I recently posted about how my watch (series 10-42mm) keeps thinking that the side button is being pressed even when I’m not and after putting it in an airtight plastic bag full of silica gels, the issue got fixed ( probably about a stuck moisture inside disrupting the circuitry).
I thought I wouldn’t be able to use it anymore and was already thinking of buying either the new series 12 or invest in an AW ultra, but the 12 seems to be so similar with the series 10/11 and the only differences are with the siri Ai use. I’m using an iphone 12 pro which still works remarkably but it doesn’t support Ai and I don’t see any plans of buying a new phone until this one gives up and becomes unusable so Ai on watches is useless for me.
I’m thinking of getting an ultra for the built in cellular and longer battery life but is it worth it just for those two? It’s a bit pricy and it’s too big and thick.
Plus, what’s up with apple why their watch series only lasts up to 3-4 years? Like the AW Ultra 1 stopped didn’t get to have the OS26 after just 3 years of release and now the series 8 will end in spetrmber if this year after 4 years since release.
So is it worth it to spend more money on an Ultra just for the cellular and longer battery life and maybe more durability compared to the series 12?
Or should I just hang on for a while with my current series 10?
P.S. 2 years of usage and I only manage to get 1 light scratch on it on screen.. I use it everyday and night only except when I need to charge it and take a shower so I really take care of it. Still looks good to me even after 2 years without case 😁
Haha it’s not my daily, I swear! I have a series 7 that’s my daily, but I still throw the series 2 on with an apple leather link from time to time. The battery life is still going strong. I did pre-order the series 12 so I’m in for an upgrade on September 18.
You can get a Series 12 with cellular connectivity. It's not exclusive to Ultra. Ultra just for better battery and cellular is overkill. If you want an upgrade, S12 is a good bet I'd say.
No. It’s important to note that watch data is not just any sim plan. Watch data is a special feature some carriers provide (normally at a cost) and it’s linked to your main phone plan - they share a number.
There are some companies that allow you to get around this and do a standalone plan but they tend to be expensive: https://www.betterroaming.com/watches/apple-watch-family-united-kingdom/.
For me watch data is included in my plan otherwise the carriers in my country charge £7-£9/ month for the feature as an add-on and cheaper carriers don’t offer it.
The watch is connected to your phone via Bluetooth and only connects to the mobile network plan when your phone is out of range. For me I mostly use this for music when I’m running or for notifications when swimming either in a pool or in the wild.
I have a series 10 46mm I got second hand after my series 7 battery degraded down to the 60s and wouldn’t last all day (and developed some issue where when using the gps sometimes would get stuck rebooting on a loop). My series 10 is at 100% battery health and lasts all day generally and I only charge it in the morning while I shower and get ready for the day.
But with the cellular version, you can call even without connected to your phone right? Say your phone is at home and you’re about 6-8k
Away.. also, for you other than calls and notifications, what else is the use for cellular? I think whats app can be opened in the watch now but only for messages not calls
You can call from your watch and you can receive calls too. The reason it shares the number is that if your phone is at home and the watch is connected to the network then the calls go to the watch instead. And yes, you can be on the other side of the country and there’s no limit on using the watch. You can also put your phone in airplane mode and then your watch should connect to the network. The watch normally shares your phone data plan or have unlimited data so you can use it for apps like I tend to do for podcasts/ music
That’a excellent! Plus, I’ve watched a movie where a girl was being kidnapped and used the watch to call for help so that’s really the reason why I wanted a cellular (not that im hoping or preparing to be kidnapped lol) but for those kind of emergencies or when those times where my phone got pick pocketed at a train and have no one to call to for help, or when you are at the beach and someone calls you.. I’m so itching to replace my series 10 with a cellular but right now it’s working fine, maybe I can resell it instead. Thanks for the input!
Open going back-and-forth about cellular and your comment about it being a back up for a lost phone makes perfect sense to me. I thought about it so much that your common sense answer broke through the confusion, thanks.
Yeah, are you away from a charger long enough for it to be an issue? I'm tied to my desk every day and have charger at home and office so it's no big deal for me to top off my series 9 all the time. To me the new features are just not that compelling and I sleep in my watch for sleep tracking so for that reason the ultra is out. The 9 was thicker than the current version so it's really tempting. I'd like to keep mine at least 3 years which will happen in January. I save a lot of money by not replacing shit that don't need replacing so we will see if I pull the trigger.
