Why did you keep your Apple Watch?

[macjoshua]

I'm nearing the end of my return window on my Apple Watch Series 3, and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. Outside of fitness info (which I could get way cheaper on a FitBit), the watch basically only serves as a more prominent reminder to look at my phone.

Why did you keep yours, or did you return it?

 

[OllyW]

I would expect only a small minority of Apple Watch buyers would return their watches. Most people seem to know what they are buying.

 

[sonicrobby]

Unfortunately I had kept my SS series 0 a week past the return window; I did end up selling it on craigslist 2 weeks after. Like you, my experience was simply a glorious notification display, wasnt worth the the $600+ I spent on it based off of my financial situation.

However, the new LTE series 3 caught my attention, so much so that I went into the Apple store with the intent of purchasing it. But -1 on still requiring a phone, -1 for the LTE battery life, and -1 for the $10 monthly cost. The only opportunities where I could benefit is when Im playing sports in the park and can leave my phone at home, or going to the beach (which is rare). I ended up just walking away from it. I may wait till the series 5 or 6 to see if these things get addressed for me to practically use the watch in my life. But for now for it to be worth it for me, it would need to replace my phone entirely. Id prefer it have the option to get its own number for those who solely want calls, texts, and gps directions.

Im contemplating getting a used series 0 for the sole purpose of fitness tracking though, now that price seems more justifiable for what Id be using it for.

 

[Senfinger]

Didn't look at the money aspect- as I care about everything else...
First AW btw so I'm not a Sheep lol nor a Apple or Android Fanatic.
Here is my scattered thoughts quick and dirty-

I'm a IT Pro and Gym Rat- and I have had 3-4 Fitbits (Not a runner so Garmin etc. out for me) including:
Charge HR (Lightweight, Cheap, Tiny/Limited Screen that scratches easily...)
Blaze (One of my favs Gorilla Glass... not water proof, HR sensor is a membrane and will eventually tear, great band and fit no BT/WIFI) But great all arounder for decent no reply Notifications, music control and most importantly calorie/fitness track)
Charge HR2 (Would rather have the Blaze and or secondly the orig... screen scratches to easy and is in between on looks and feel in term of small/big wrist- felt like a bangle lol
Ionic piece of junk, light bleed, poorly put together, already water damaged units from not meeting their IPX rating...
Was allergic to the new membrane- Blaze was just as accurate- Pandora requires prem account- does have BT and Wifi support but no reply to notifications still... here again Buy a Blaze... or wait for Blaze 2 and hopes of minimal changes.
---
AW3
Waterproof for real, reply to notifications, leave phone- an amazing exp, went all day with using calls, GPS, exercise and Siri- was so nice to leave the phone... Airpods integration sooo nice, Apple Music excellent. HR is deadly accurate to the point its on par with chest straps, equipment and manual verification. Excellent work and play separation, Native for Work and Outlook for gmail (Waiting for this one to offer LTE) Otherwise could combine Native Inboxes but like separate. Band feels amazing, Screen is a proprietary Gorilla Glass type as I have a Sport AL/Black Sport Band non-Sapphire and its holding up great for Everyday and Work... the days of wifi only I have 67% left from 6AM to 10:00PM
Days of LTE and heavy calls, maps usage around 25%. The only complaints is Free Music Steaming, Apps adapting to LTE quicker, Slight improvements to the Health Setup but that's Apple... Gotta love the rings LOL... Steps, Standing and Exercise mean nothing other than bragging rights. It doesn't show you calories in vs out. for the day unless you get granular and use a third party app like MFP, Loose It, My Plate etc... several more out there.
VS Fitbit is a all in one with the app. You can be hitting your rings at a 1000 over your BMR and still eating more than you need. Apple doesn't consider that into the ring equation (Guess their response is there is an app for that) lol
Love the Airpods paired with the watch *Feels like Freedom*

I think the biggest should I- is the LTE vs Non... This comes down to an individual situation- Do you have crazy amount of wifi, do you ever plan on leaving your phone or far enough away for loss of signal, willing to pay the $10 that ends up being closer to $15 a month you can pause the device with ATT so keep plan but not pay so utilize when you go on trips etc. Emergency, one other device if phone is gone, taken, backup etc...

