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 Back in September 2014, Apple announced they were working on their first new product in years, a smart watch they were creatively calling the Apple Watch running watchOS, a fork of iOS. It launched the following April to reasonable fanfare, but possibly tepid response. We have no idea, as Apple has refused to give concrete numbers on their sales of Watches, merely stating they're selling well. A year and a half later, they launched the Apple Watch Series 1 and 2, with new Watches launched each September or October since, most recently the Series 7. Since launch, Apple has consistently updated watchOS, bringing us to the latest version, 8.0, which has new features including photo features, better Home integration, updates to Messages, Focuses, and replacing Breathe with Mindfulness. Apple also offers a trade-in program for their devices, including watches (even non-Apple smart watches!). You can find your trade-in value here. CURRENTLY AVAILABLE MODELS Apple Watch Series 7: Launched in October 2021, the Series 7 Watch is a somewhat minor update. The SoC remains the same from the Series 6, as does the sensor package, but the Series 7 features a bigger, brighter edge-to-edge screen in a slightly larger case, allowing for some new watch faces only available on Series 7, an on-screen keyboard, and other minor features. Construction of the Watch has been redesigned, with Apple claiming it to be the most durable ever. Apple has indicated that the Series 7 battery life is equivalent to the Series 6, but the charging system has been redesigned, allowing for fast charging with the new charger (though old chargers continue to work). Series 7 is available in starlight (a slightly yellow-toned silver), green, midnight, blue, and PRODUCT(RED) aluminum; and silver, gold, and graphite stainless steel. Stainless steel models are only available with LTE. LTE models are identifiable by a thin red ring on the digital crown. Apple Watch Edition: The Apple Watch Edition returns, in titanium and Space Black titanium. Apple claims the titanium models to be lighter than stainless steel while stronger. These have a natural brushed finish, with a surface treatment claimed to be fingerprint and stain-resistant. Like stainless steel, the Space Black titanium models use a diamond-like carbon coating. These all use the same internals as the standard LTE models, complete with red ring on the crown. Apple Watch SE: Launched in September 2020, the Apple Watch SE features the case and SoC from the Series 5 and the sensor package from the Series 3 (so no ECG). It's available in silver, space grey, and gold aluminum, with LTE optional across the line. LTE models are identifiable by a thin red ring on the digital crown. Apple Watch Series 3: Launched in September 2017, the Series 3 brought upgraded internals from the Series 2 (see below), as well as optional LTE capabilities, offering some independence from a phone, though this is no longer available. They offer true water-proofness and a GPS. It's currently available in silver and space gray aluminum. LTE Series 3 watches are identifiable by a red dot on the digital crown. While Apple continues to sell these, they're hard to recommend with the SE being just $80 more. Apple Watch Nike: These are essentially the same as an aluminum Series 7 and SE, just with some additional watch faces targeted at runners, and a Nike logo on the back. These can be found in some sporting goods stores that might otherwise not sell Apple Watches. The Series 7 is available in midnight and starlight aluminum, while the SE is in silver and space grey, either with or without LTE. Apple Watch Hermes: These are co-branded with fashion designer brand Hermes, but are essentially just stainless steel LTE Series 7 with expensive, fancy leather bands and a couple additional watch faces, plus the Hermes logo on the back. They also include an exclusive orange Hermes-branded sport band (though Apple has sold nearly identical sport bands without the Hermes branding). These are available in silver and space black and available in Apple Stores and select Hermes Stores. Series 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, SE models are available in 40mm and 44 mm sizes, and Series 3 models are available in both 38mm and 42mm sizes, though certain bands may only be offered in one of the sizes. Series 7 and SE are available in cellular and non-cellular models, while Series 3 is only available in non-cellular. The different sizes are functionally the same, though the smaller models will have slightly reduced battery life compared to the larger models. Aluminum models have an Ion-X glass screen while stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic models feature a sapphire screen. Series 3 Watches feature composite backs, while all Series 7 and SE Watches feature a sapphire and ceramic back. DISCONTINUED MODELS Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition: The original Apple Watches, featuring a single-core CPU, unofficially known as Series 0 since Apple decided to call the second Apple Watch Series 1. The Sport models were all aluminum, the Watch was stainless, and the Edition was gold and rose gold. Support was ended with WatchOS 5. Apple Watch Series 1: Launched in September 2016, the Series 1 was essentially the original Apple Watch Sport with an upgraded, dual-core CPU. It was available in silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold aluminum. These were discontinued with the launch of the Series 4, and support ended with WatchOS 6. Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Edition (Series 2): Launched the same time as the Series 1, the Series 2 offered a completely upgraded SoC which included a GPS, as well as full waterproofing. These were available in various aluminum and stainless steel colors. The Edition was available only in white ceramic. These were discontinued at the launch of the Series 3. All Series 2 models feature a ceramic back. Additionally, there were Nike+ and Hermes versions of these. Like Series 1, support ended with WatchOS 6. Apple Watch Series 3 (LTE), Apple Watch Nike+ (Series 3), Apple Watch Hermes (Series 3), Apple Watch Edition (Series 3): With the launch of the Series 3, Apple released new Hermes Watches, as well as gray and white ceramic Watch Editions. Hermes and Editions were discontinued with the launch of the Series 4. LTE models and Nike+ were discontinued with the launch of the Series 6 and SE. These continue to receive software support with WatchOS 8. Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Hermes (Series 4), Apple Watch Nike+ (Series 4): With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 5, the entire Apple Watch 4 lineup was discontinued, with Nike and Hermes versions updated to Apple Watch 5. These featured a larger, but thinner case and screen than previous versions. These continue to receive software support with WatchOS 8. Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch Hermes (Series 5), Apple Watch Nike (Series 5): With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6, the entire Apple Watch 5 lineup was discontinued, with Nike and Hermes versions updated to Apple Watch 6. These continue to receive software support with WatchOS 8. Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Hermes (Series 6), Apple Watch Nike (Series 6): With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 7, the entire Apple Watch 6 lineup was discontinued, with the Nike and Hermes versions updated to Apple Watch 7. Apple switched the Edition to titanium starting with this generation. These continue to receive software support with WatchOS 8. CAPABILITIES Apple Watches offer a number of uses, though they won't all be useful to all users: Customizable watchfaces: It's a watch. It tells the time. But it includes a number of faces that can be customized with various complications allowing you to decide what information you want available at a glance. Faces can be quickly swiped between for different situations. WatchOS 8 allows for more customization, as well as sharing of watch faces. Series 5 - 7 watches feature an always-on screen for better time viewing. Siri: Hold the crown and Siri pops up. As far as I'm aware, it does everything it does on an iPhone. Notifications: Probably the single most-used feature other than timekeeping, Apple Watches can mirror notifications from your iPhone, letting you view texts, emails, phone calls, etc. without taking out your phone. Apple Pay: Credit, debit, and transit cards may be stored on your Watch and used to pay via NFC readers at participating retailers. Phone calls: You can call people and answer calls. LTE models can do this without an iPhone with a plan from your carrier (additional charges may apply, but this is optional). Messaging: You can text message your friends and family using either simple, premade responses, emojis, voice transcoding, or by scribbling actual letters directly on the screen. Series 7 watches also feature and on-screen keyboard. Fitness monitoring: Apple Watches all have a heartrate monitor on the bottom and can follow your heartrate throughout the day. It also counts steps and such. There's additionally a workout mode where your heartrate is sampled more often, displaying it, as well as time exercising, and calories burned right on the screen. Series 4 - 7 watches have additional ECG sensors for improved monitoring. Media controls: Control the music you're listening to on your iPhone, the video you're watching on your AppleTV, and other such things. Music, podcast, and audiobook listening: You can download audio onto your watch and listen via bluetooth devices directly from it, and LTE models can stream it. Calculator: You can calculate things! Right on your wrist! It's like 1985 all over! Cycle tracking: Period-having individuals can track their menstrual cycles right on their watch, which feeds into Apple Health. Noise app: Your Watch will notify you if you're somewhere that's too loud and can damage your hearing. Apps: iPhone apps can have watchOS portions created offering a number of things that may be done directly on the Watch, including third-party calculators, Tinder, and more. There is also an App Store right on the watch to download apps directly, without an associated iPhone app. BANDS The Apple Watch features a quick-release system allowing users to swap bands in and out based on their whims and desires with little trouble. Apple offers a variety of materials, styles, and