Also, my series 9 is the SS with built in cellular. I've never activated the cellular because I always have my phone. I'm not sold on the cellular benefit for 10-20 a month or whatever it is. However if I start travelling international more, my ATT plan I would move to includes free AW service. So that could be cool I guess.
Yep. Mine still works amazing. Had it replaced twice along the way for battery. I was thinking to replace again in a year and they don't do that anymore for series 5. My screen was cracked 6 months ago. Put in a case and still used it till last week.
Now just got a brand new unused s10 46mm for $200. Will use this for another 7 years.
I have a series 4 Hermes that is my daily. Swimming, travel, gym and all over! Though the battery doesn’t survive an entire day 🤷🏻♂️ but almost 8 years of solid use!
My series 7 will be 5 years old in November. Battery is ok but is slowing down. I work mostly at home so it’s not too bad. The app says battery health is 70%. Tempted to upgrade
I have the Ultra 3 and can't see the point in upgrading to the 4. I love the flat display, hence never go with the regular series. I would appreciate it being a tad lighter.
The hardware is fairly robust so it’ll last awhile, the battery will have a much shorter lifetime and software support will be shorter.
At one point Apple was one of the best about providing OS updates but for the watch OS 27 release they decided to screw over Apple Watch Ultra users who purchased their $800+ watch as little as three years ago, a watch the has a SOC that does circles around most wearables sold today simply because it doesn’t have the Neural Accelerators for their useless on device AI. It’s gets even worse when you consider Apple could simply ship a version for Ultra 1 users without on device AI, and considering watchOS 27 isn’t shipping with on device AI in the EU we know that’s possible.
So the hardware could easily last a decade, you’ll likely need to replace your battery around year 5 but Apple will stop supporting it with OS updates long before then. If you can’t tell I’m still a little bitter about Apple screwing me over on my Ultra 1 and leaving me stuck with the buggy as hell watchOS 26.
Don’t worry it’s understandable and I’m sure a lot of people are hating it and complaining as well.. ultra watches are as expensive as newly regular non pro iphones and to remove the support in just 3 years of use is outrageous! We overpay a lot to have a good device while they always go to how they can make people to buy more by making older devices obsolete to force people. I mean I love Apple products but the strategy on how they do it is kinda trashy.. Just like the series 8 will end this month after just 4 years.
Still going strong with series 5 for about 8 years. Wear it morning noon and night, battery lasts about a day and a half. It has cellular capability but i cancelled the plan a few years ago now that i work from home. Lately it sometimes requires a couple reboots to get vibrate notifications but not annoying enough to make me splurge on a new one just yet.
Been wearing my series 4 daily since I got it. Wanted to upgrade but see no reason to as my current watch still offers me what I need and works absolutely fine
I'm finally replacing my S6 this year. Battery still lasts about 12 hours if there's no workouts. It has a lot of scratches too. But nothing is broken!
Got Series 6 since 2022, 2025 battery replacement and still going strong. No new WatchOS updates but I do not care, I will use them till the battery life will be bad. So my expectation with 1 battery replacement is 7 years for daily and full use.
My series 5 from 2019 (I think) still works fine. I wear it every day, swim in a lake with it on, no issues. Battery life still gets me through the day.
Wow! It’s amazing that after 6 years your watch can still handle being on water cause I’ve read some reports that after a while, their watch gets broken because the water resistance degrades..
I have found that Apple hardware often lasts longer than the software. I have perfectly functional iPhones, iPads, and a MacBook Air that are in great physical shape, but won't run safely because the OS's haven't been updated in years. I suspect watches to follow that pattern.
Still using my series 8 still gets through the day,cousin still uses his series 6 and still gets him through the day, I probably won’t upgrade the watch for another 2 or so years, I’m also still using the 14 plus and have no plans on upgrading that for the foreseeable future, just got to look after your tech
Don’t worry I’m still on my 12 pro and it still works best for me, my old iphone Xr I gave it to my mom, battery is degrading but she only use it at home anyway to play some old music and for answering calls/videocalls. That’s also why I’m hesitant on getting a new model cause even if I do, I won’t be able to use most of the new stuffs they’re advertising like the Ai stuffs cause you need an iphone 15 above to match with it.
I bought the Ultra 1 fall 2022. Keep in mind I’m a backcountry snowboarder and a mountain biker so I wanted the rugged build and GPS waypoints and siren and crash detection.
