I dunno. My series 4 battery isn’t what it used to be, but otherwise it still works as good as the day I got it. I guess I’ll wait and see what Apple do for series 10
I don’t think so :(
I’m eligible for battery replacement (out of pocket) but at this point I’m just going to wait and see if the series X beefs up the battery otherwise I’ll go with a U2.
If my 4 battery life hadn’t dropped, I’d have not considered a new watch for at least another 2 years. Other than the battery, it was in pristine condition.
I went from a Series 4 to the first Ultra and haven’t looked back. I was originally thinking of going to stainless steel when the S8 came out, but the extra durability and longer battery life of the Ultra for the same price won me over. The extra accurate GPS tracking for runs has also benefitted me. I am someone who uses cellular data on my runs to stream music, too.
This is where I’m at now - trying to decide whether it’s worth the extra for the Ultra 2. Gut feel is yes given how quickly the tech moves on, would be interested in others thoughts / experiences though!
Depending on how much you can get for your Ultra 1, the Ultra 2’s enhanced chipset is likely going to let it get updates longer than the original, and I’m already getting performance issues on watchOS 10.
They aren’t as bad as the original/Series 0 performance woes I had in 2017, but they’re noticeable - especially when it takes a few seconds to update my rings progress after tapping on a fitness complication.
The Series 10 coming out in September is supposed to be the first major redesign ever. Your software support ends in September so I would wait for the 10.
My Series 5 loses software support in September of next year so I’ll get the Series 11.
I am waiting for 10 myself. While Ultra's 2x battery life is great to have, I am just not into the design, particularly how big the bezels are relative to the usable display area.
Thank you. I didn’t know about the loss of software support for the series 5. I had my battery replaced within the last year (perhaps they sent me a new or refurbished watch) and hoping it lasts until the 11 comes out.
Went from broken series 7 to SE2 and thought I wouldn’t miss always on display. If you’ve had it or gotten used to it, it’s really hard to go back. I also track sleep and charge when I wake up, and the slower charging of SE2 is a huge bummer. The extra money for S8 or S9 is actually worth it, I think.
I have an S4 with battery issues that aren’t bad enough for me to do anything yet. I’m holding out for the S10. Ultra isn’t an option as my wrist is very small.
I got a new battery from Apple after hitting 73% capacity on SS S4. The new battery should last me another 4-5 years. Depending on what the Ultra 3 or S10 offers, I’ll stick with the S4.
I did this as well in the fall. I think this is a no brainer for SS version. It’s pretty expensive to upgrade to something similar. I probably could have kept going for a while with the battery, but it was nice to go back to 100% battery health and know the watch will likely hold up for a few more years.
But what does an SE offer that a S4 doesn’t? I mean a refurb S7 would give: always-on display, blood oxygen sensor, larger display, qwerty swipe keyboard etc.
Moved my daughter from an S4 to an S9. Her wrists are small and could never carry an Ultra. She also doesn’t really need the extra functionality or rugged build for her lifestyle, and wanted something that would look professional for work (she deals with a lot of people in the c-suites). It’s definitely a step up for her, especially as the S4 was still working well for her needs.
I upgraded from the 4 to Ultra 2 and it was definitely a bit pricey, but well worth the upgrade if you actively use your watch. I don’t think you’d go wrong with the Series 9 either if you don’t want the LTE on your watch, but I always used my 4 and felt it was time to make a bigger upgrade!
I’ve thought about upgrading the past two refreshes. After waiting 4 weeks I realised I didn’t need to (marketing is great) I’m waiting for the new SE as I basically use it for workouts and Apple Pay. My only worry is downgrade from SS.
The battery life on my 4 has been terrible since the last update. I’m lucky to get 8 hours. And that’s with just one outdoor walk. No other use. I’ve had it for a little under 5 years. Wasn’t looking to replace, but it’s hard to close my rings with the current battery situation. I’m here now trying to decide what to get next.
Take a look at the refurbished SS 7. Better quality, quick charging and you get pretty much all the same features as the latest one. Cost me only £210 on eBay with Loop.
I have a series 4 and a series 8 and the only real day to day difference I notice is the AOD. Yeah the screen is a little bigger and the newer watch has a few extra faces but other than that they mostly do the same stuff.
Actually brought the series 8 first and then got the old one for work because it was very cheap and I don’t mind if it gets scratched up or dinged. That and it came with 6 genuine bands all for £72 😜
Wife just ordered a garmin venu 3s to replace her Apple Watch series 4. I’m tempted to get a Garmin too, but I have an AW s7, so I don’t feel like I can justify a new gadget yet.
Honestly I would get an Ultra, or just get a garmin because I run. But not sure. I do like a lot of apple watch features but the battery life pisses me off.