colors, including elastomers, leather, metal, and nylon fabric, with colors coming and going seasonally. They're pretty costly, and knockoffs tend to appear on Amazon pretty much immediately for a fraction of the price and similar (if not always identical) quality. Other third parties offer very good bands, as well, available online at various retailers, and Etsy sellers are known to offer high-quality leather straps for good prices. Additionally, there's lots of sellers offering adapters so traditional watch bands can be used on your Apple Watch, if you happen to have a favorite band sitting around. Despite the slightly larger cases, older bands will work with the Series 4 and newer (the braided bands do not work on the smaller case sizes). Shop around and share what you find! APPLE WATCH STUDIO Prior to the Series 5, Watches came in certain combinations with certain bands, meaning you might get stuck buying a band you don't really like to get the case you do like, but no more! If you purchase from an Apple Store (on or offline), you can choose from any of the bands that go with the Watch version you want (i.e. standard and Edition can get regular Apple bands, Nike can get Nike, and Hermes can get Hermes). Prices will vary depending on material, but no more than it would if the combination you want was offered standard. There are still standard combinations available. APPLE FITNESS+ Apple launched Apple Fitness+ in December 2020, a subscription workout service utilizing the Apple Watch's fitness tracking capabilities. Apple Fitness+ currently offers 11 workout types including running, HIIT, yoga, strength, and guided meditation, some requiring equipment ranging from a simple yoga mat to a stationary bicycle. Workouts are largely cardio-focused, but the strength workouts do work on strength using bodyweight and dumbells. An Apple Watch running WatchOS 7.2 or later (so a Series 3 or newer) is required to use the service, as is an iPhone, iPad, or AppleTV running 14.3 with the exception of the Time to Walk workouts (which you go take a walk while listening to a celebrity monolog). Every Apple Watch purchase includes a three month trial, and it's $9.99 per month after, or as part of the Apple One Premier plan. FAQS Do I need an iPhone? Yes, Apple Watches can only be paired with iPhones. No iPads or iPods Touch or Android phones. As far as I'm aware, watchOS 8 requires your phone to be running iOS 15, so iPhones 6S and newer are supported. You can still pair Watches running older versions of watchOS to phones running older versions of iOS if you so choose, and iOS 15 should continue to support older versions of watchOS. One caveat to this is family setup, which allows parents to setup a Watch for their child or older family members without an iPhone - this will result in a reduced feature set and reduced battery life, as it requires a cellular plan (and associated Watch). What size should I get? For men, I would recommend 42/44/45mm without a doubt. They're still smaller than many common men's watches at that size. For women, it will depend on how large your wrists are, but I would at least suggest trying the larger size on. The Apple Store app on your iPhone also offers a size comparison that will display each Watch in its actual size to give you an idea of how it might look on your wrist. There's also an AR function that lets you see how a Watch looks on your wrist. I'm left-handed and all the controls are on the right. Will this be a problem? Apple Watches can be set up to wear on your right wrist, placing the controls to the left of the face. Is stainless steel/titanium/ceramic/gold/Hermes worth it? Gold is absolutely not unless someone is giving it to you. They are very outdated at this point. As for stainless, ceramic, and titanium, it's up to you, though ceramic watches will be at least two generations old, so hopefully you're getting a good deal on it. Stainless models are slightly heavier than aluminum, making them slightly more noticeable. Titanium is lighter than stainless. As noted above, they do offer stronger/harder screens, and I think silver stainless is very attractive. As far as capabilities go, they're identical. Hermes is probably not, as the Watch is identical (though Space Black is exclusive to Hermes), and similar bands can be found much cheaper, but, again, up to you. What about Nike? It costs the same as a standard aluminum Series SE or 6 with sport band or loop, but comes with a Nike sport band rather than an Apple sport band or loop. If the exclusive faces sound interesting, sacrifice everything and Just Do It.  