Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which is the better buy? SE or Series 5?

wmitch

wmitch

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 7, 2012
166
12
Iowa, USA
The Discount prices on the Series 5 is making them very similar to the SE. I've seen 40mm S5 for $299 and SE for $279.
It seems like the Series 5 with the same chip and Always on display would be the better watch.

Am I missing something?
 
ECG as well for 5. If you're okay with gold case and pink band, S5 is better.
 
wmitch said:
The Discount prices on the Series 5 is making them very similar to the SE. I've seen 40mm S5 for $299 and SE for $279.
It seems like the Series 5 with the same chip and Always on display would be the better watch.

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
If I had to pick between the Series 5 and SE I would pick the Series 5 because of the AOD. I think the SE is marketed towards kids and older people who might not care about some of the fancy features but want important things like GPS, fall detection, and the heart rate sensor. The SE might have a slightly longer battery life but we won't know till reviews and tear downs happen.
 
The always on display is without a doubt the best usability feature to come to the watch in my eyes.
Without it you’re usually just looking at a black square when checking the time quickly. There isn’t often that I’ll look at mine and it lights up fully when wanting to see the time, as such the SE to me would just be frustrating.
Of course other people will have different opinions and usage cases for the watch, but I’d totally pay the extra $20 for the S5 and would advise anyone else to do the same if they can afford it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wilberforce
For me, , I would probably opt for the S5, there’s still plenty of watchOS support left for that model, and it’s offered in different finishes versus the SE is a bit more limited in different areas. It really depends on what you value in terms of features as your main considerations.
 
Sam in SoCal said:
I disagree with you. It’s a battery changer, an always on display is going to burn more battery. I don’t need that display on all the time.
Click to expand...

You’re correct. AOD is not a game changer, it’s a convenience factor. And the battery life is the sacrifice you have to make with AOD with OLED being what Apple using for display technology, I believe once we transition to micro LED, I suspect AOD wouldn’t have any impact on the battery life whatsoever. But, obviously we haven’t made that transition quite yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ModusOperandi
Sam in SoCal said:
I disagree with you. It’s a battery changer, an always on display is going to burn more battery. I don’t need that display on all the time.
Click to expand...

What difference did you find in your testing? i.e. how many hours from full charge to 10% with AOD off vs on?

When I tested AOD on vs off, I didn't see much difference with my S5, but that was a year ago so I don't recall the details. Thus I'm curious -- and some quantitative info would be more helpful to other readers.

What I can say confidently is this -- I take my S5 off the charger when I get up, and it lasts just fine until bedtime typically 17-18 hours later. Even after using it for a year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mgscheue
With aod, I dont have to move my arm or wrist to see the time if the screen is already within sight.
and it is awesome when i ride a bike because i can constantly monitor my HR. But if you dont exercise, i guess you wont know the difference.
even someone who does only planks can benefit from aod.
 
edhchoe said:
With aod, I dont have to move my arm or wrist to see the time if the screen is already within sight.
Click to expand...

Also really handy when your kid or your spouse is curled up and you can't move your arm without disturbing them.

Or in the pre-covid days when you were sitting in the never-ending-meeting at work and wondered how much longer the torture would last... :p
 
To me this is an easy question because AOD is one of the best things to come to AW since it was introduced. It has made my AW experience far better (coming from a S3). S5 also has the ECG. Always-on altimeter is the only feature I'm aware of that SE has and S5 does not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deeddawg
Hmm... I think we can all agree that, if the difference is 20 bucks, the series 5 has more to offer which most probably is worth the upgrade.

In my case, the price difference is 100€... (370€ for the SE, 470€ for the 5 from online retailers... both 44mm Aluminium cellular version). The 6 would be 545€ in that config...

Would you still say that the 5 is worth the extra cash?
 
I always find it hard to answer "is it worth it" questions because it really does depend on what you value and your financial situation, both of which are unique to each person.

Personally, I find the AOD to be a total game changer. I'm so much more satisfied with my S5 than I was with my S3 just because of that one feature. So for me, yes, the 5 would still be worth it. But, it's certainly a harder call at a 100€ price difference than a $20 difference.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deeddawg
wmitch said:
The Discount prices on the Series 5 is making them very similar to the SE. I've seen 40mm S5 for $299 and SE for $279.
It seems like the Series 5 with the same chip and Always on display would be the better watch.

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
I’ve been looking for series 5 deals. I saw some on Walmart but not in the size/color combo I want. It looks like sellers have cleared out a lot of their stock. Where else have you seen the series 5 being sold?
 
im not sure why anyone would get a watch SE vs. an on sale series 5 really. as little as $20 more with regular $299 sales vs $279 for SE.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tofupunch
Consumers aren’t pricing in their head the difference between the SE and S5, they purchase whatever marketing is in front of them. That’s why Apple so good at what they do, is they basically make you forget about last year‘s model, and that’s exactly with the consumer sees. You can go back and forth and say ‘$20 savings this or that’, but that’s not what matters, what matters is the marketing that pushes the consumer to the latest product.
 
I was nudged in the direction of the Series 5 watch. I liked the AOD feature. And I did find a Space Grey version at my local Walmart for $299. Since the price was so close to the SE, I went ahead and purchased it. I also liked that I could pick it up immediately and not have to wait on an SE being shipped to me.

Oh and the Series 5 watches actually have the plug adapter included. So nyah! ;)
 
perezr10 said:
For me the kicker is that you can’t get a sapphire screen on an SE. I’d much rather get a Series 5 or 4 with a sapphire screen and never have to worry about scratches.
Click to expand...
AFAIK sapphire is only installed in the stainless steel version of the Series 5, am I correct? Now we're talking about a different price point...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marty_Macfly
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back