I have had mine for 30 days and used 80mb so far... but also just signed up for Apple Music so I'm sure that will increase. I also got Apple Care due to cheapness and replacement ease worse case...
Also, purchased this over the IP10 as I was not impressed with it (Same Proc/Mem/Camera, Batt Life,ToThick,Notch,Devs not allowed to app correct, Failed Face Tech etc...) Bought an IP8, AW3-LTE and Airpods = ) Love my decision with 0 regret

 

[Fireball Dragon]

I purchased the series 0 back in 2015. Used it for a few months, novelty wore off and continued to use my Garmin fenix 3 (and later fenix 5).

Purchased the Series 3 Septemberer out of curiosity. Initially the alu sports, then the SB SS. No looking back, amazing device!

Does so much more than I knew, and a lot better than I thought it could.

A few highlights for me:

-Apple Pay (so much easier than using my phone)
-Sleep tracking
-Respond to messages very quickly (was slow on series 0)
-Looks and feels amazing (better than fenix 5 for day-to-day)
-So many watch faces/customizing options

Many more as well, but overall, really enjoying it.

 

[44267547]

I'm nearing the end of my return window on my Apple Watch Series 3, and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. Outside of fitness info (which I could get way cheaper on a FitBit), the watch basically only serves as a more prominent reminder to look at my phone.

Why did you keep yours, or did you return it?

Truthfully, if your having a difficult time justifying in keeping it, then just return it. But for those who made the purchase with Apple Watch, they rarely return their's, mainly because it does so many things well and it suits everybody differently. But the Apple Watch isn't for everybody, in your case it doesn't sound like it is. But I use mine regularly for a lot of different features, which I find very useful in my daily Routine.

 

[Conutz]

Still using an S0 Sport and it doesn’t leave my wrist, unless I’m showering or sleeping. Great for tracking exercise, getting me off my butt at least once an hour and for reminding me to close that red ring! Fitness (and health in general) is important to me and having a measured history is great. I used to have a Jawbone, but it was a toy in comparison.

Notifications are great as well, specially when discretion required, e.g. in a meeting. Fabulous at the gym with AirPods, allowing me to control volume, skip backward and forward. Then there are all the other aspects: reminders, turn-by-turn navigation (taps!), app integration (e.g. OmniFocus) and so on.

When I first bought it, I was also a little skeptical, but I kept it and got to know its strengths, now it’s the first thing I put on in the morning! However, I wouldn’t pay the Stainless premium for a watch that’s only going to last me couple of years - I have no hassle using it for sport and business equally, or to a wedding for that matter.

A lot of guys have retuned theirs initially, just to buy another a couple of years later and love it. It’s a new concept and will take some time getting used to...

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I initially didn't. I actually purchased it two separate times and returned it within it's two week return period. Then my wife got me one as an anniversary gift and since there was no room for buyers remorse, I wore it and enjoyed the added motivation to get myself to the gym. After accruing a significant move streak, I realized that I was addicted and continued to wear it on a daily basis for another year before deciding to upgrade to a Series 3. Now that I have the additional battery life and heart rate tracking features, I wear it to bed for sleep monitoring. It's on my wrist every minute of every day unless I'm in the shower.

Another benefit is it keeps me grounded to my iPhone which has saved me a considerable amount of money that I would have blown on other phones.

 

[960design]

I'm nearing the end of my return window on my Apple Watch Series 3, and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. Outside of fitness info (which I could get way cheaper on a FitBit), the watch basically only serves as a more prominent reminder to look at my phone.

Why did you keep yours, or did you return it?

For running, swimming, biking, to tell the time, weather, receive texts and buy stuff using Apple Pay.
My Rolex only tells me the time and date.

 

[BarracksSi]

Most of this holds true after almost two years:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/comparing-my-aw-to-the-rest-of-my-collection-pic-heavy.1946056/

 

[scotttnz]

I'm nearing the end of my return window on my Apple Watch Series 3, and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. Outside of fitness info (which I could get way cheaper on a FitBit), the watch basically only serves as a more prominent reminder to look at my phone.

Why did you keep yours, or did you return it?

I’m the opposite. I bought an S0 not long after it was released, and liked it so much I just bought another one (S3). I agree that it doesn’t do anything life changing, but for me it does lots of little things more conveniently and that gives me enough value to happily part with my money.

 

[Ledgem]

I bought mine without a specific plan. I see a lot of colleagues and others have one, and figured that I could probably find a use for it, too.