Do these ever go on sale? Sometimes! Non-Apple retailers generally offer discounts or gift cards around the holidays, plus some occasional sales throughout the year. How much is LTE? US carriers are charging $10 per month, plus whatever applicable taxes and fees there may be. I got a new iPhone how do I switch my Apple Watch to the new one? With iOS 11 and newer and watchOS 4 and newer, Apple has made this process incredibly simple, provided you have both phones in your possession. Simply go through Apple's new transfer process, and once the new phone is set up, it will ask if you want to use your Watch on your new iPhone. Hit yes and it'll automatically transfer everything over. If you lost your iPhone or whatever, you'll have to reset the Apple Watch and then restore it from your iTunes or iCloud backup. (You do keep backups, right?) How long does the battery last? Will I have to charge every day? At launch of the original Watch, Apple reported "all-day" battery life. Most users found this to be accurate, being able to go a full day on a charge. Later watchOS updates improved this, with some people reporting being able to go two full days without needing to charge. Charging is fairly quick in any case - a full charge only takes about 30 minutes or so. Who is the best Apple Fitness+ trainer? Opinions vary, but it's obviously Dustin, Bakari, or Sam.  I heard these things cost $12000!! Are you people made of money? The original gold Apple Watch Edition started at $12000, but given that Apple stopped making that and replaced it with the ceramic models starting around a more palatable $1000 (and then replaced *that* with the titanium ones for $100 over their stainless steel counterparts), I'm guessing hardly anyone bought them. Series 3 start at $199 for 38mm and $229 for 42mm and the most expensive SKU is the Apple Watch Hermes with gourmette double tour band (only in 41mm) for $1759, with lots of price points in between depending on case material and band. Endless Mike fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Oct 21, 2021 |
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Nov 9, 2017 05:51
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Thwomp posted:Wasn't the heart-rate monitoring a thing that only the Series 3 had? Or was that like notifications of abnormal rhythm? They've always had monitoring in the sense that it checks it every so often. watchOS 4 added some additional stuff.
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Nov 9, 2017 14:47
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Xenomorph posted:Some things I noticed: Thanks! I'll change it.
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Nov 9, 2017 19:57
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Just find that kind of band for regular watches and buy adapters. E: This (24mm for a 42mm Watch): http://a.co/9hbOVSx These: http://a.co/6kduVIG Endless Mike fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Nov 12, 2017 |
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Nov 12, 2017 17:38
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carry on then posted:Is the performance better on the newer watches? It takes forever to launch on my S0, and the complication would often get out of sync as the day went on. My S2 was noticeably faster than my S0 on the same WatchOS, so I assume the S3 is faster still.
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Nov 20, 2017 19:21
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I have phone sounds on at home or out and about, but that's it. Never have or need Watch sounds. Granted, I don't understand people who keep lock screen notifications for everything turned on, so maybe I'm just weird in that.
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Nov 21, 2017 17:58
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They never stopped being OLED. In any case, actually getting app updates quicker is nice and actually makes apps somewhat usable on my S2.
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Nov 28, 2017 22:33
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Turn on the water mode. It won't respond to anything without spinning the crown a bunch.
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Nov 28, 2017 22:40
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If you have Applecare on it, they'll probably fix it for free. If not, the repair cost will probably be enough that it would just be better to buy a new one.
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Nov 30, 2017 16:06
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Endless Mike posted:Is stainless steel/ceramic/gold/Hermes worth it?
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Dec 7, 2017 17:26
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Not in my experience.
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Dec 7, 2017 17:36
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LPG Giant posted:I'm looking for a weather app to replace Apple's weather app. I would like the small complications to be similar (just a number for temperature, and an icon for weather conditions), but the underlying app to be better. Specifically, I'd like to (also) see the temperature for the coming hours when I tap the complication. I don't mind paying for it but a monthly subscription is a bit much since the stock weather app does nearly everything I'd like. I like BeWeather. It's a one-time payment, the Watch app does what you want, and the phone app is highly customizable.
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Dec 8, 2017 15:51
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I would definitely check prices on a Series 2, but other than that, nah. There were definitely really good deals to be had for awhile.
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Dec 13, 2017 18:04
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Yeah that is a strange reason to not get what you want.
