I need to replace my almost non-functional Applewatch 3. I can get a Applewatch SE with cellular for 279, and the non-cellular 9 is 359. The 9 adds always on screen, EEG, and o2 sat. So the SE with cellular kills it in my opinion. Actually, I don't even know if cellular is necessary, as it's more of a safety thing that only pays off if I were to hurt myself running in the hills or something (the only thing I do without a cell phone). Very small payoff, unless it happens, of course.

And the Ultra, holy cow, the only net positive I can see there would be if I could use it instead of a cell phone, which I perhaps could do.

Am I missing something?

Quote
kj
I need to replace my almost non-functional Applewatch 3. I can get a Applewatch SE with cellular for 279, and the non-cellular 9 is 359. The 9 adds always on screen, EEG, and o2 sat. So the SE with cellular kills it in my opinion. Actually, I don't even know if cellular is necessary, as it's more of a safety thing that only pays off if I were to hurt myself running in the hills or something (the only thing I do without a cell phone). Very small payoff, unless it happens, of course.

And the Ultra, holy cow, the only net positive I can see there would be if I could use it instead of a cell phone, which I perhaps could do.

Am I missing something?

The Ultra is the one I would buy. It's still not big enough to me.

the things you list for the 9 are in my 8. Are there 8's available anywhere?

when i first got my AW 4 i turned on cellular. about a few months i realized i always had my phone with me so cellular was useless especially since i was with ATT and it was $19 a month. Now I have an 8 and i recently turned on cellular. I'm staying somewhere for a few months and when I walk my dog at night i forget to grab my phone. my provider now is Visible and adding the watch is only $5 a month. I don't mind that.

---

If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama

For me it's got to have always on.
WM has some deals on Apple watch 8.

If you don't need the always on, the current gen SE looks good.

Why do you need always on? I would like it, but it’s not huge, is it? I’ll see what deals I can find on the 8, but it looks to be not much cheaper than the 9.

For myself, the ability to call 911 without need to resort to iPhone is important. If I took a tumble or unable to get my phone (cardiac event or stroke?) then it is way to summon help. I don’t have an iPhone carrier that allows to add the watch to my plan, so always available 911 capability (gps plus cell) sans carrier support is nice. I went from a series zero to series 5 (cell) to the 9 (cell) taking about 5 years between upgrades. And like the always on and brighter easier to read in daylight screen.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2023 03:49AM by pqrst.

kj,

You missed one of the most important differences between the SE and the 8 and the 9. Fast charging. This feature by itself is well worth the difference in bucks. Always on isn't a big deal. Many of the other features aren't a huge deal for lots of people.

Fast charging? It's a game changer and one of the only reasons an Apple Watch became a viable alternative to the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini I'd been using as a smart watch. Considering the charge on an Apple Watch typically last about a day to day and a half in my experience, I wouldn't own an Apple Watch at all without fast charging.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2023 07:11AM by Robert M.

FWIW I've purchased several 1st gen Apple Watch SE's with cellular for under $200...

Look around you may still be able to find such a deal.

---

g=

There is a story this morning that Apple will pause selling watches soon....

Apple Pausing Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in U.S. Due to Patent Dispute

[www.macrumors.com]

[9to5mac.com]

---

Long time Mac user



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2023 08:30AM by SurfMacJpMtb.

Always on isn't a big deal.

but

For me it's got to have always on.

and

but it’s not huge, is it?


Apparently what's important to any one individual is really all that matters.

ADent feels it's important, and that's that, or at least it should be.

Fast charging isn't important.

Or at least, not to me.

Starting with the very first model, my Watch didn't doesn't get below 50% because I hang it up at night for my bedtime routine and again in the morning, if I wore it at night, during morning routine.

I don't wear it during sleep, every night.

As a result, fast charging isn't a factor for me at all.

My latest Watch, always on, gets over a day, with the same charge routine.

It does fast charging, but I still don't need it.

That's my use case.

My Watch does have a cellular radio, but I didn't get a plan because I find the price egregious.

The cellular radio is supposed to work, by law, without a plan.

I've only seen account of this being tested and the user claimed it took over 5min to get connected.

I don't know anymore about it, and wonder if that's because he didn't have a plan.

5min can feel like a lifetime, if it's your life on the clock.

Still, no cell plan for the Watch.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Fast charging would be important if you wear your watch in bed for sleep tracking or similar reasons.

My AW sits on its charger all night, so fast charging isn't that important to me.

It would be occasionally useful, like when the GFCI trips in my bathroom and I wake up to find my watch not charged.

This is such an interesting discussion. A study in how different people’s views and needs vary. My wish list for Apple Watches is a 72 hour battery (same size case I use a 41mm).

pqrst,

The only time I take off my watch is to charge it. Since that is how I wear my watch, I stuck with my Amazfit smart watches and, prior to them, a Garmin Activity band, specifically because the Apple Watch's battery life is so awful.

The Garmin needed new batteries approximately once per year. It was waterproof to the point that I never had to take it off. I loosened it to put on boxing gloves for cardio boxing but it still stayed on my wrist. IT only came off when the band tore and/or I needed to replace the batteries.

The Amazfit needed a recharge once every 1.5 to 2 weeks. Same usage. I took them off only for charging and/or when the band tore. Otherwise, like the Garmin, they stayed on my wrist.

The Apple watch? It's off once daily for a quick recharge while I take a shower and it's off when I work the heavy bag. Otherwise, it stays on. Unlike the Garmin and the Amazfits, I have the magnetic band for my Apple watch and I worry that it will fly off as I work the heavy bag.