I struggled for the first month or two. It was nice to be able to see text messages on my wrist, but that was about it. I already had a FitBit, so a lot of the fitness and sleep tracking was taken care of (and done better with the FitBit, in some ways). It didn't seem like there was much benefit.

Then I discovered that you could change watch faces pretty easily. I customized the "complications" on various faces for different activities that I engaged in throughout the day (home vs work vs driving), which increased the utility of the Watch a bit more. I also began dictating text replies more often. I prefer to dictate texts on my iPhone and iPad, too, but being able to do it from the Watch was even more convenient. Other uses include using it as a silent alarm, and using it as a remote control for iTunes on my computer. Having it unlock my MacBook and iMac for me are also nice features.

Then I got into collecting some of the bands for the Watch, and changing them out on occasion. Granted, now FitBit and some of the other "smart wearables" allow you to change bands, too, but it's a feature that I enjoy on the Watch.

Now I've had it for almost a year, and I continue to use it regularly. Unlike my iPhone, iPad, or Macs, I could probably get by without it... but I can certainly feel it when I'm not wearing it, and I don't mean the physical sensation. I use it regularly throughout my day, enough that I plan to buy another Watch either when this one goes or when a new version offering compelling upgrades is announced.

 

[sigomez]

What did you do with your Fenix 5? I am debating to follow your route but just feel the Apple Watch might be inferior to the Fenix when it comes to fitness stuff.

 

[Aniseedvan]

I went through a pile of smart watch/fitness trackers before I got my SS0. The closest favourite I had was the original Garmin Vivo active - thin, easy to see in direct sunlight and the battery wasn’t bad. What I missed was actionable notifications and apps.
The SS0 rather missed the mark on the apps and became noticeably slower over 2 years. Once people had said how much quicker the 3 was, I jumped in for another SS again and it really was night and day, apps work, Siri works, and I use my phone considerably less. Being able to nip to the local shop without needing my phone just in case wants to ring me is liberating. I may go back and subscribe to APple music now streaming is available. EE offers 6 months free so I may give that a go..
The trouble is if it’s not really enamouring you, I’d return it.. No point having something you’ll just not enjoy?

 

[noteple]

I am a watch addict. Digital, Fitness, Breitling, Tag, Rolex. Different day different activity different watch.
Had Android wear with Android phone phase (work).
Ignored Apple watch S0 but caved on an S2 along with the then current iPhone 7.
Never looked back. Whenever I wore a watch other than the Apple Watch I was missing functionality.
Stock notices while day trading, Apple Pay, directions on my wrist while navigating cities in rental cars
Pinging my iPhone after a coworker needed to make a work call, finding it in a ladies handbag at the lunch table.
Encourage workouts, time to stand, Just Breath.
Hey Siri set a timer for 25 minutes, to keep an eye on the parking meter.
Turn up the volume and backspace on audiobooks and podcasts.
SoundHound or what is that song playing.
Screening calls on my wrist or answering them as needed.
Forgot my glasses with a finger swipe used the watch with a large digit display.
Its embedded itself in my workflow and I would miss it if I had to give it up.
Would have upgrade to the promise of LTE in the S3 Except used S2 prices have tanked.
Maybe I'll jump on used S3 when the next generation comes out.
Having Fun.

 

[44267547]

I am a watch addict. Digital, Fitness, Breitling, Tag, Rolex. Different day different activity different watch.
Had Android wear with Android phone phase (work).
Ignored Apple watch S0 but caved on an S2 along with the then current iPhone 7.
Never looked back. Whenever I wore a watch other than the Apple Watch I was missing functionality.
Stock notices while day trading, Apple Pay, directions on my wrist while navigating cities in rental cars
Pinging my iPhone after a coworker needed to make a work call, finding it in a ladies handbag at the lunch table.
Encourage workouts, time to stand, Just Breath.
Hey Siri set a timer for 25 minutes, to keep an eye on the parking meter.
Turn up the volume and backspace on audiobooks and podcasts.
SoundHound or what is that song playing.
Screening calls on my wrist or answering them as needed.
Forgot my glasses with a finger swipe used the watch with a large digit display.
Its embedded itself in my workflow and I would miss it if I had to give it up.
Would have upgrade to the promise of LTE in the S3 Except used S2 prices have tanked.
Maybe I'll jump on used S3 when the next generation comes out.
Having Fun.

