WLS]

I'd say buy the watch cheap now if you want it and then upgrade when and if a better one comes out. There is no certainty that a new one will come in six months, it may not be ready until next year. I see best buy has open box/refurb sport models for as little as $211. Get one of those and buy the classy new nylon strap and you have a new watch as far as anyone can tell.
I'm also considering buying a used one off of Craigslst and have a few questions I hope you can answer for me.
Is there any kind of icloud lock or find my phone tracking that I need to be aware of? Is there an access code that I need to check for?? Any other security cavets or theft protection I need to be aware of?
Thanks

 

[exxxviii]

Is there any kind of icloud lock or find my phone tracking that I need to be aware of? Is there an access code that I need to check for?? Any other security cavets or theft protection I need to be aware of?

Yeah, and this is a serious Cluster Fart on Apple's part. It requires that the former owner follows specific steps. And, neither the owner nor the used buyer can tell by looking at the watch if the seller did it correctly. The used buyer only learns it does not work when they attempt to pair it to their phone.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I wanted the AW ever since announced, and I'm inherently an early adopter. But somehow I held on for yesterday's event, thinking a newer version would be released. Well, I was wrong, but went straight to apple.com within a minute of the event ending and ordered a AWS + Royal Blue band. I simply could not wait any longer! And as mentioned, even Fall 2016 is no guaranty for a newer model.

I'm sure I'll want the AW2, but by that time I will have mastered my new/current one. And maybe I will "retire" my current one to be purely a sleep tracker when I get a new one? Or go with the stainless version?

There's just too many things I want to try out NOW, vs. waiting an indefinite time. And we know it's not going to be updated next month, which was my concern around the holidays, when we first saw some real price decreases.

 

[WLS]

Yeah, and this is a serious Cluster Fart on Apple's part. It requires that the former owner follows specific steps. And, neither the owner nor the used buyer can tell by looking at the watch if the seller did it correctly. The used buyer only learns it does not work when they attempt to pair it to their phone.

You have my attention.. I looked up the procedures one has to go through to unpair it and they are complicated. Apple really wants to make it difficult to change ownership. It must be due to ApplePay security. It's much easier with just an iPad or iPod.
It seems like one should just buy it new and hold onto it.

 

[exxxviii]

Here is the official instructions from Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205009

However the root problem is that the watch can look the same in its un-paired state even if the former owner did not follow these instructions correctly. If you search on things like "activation lock" or "locked," you can find posts about people's first hand experiences getting a watch that they cannot pair. In a number of cases, the people were convinced that they did it right, yet the watch would not work.

 

[IphoneIssues]

Nobody knows when a second version is coming. People said March. It didn't happen. Next one is September, so this is what people are saying now. Nobody knows. Everything is an assumption.

If the current watch interests you, buy it. If not, there's nothing else to think about.

 

[Sigoogle]

If you really want it, then you might as well buy it now. Because you can always sell it on or give it to a family member/friend when the new one is released, so you won't lose out on too much money from buying it now.

No one here knows when the second gen will be released, so we can't give you a answer for sure on this subject, it's all down to you on this, personally, i'd buy it now so that you have the first gen watch and then whenever we're at the 4th-5th gen, it'll be worth some money in the future

 

[BarracksSi]

(PS: looks like I got on a roll…

To be fair - during the height of the iPod's popularity there was annual updates, and in many instances bi-annual updates. The iPod's family is on the decline, the Watch is meant to be growing.

I suppose, but the iPod also had different form factors emerge, and the physical interfaces changed as technologies evolved. Pocket-sized was supplemented by stick-sized and lapel clip-sized; spinning hardware wheels were replaced by touch-sensitive wheels; black-and-white LCDs were replaced by color touchscreens. And this was all without the iPhone taking over as many users' main playback device.

The size of the AW can't change much. 42mm is big enough, really, and going smaller than 38mm would be comically illegible.

Interface-wise, we already have a retina-density display which renders great color and differentiates between hard and soft presses. We also have voice control, which (mostly) obviates the need for an onscreen keyboard. There are only two hardware buttons, sure, but an app can magically create four buttons of its own via Force Press.

(besides, keeping the hardware buttons only on one side of the case gives a clean "base" to push against with your other finger; see the iPhone 6/6+ as an annoying example of opposing buttons creating accidental button presses)

I'm still of the opinion that there isn't a lot to add to the AW as improvements unless they make a big advancement in battery technology -- and even if they can, there are some inherent limits to what such a small device should be allowed to do.

The technical ability to have a QWERTY keyboard on the AW's screen is there, right? Neolithic-era smartwatches from HP (or whoever) had them in hardware, so why not do QWERTY in software? Because it's a pain in the ass, that's why. Remember, those old smartwatches didn't have companion smartphones, so they had to try to stand alone. Today, if someone has their smartphone nearby, they have no reason to type on a smartwatch screen.

(an aside on button sizes -- calculator apps on the AW are already at my bottom limit for practical use. A slightly fumbled tip calculation for a restaurant bill is hardly consequential. If I had to correct typos in text via a keyboard, I'd probably throw the watch at the wall)

 

[gigaguy]

AW2 will be thinner, we know that. As far as buying, it's up to you...I just bought a 2mo old 42mm Space Gray Sport for about half retail, no wear, in the box. Ask seller for the serial # then go to Apple pages for warranty check and icloud status, it will show you. Used prices will go even lower too after Apple's price drop Monday. that's my 2 cents. loving mine, just synched bt headphones up for phone free outdoor hike. Nice, no wires, no phone..