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Dec 14, 2017 16:44
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:I don’t really like navigation on my watch. I’d rather glance over at my phone in its mount for a second than try to focus on a tiny screen on my wrist. It’s less time I have to take my eyes off the road. I also drive a stick shift, so raising my wrist takes my hand off the shifter. The buzzes in the watch are fine though. Your hand shouldn't be on your hand except when shifting.
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Dec 18, 2017 14:47
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It's to look bad so you feel bad about spending excess money on a feature you will probably never use enough to justify it.
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Dec 29, 2017 17:44
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I wish my 42mm was a little bigger. But I'm not a tiny child, so I have normal man-sized wrists
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Jan 23, 2018 17:15
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Going with Mars. I'm not sure Inbox is even in active development anymore.
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Jan 31, 2018 03:48
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Pants Donkey posted:A ton of links for knockoff sports bands are dead now. And these are links from like two months ago.
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Feb 17, 2018 08:48
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Quantum of Phallus posted:They don't I assume he was talking about sport loops because I don't think anyone would expect knockoff AirPods to be at all good.
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Feb 27, 2018 15:44
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I don't want any AirPods unless they make a drastic design change to use silicone bud tips. If they did that I'd buy them day one.
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Feb 27, 2018 21:44
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I only reboot mine when there's an update and don't have any problems
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Mar 22, 2018 16:15
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Yeah. Turn on the water mode if you're going to be in it for awhile, but I've had both my S0 and my S2 in the ocean without any issues.
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Mar 24, 2018 04:55
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I get all-day battery life on my S2. Which is to say, if I forget to charge it overnight, I might need to charge in the morning.
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Apr 3, 2018 15:06
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Yeah I've got that too and have never had a problem with it. A+++++ would buy again
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Apr 12, 2018 22:57
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Just going through the purchase thing, it doesn't ask anything about carrier stuff, so I assume you just buy the service after the fact.
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Apr 30, 2018 19:26
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SeANMcBAY posted:watchOS 5 won’t support the first gen Apple Watch. According to MacRumors, they average 445 days between releases and it's been 262 since the Series 3 launch, with the S3 having come out 371 days after the S1/2. So maybe this fall?
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Jun 4, 2018 21:02
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I definitely feel very bad for people who can afford $17,000 electronic devices.
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Jun 4, 2018 21:52
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Marco Overcast seems happy with the new audio APIs.
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Jun 4, 2018 21:59
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Three Olives posted:Not on mine. Should be in the Face Gallery. 
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Jun 5, 2018 01:23
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Three Olives posted:Should be, it's not. Contacted Apple support and they said they have a few reports and it's being escalated. Maybe I can score a free pride band out of this. Bummer. Hope it's resolved for you. As a cis het white guy it's not something I'm comfortable using (in the sense that I don't want to invade things intended for Extremely Not Me), but I am very happy Apple is embracing it.
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Jun 5, 2018 02:50
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Pants Donkey posted:Getting conflicting reports about WatchOS 5. Are S0 watches the only ones not getting the upgrade, or does that include S1 watches as well? 
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Jun 5, 2018 19:21
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Duckman2008 posted:No way to know until fall, but The Apple Watch cycle so far has been longer than the iPhone cycle. Every 1.5 to 2 years. I don’t know what would differentiate the next Apple Watch at this point.
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Jun 7, 2018 15:34
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The haptic buttons on iPhones are good so wgaf
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Jun 9, 2018 22:53
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Sport BAND or sport LOOP? You switch which one you are talking about.
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Jun 11, 2018 17:12
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I never do?
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Jul 3, 2018 20:29
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I have a 42 mm and wish it was bigger and thinner.
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Jul 8, 2018 00:08
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I have big wrists and 42mm looks just a little too small. But I'm just saying a bigger option would be nice! It's good there's smaller ones for smaller people.
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Jul 8, 2018 00:29
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Add cards to Watch Apple Pay in the Watch app Double click side button to bring up Apple Pay Swipe to different card if you don't want to use default Hover over terminal Truthfully I never use it since it somehow seems way more awkward than using my phone.
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Jul 15, 2018 17:53
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 17:04 |
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You have to hover the face. NEAR field communications is very near.
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Jul 15, 2018 23:22
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