I'm also a huge fan of Apple Watches and watches in general. I think the Apple Watch is probably my favorite piece of tech released from them within the last few years. I own my fair share of Apple watches.

 

[ad931]

my views mirror the above, had a Heuer as a daily driver, now its my S1. I've had it 11 months now, wasnt sure at first if it was for me, now its my daily driver, helps me tremendously throughout the day, the only gripe i have is that it needs charging every night, though when it goes on the charger at midnight after 18 hours use, the battery is at 70% which i think is very good. The most battery life i've seen from it is exactly 50 hours.

With the AirPods, the functionality has increased for me, i now have the phone in my pocket etc and make all calls from the watch with the AirPods. I still think though that the Watch has many additional capabilities & features built in that are locked through WatchOS and will be unlocked as and when Apple sees fit...

 

[powerslave65]

The beauty of the Apple watch is it does everything needed in casual glances and not obsessive fiddling like a smart phone. Many comimg from a smart phone cannot be satisfied by such a minimal and effective use case.

 

[370zulu]

This is my third AW. I've had Series 1, 2 and now 3. I always buy the least expensive version because it is not a style or fashion statement for me.

I have used and still use the fitness tracking and info, Heart Rate data as well as Apple Pay. Now I occasionally use the LTE calling.

 

[cawgijoe]

I'm nearing the end of my return window on my Apple Watch Series 3, and I'm having a hard time justifying the cost. Outside of fitness info (which I could get way cheaper on a FitBit), the watch basically only serves as a more prominent reminder to look at my phone.

Why did you keep yours, or did you return it?

I've always worn a watch. Most of the time it's been a Casio diver's watch of some sort. Cheap, waterproof. Used them till the batteries died. Tried to replace the battery. Spring flies across the room. Easier to just buy a new one.

When the Apple Watch 0 came out I was intriqued. Cool device. Did alot of things. It was not waterproof. No go for me.

Apple Watch 2 came out. Waterproof. Faster processor. GPS. Ok, on my Birthday list. Got it. Love it. Use it for daily run. Heart rate monitor. Seeing text messages on the wrist without having to look at the phone. Apple Pay. Calendar. Email. Siri. Great in meetings when it is muted and I can see a text without being super obvious. I'm barely using all that it can do.

My only qualm about the whole thing is that I'm sure I will have to buy a new one in a few years because the processor will slow down and the battery will eventually not hold a charge.

But that's ok. Life is short.

 

[Mikeeee]

I just jumped on the watch bandwagon for the first time. AW Series 3. Honestly I'm in complete awe of this device. There is probably more power in this device then was possible on a mainframe computer. The mainframe needed an entire room.

Lots of great features and conveniences. As a side plus, I'm saving battery life on my phone and can get a lot of what I need straight from the watch. No chance I'll be returning it.

 

[warburg]

What does "sleep monitoring" mean?

 

[blairh]

I love my AW. I have 6 main uses for it.

1. Notifications. This is the biggest one. My phone is silent and does not vibrate. I absolutely love getting notifications on my wrist. I also sometimes dictate replies to texts. Perfect.

2. Apple Pay. Once you can pay for things on your wrist you cannot go back. It's the best.

3. Control my iTunes Match library on the go. This is new because this feature was sadly removed with 4.0 but I just got a S3 GPS that now allows me this again. I love being able to select songs, albums, etc from my wrist without removing the iPhone from my pocket.

4. Stocard. Contains all my membership/discount cards.

5. Pocket Casts. Can navigate my podcasts from my wrist.

6. Weather app. Love how it constantly updates me on the current weather by just looking at my wrist.

 

[44267547]

What does "sleep monitoring" mean?

It monitors your sleep patterns, intervals and cycles, how much sleep you are actually accruing in a set period of time. Their are fitness devices that help measure, but it's much more intricate/accurate if it's conducted medically by a professional.

 

[/\ppleDude]

I also sold mine on Craigslist after I missed the return window by one day. My complaints with it was the lack of sleep tracking, the bulkiness of it, and the cost of the device (due to my job and the possibility of it being broken). I had a Fitbit Charge HR prior to the AW and decided to go back to it after it was sold.

There is a market for cheaper Fitness "Bands" and I think that Apple could do very well in that market with a band such as the Fitbit Charge. That is when I would buy another AW. I also very much prefer some kind of sleep tracking as I think that is a great feature!