I made the switch to the Apple Watch because of superior integration with the iPhone and such and because of fast charging. Reality is I should've made the change to one upon the release of the series 7. I wasn't ready for it, though. No complaints at all with my series 8.

Robert

I trade off my series 5 for nighttime use. And the series 9 for day. Otherwise they sit in the slow charger which is fine. The brighter 9 screen is noticeably easier to read for me outdoors.

Quote
pqrst
For myself, the ability to call 911 without need to resort to iPhone is important. If I took a tumble or unable to get my phone (cardiac event or stroke?) then it is way to summon help. I don’t have an iPhone carrier that allows to add the watch to my plan, so always available 911 capability (gps plus cell) sans carrier support is nice.

The answer to this question is probably obvious, but I'm clueless about all things Apple Watch and just want to make sure I understand...

In order to be able to call 911 without an iPhone nearby, you need the Cellular version (with or without service)?

I assume if your iPhone is in the room or car then the GPS-only watch can still call 911?

Siri has degenerated so far that I rarely even try using it on my watch any longer. That takes away most of it's utility for me. I would only consider buying one today for the exercise tracking and an older model can do that just fine.

---

Ukulele music I couldn't find anywhere else.
[colquhoun.info]

Darn, I got mine just for fun. I learn what I like/don't like, use/don't use, as I wear it. It's a modern day amusement that entertains me.

---

“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it."

That EEG functionality can save lives. Being able to call 911 without your phone is a nice feature to have although I agree it would be useful in a pretty rare circumstance.

Anyway, my watch lasts for >2 weeks at a charge.

Quote
AllGold
I assume if your iPhone is in the room or car then the GPS-only watch can still call 911?

That is correct.

Quote
mattkime
That EEG functionality can save lives. Being able to call 911 without your phone is a nice feature to have although I agree it would be useful in a pretty rare circumstance.

Every watch absolutely needs to have this as a default ability for it to truly be a game changer. News services don't spend much time on people that died because their Watch didn't have cellular, or the battery ran out. The longer the battery lasts, the fewer people will die because they forgot to recharge it. If my mom had a Watch with fall monitoring on when she fell, she might have lived another year or two. But I don't think she would have used one if she had to charge it every day.

---

In tha 360. MRF User Map



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2023 07:48PM by Filliam H. Muffman.

I used to wear a Series 2 (not bought new) for a few years. But I bought a Series 8 earlier this year for medical reasons. Due to health factors, I really wanted the cardiac and blood oxygen saturation capabilities as well as the fall monitoring. I am well pleased with these functions. Both are silver stainless steel which has the sapphire crystal. The Series 2 has absolutely zero scratches on the crystal after several years of every day wearing including yard and garden work. I really don't care about the cellular capability. I do not feel there is any advantage to going to a Series 9.

Quote
pqrst
I trade off my series 5 for nighttime use. And the series 9 for day. Otherwise they sit in the slow charger which is fine. The brighter 9 screen is noticeably easier to read for me outdoors.

Similar routine - I have a Series 3 that I use when sleep while my Series 8 is charging and wear my Series 8 during the day usually unless I forget to swap them out or switch them

Always on is needed for me since I had a fitbit that was on demand and I would look down and see the display off annoyingly often.

I catch my Series 6 napping (it dims its display at times, when the SE would be off), but I can see what I need and glad skipped the SE.

If you have an older watch that the display goes off and you are good with it - then grab a new SE (while you still can).

I do miss the fast charging on my S6, but not sure the fast charging on S8 would be fast enough for me (with an S8 going to a family member, I hope to find out soon).

I have an old Apple Watch 3. No fast charging. And I wear it every night.

I get up, I have 40% battery, I place it on the charger, get some breakfast, shower, pick it up and it is 95-100% full.

Fast charging is not important, for me.

I posted a provocative title because fewer people answer when you don't. At least I didn't ask part of the question ending with "..." so you couldn't know what I was asking without clicking

Yes, I get that people have different needs. And sometimes it's fun just to have something even if you don't need it.

I appreciate the things people have brought up. I did not know about fast charging, and some of the other stuff. Thanks ADent, I am occasionally irritated by the watch not being visible when I look at it. Especially laying down. But I may just deal since the 9 is a lot more.

I think cellular is more important than features. Does anyone know if I can pair my earbuds with the watch and listen to Spotify without my phone? That could be something useful for me.

Quote
kj
Does anyone know if I can pair my earbuds with the watch and listen to Spotify without my phone? That could be something useful for me.

You can with Apple Music, so I assume Spotify users can too.

Quote
gadje
I have an old Apple Watch 3. No fast charging. And I wear it every night.

I get up, I have 40% battery, I place it on the charger, get some breakfast, shower, pick it up and it is 95-100% full.

Fast charging is not important, for me.

This is my same practice/feeling.

---

Quote
rich in distress

Quote
kj
Does anyone know if I can pair my earbuds with the watch and listen to Spotify without my phone? That could be something useful for me.

You can with Apple Music, so I assume Spotify users can too.

Thanks.

Quote
$tevie

Quote
gadje
I have an old Apple Watch 3. No fast charging. And I wear it every night.

I get up, I have 40% battery, I place it on the charger, get some breakfast, shower, pick it up and it is 95-100% full.

Fast charging is not important, for me.

This is my same practice/feeling.

My wife does this too. I'm too slothful. I get up, take a shower, coffee, banana and drive to work all in a half hour, which leaves no time for charging. I can't wear the watch all night because it eats my skin, so it doesn't matter anyway.