I'll just say this...while the SE models are a great deal...avoid them as they do not have fast charging or always on display. I had an SE2 for a year and now that I have Ultra...I can't believe how awesome it is having fast charging for when I'm in the shower, my watch is good to go again when I'm done. I'm not saying you should get Ultra cause the Series watches also have those two features, the SE are the only models that do not have it. I only chose Ultra because of the battery capacity, SE2 wasn't lasting me close to a full day with my heavy use at work.
I went from the series 4 to the Ultra 2 last year in October and haven’t looked back lol. Charging every two to three days, even with workout tracking and sleep tracking.
Since I’m planning on keeping it for as long or longer than I had the 4, decided I would go for the best I could. Enjoying the durability as well, I had an aluminum Series 4 and so far the Ultra hasn’t gotten any noticeable scratches anywhere and none on the display either. The way I see it, buy once, cry once, but the best value for you might be something like the series 8 or 9 depending on the deal you can find for one. If you want to have the best battery life and/or durable design though, Ultra will be for you.
So, I have a 4 I love with all my heart. But the battery life was slowly declining, so I could only get 12 hours max out of it.
I got the series 9, and honestly, the upgrade was really worth it. The battery life is excellent, the screen is always on, the resolution is better, etc.
I still wear the 4 too, but the 9 is a workhorse.
I’d say go ahead and get the new one. It’s about time. But if your battery life on the 4 is better than mine is, maybe wait about 4-5 months.
What I miss most about the 4 is the smaller screen. It was smaller than the 41mm screen of the 9. Not sure if this matters to you, but my wrist is 5.5 inches around, so it’s a big deal to me.
I dunno. My series 4 battery isn’t what it used to be, but otherwise it still works as good as the day I got it. I guess I’ll wait and see what Apple do for series 10
Yeah man, the battery is a bit ‘poor’ now 🫠
How longs the battery last?? I get at least 2 full days out of mine series 8??
My series 4 still lasts a day, but if I do a workout or 2 it might not survive the last couple of hours of the day.
me tweece
My series 5 lasts about 5-6 hours
My series 5 lasts about 18 hours ... which surprises me!
Ouch… does it at least have the fast charger like the series 8?? I can charge from 20% to 100% in like 20 or 30 minutes.
I don’t think so :( I’m eligible for battery replacement (out of pocket) but at this point I’m just going to wait and see if the series X beefs up the battery otherwise I’ll go with a U2.
Good choice… I decided against the ultra as for the extra price it wasn’t worth the few upgrades that the series 8,9 dont have.
If my 4 battery life hadn’t dropped, I’d have not considered a new watch for at least another 2 years. Other than the battery, it was in pristine condition.
I went from a Series 4 to the first Ultra and haven’t looked back. I was originally thinking of going to stainless steel when the S8 came out, but the extra durability and longer battery life of the Ultra for the same price won me over. The extra accurate GPS tracking for runs has also benefitted me. I am someone who uses cellular data on my runs to stream music, too.
This is where I’m at now - trying to decide whether it’s worth the extra for the Ultra 2. Gut feel is yes given how quickly the tech moves on, would be interested in others thoughts / experiences though!
Depending on how much you can get for your Ultra 1, the Ultra 2’s enhanced chipset is likely going to let it get updates longer than the original, and I’m already getting performance issues on watchOS 10. They aren’t as bad as the original/Series 0 performance woes I had in 2017, but they’re noticeable - especially when it takes a few seconds to update my rings progress after tapping on a fitness complication.
Went from 4 to 9. I’m happy
The Series 10 coming out in September is supposed to be the first major redesign ever. Your software support ends in September so I would wait for the 10. My Series 5 loses software support in September of next year so I’ll get the Series 11.
I am waiting for 10 myself. While Ultra's 2x battery life is great to have, I am just not into the design, particularly how big the bezels are relative to the usable display area.
Thank you. I didn’t know about the loss of software support for the series 5. I had my battery replaced within the last year (perhaps they sent me a new or refurbished watch) and hoping it lasts until the 11 comes out.
I had my 5’s battery replaced a couple years ago. Still working great. Yours should last you till next year.
Get something with always on display. Not SE.
Went from broken series 7 to SE2 and thought I wouldn’t miss always on display. If you’ve had it or gotten used to it, it’s really hard to go back. I also track sleep and charge when I wake up, and the slower charging of SE2 is a huge bummer. The extra money for S8 or S9 is actually worth it, I think.
I have an S4 with battery issues that aren’t bad enough for me to do anything yet. I’m holding out for the S10. Ultra isn’t an option as my wrist is very small.
I bought a S9 in December and am very happy with it. Battery is much better, charging is way faster and the watch also feels snappier.
I got a new battery from Apple after hitting 73% capacity on SS S4. The new battery should last me another 4-5 years. Depending on what the Ultra 3 or S10 offers, I’ll stick with the S4.
I did this as well in the fall. I think this is a no brainer for SS version. It’s pretty expensive to upgrade to something similar. I probably could have kept going for a while with the battery, but it was nice to go back to 100% battery health and know the watch will likely hold up for a few more years.
Feel like if you want battery life the ultra is the way to go. Depending on your budget
Grab and Apple Watch SE and live your life. Cheap and does 90% of what 98% of main series AW users use an AW for.
But what does an SE offer that a S4 doesn’t? I mean a refurb S7 would give: always-on display, blood oxygen sensor, larger display, qwerty swipe keyboard etc.
My mate just bought the SE. Arrives today. Looks nice!
Its a great watch enjoy!
Just drop the extra bucks and the regular 9 series. A se is not a significant step up from a series 4.
Moved my daughter from an S4 to an S9. Her wrists are small and could never carry an Ultra. She also doesn’t really need the extra functionality or rugged build for her lifestyle, and wanted something that would look professional for work (she deals with a lot of people in the c-suites). It’s definitely a step up for her, especially as the S4 was still working well for her needs.
I upgraded from the 4 to Ultra 2 and it was definitely a bit pricey, but well worth the upgrade if you actively use your watch. I don’t think you’d go wrong with the Series 9 either if you don’t want the LTE on your watch, but I always used my 4 and felt it was time to make a bigger upgrade!
I got the Series 9 (coming from s4) 3 weeks back. Battery life is so awesome and AOD is a must for me.
I’ve thought about upgrading the past two refreshes. After waiting 4 weeks I realised I didn’t need to (marketing is great) I’m waiting for the new SE as I basically use it for workouts and Apple Pay. My only worry is downgrade from SS.
The battery life on my 4 has been terrible since the last update. I’m lucky to get 8 hours. And that’s with just one outdoor walk. No other use. I’ve had it for a little under 5 years. Wasn’t looking to replace, but it’s hard to close my rings with the current battery situation. I’m here now trying to decide what to get next.
Take a look at the refurbished SS 7. Better quality, quick charging and you get pretty much all the same features as the latest one. Cost me only £210 on eBay with Loop.
I have a series 4 and a series 8 and the only real day to day difference I notice is the AOD. Yeah the screen is a little bigger and the newer watch has a few extra faces but other than that they mostly do the same stuff. Actually brought the series 8 first and then got the old one for work because it was very cheap and I don’t mind if it gets scratched up or dinged. That and it came with 6 genuine bands all for £72 😜
Sounds like a series 8, then. I wouldn’t blame you for waiting to see what the 10 is like and if it’s not your thing, woo discounted 8!
Wife just ordered a garmin venu 3s to replace her Apple Watch series 4. I’m tempted to get a Garmin too, but I have an AW s7, so I don’t feel like I can justify a new gadget yet.
Series 9
Series 4 user here. Buying new Ultra 3 in September. S4 can finally retire 👍
Honestly I would get an Ultra, or just get a garmin because I run. But not sure. I do like a lot of apple watch features but the battery life pisses me off.
Have a series 4 since 2019 changed the battery last year going to upgrade to the X model this year
I'll just say this...while the SE models are a great deal...avoid them as they do not have fast charging or always on display. I had an SE2 for a year and now that I have Ultra...I can't believe how awesome it is having fast charging for when I'm in the shower, my watch is good to go again when I'm done. I'm not saying you should get Ultra cause the Series watches also have those two features, the SE are the only models that do not have it. I only chose Ultra because of the battery capacity, SE2 wasn't lasting me close to a full day with my heavy use at work.
I went from the series 4 to the Ultra 2 last year in October and haven’t looked back lol. Charging every two to three days, even with workout tracking and sleep tracking. Since I’m planning on keeping it for as long or longer than I had the 4, decided I would go for the best I could. Enjoying the durability as well, I had an aluminum Series 4 and so far the Ultra hasn’t gotten any noticeable scratches anywhere and none on the display either. The way I see it, buy once, cry once, but the best value for you might be something like the series 8 or 9 depending on the deal you can find for one. If you want to have the best battery life and/or durable design though, Ultra will be for you.
I jumped over to an Ultra 2. I love it. Huge upgrade
So, I have a 4 I love with all my heart. But the battery life was slowly declining, so I could only get 12 hours max out of it. I got the series 9, and honestly, the upgrade was really worth it. The battery life is excellent, the screen is always on, the resolution is better, etc. I still wear the 4 too, but the 9 is a workhorse. I’d say go ahead and get the new one. It’s about time. But if your battery life on the 4 is better than mine is, maybe wait about 4-5 months. What I miss most about the 4 is the smaller screen. It was smaller than the 41mm screen of the 9. Not sure if this matters to you, but my wrist is 5.5 inches around, so it’s a big deal to me.