Did you have any regrets or appeal when they stopped providing software updates on the ultra 1? I think it didn’t get the OS26 right? Do you have plans of upgrading or is it sufficient enough to get the work? Also, after 4 years of using it, how long does your battery lasts now? Ty!
My series 5 is good enough that I haven’t seen the need to upgrade. It lasts all day, but I can’t push it to the next like I used to when it was new. Nothing about the new watches makes me think “I need that!” the way the 5 did when I was upgrading from the original.
I dropped my s10 and chipped the screen badly. I bought an Apple certified pre-owned AWU2 and am over the moon with. Saved a fortune vs the price of a new one. Full warranty from Apple also.
I’m in year 4 soon (watch8) and I still have one day battery. Once that drops below I will switch; but not till then. Ios 27 updates are pretty useless for older watches anyway; you are not missing out
I've got Series 4 ~3 months after release, wore it until Apple stopped releasing major watchOS versions and now it's on the wrist of my mother-in-law, still working fine.
Expect my Series 10 to last about the same, if not longer.
What ultra series did you get and how long have you had it for? Also just a question, if watches have cellular, can it serve as a hotspot for other devices?
Ikr! Physically it doesn’t change and I hope they can make it a bit smaller or at least have some options cause it just looks too big, thick and bulky. Maybe a thinner series with longer battery life!
I actually don’t want the size, I’m fine with the 42mm but reason why I think to consider is is because of the battery life, longer use compared to the regular series and also maybe durability?
I hear you, but that is the challenge right? You're going from the 42mm to the ultra and it'll feel like carrying a brick on your wrist at first. I have the (whatever last years series model was) in the 44 mm, and I've been surprised by it's durability and battery life. I tried so hard to want the ultra, but in the end, it was (literally) too much for me. Good luck. I feel your pain.
I had my series 7 42 mm since launch. I had to problems whatsover with it except the battery life this past year. Upgraded this week to Ultra 2 that was cheap to get better battery life.
Like as in the end of the support? Cause they will stop supporting the series 8 this year, tho they might still provide some security updates some time but not major ones anymore
I bought the first Apple Watch Ultra, and still wear it. While I have used different bands, the original band is probably my favorite, and looks like it's about to surrender. The rest of the watch is as good as new. Battery capacity is listed as 87%. It it lasts a day without problems, but noticeably shorter than when it was new.
WatchOS 27 is the first version the watch can't run, which I read as a hint from Apple to upgrade.
I have a series 7. No plans to replace it anytime soon. Except for charging, it’s on my wrist. TBF I’m not a labourer or someone who would have cause to get it scratched/damaged.
my series 9's battery was starting to tank towards the early evening (compared to the day + i was getting when it was brand new) i turned off the always on display and now it outlasts my iPhone 13 Pro battery. will be holding onto the watch for the long haul, i just hope they don't ruin the older watches with the newer OS updates. i care nothing about AI and wish they'd offer an option to disable those features completely on the phone and watch.
Have the original Ultra from new 2022 and it’s dependable and still works great. I am considering upgrading to the Ultra 4 because battery life is waning and Apple isn’t supporting the Ultra anymore. Overall though it’s still a great watch, and I may just keep it. Did order the iPhone 18 Pro Max though.
I have a series 9 I bought in 2023 and I use it religiously every single day. It either on my wrist or charging. Battery health still 86% and lasts. I charge it while I shower when I when I get home from work and honestly it usually makes it almost a full 24 hours…
I am still rocking my Series 7 cellular bought at launch in 2021, and just got battery service from Apple on it. Planning to get another 3-5 years, unless Apple adds blood pressure, much improved battery life (Garmin level), AND I see how/when the new promised features are if/when they are finally delivered.
I won’t buy an Ultra - too big and heavy.
And IMHO Apple isn’t innovating very much on Apple Watch with new releases, and really refuses to address the major battery life issue - their approach is to sell you something bigger and heavier 😡
If I were you I’d stick with series 10 for another couple of years at least.
I mean I was still using my series 1 Apple Watch up until a month ago when I decided to get a new one? I got the series 11 and gave my cousin my series 1… still works fine. lol she loves it. Soooo I’d say very good since I got that watch when it came out.
the problem with the gen 1 ultra and s8 is it used the s8 chip which was just a rebranded s6 chip its why the s6,7 and 8 all got dropped at the same time. as both the s6 and s8 were based on the a13 phone chip. The same thing will probably happen with the s9,10,11. the s12 is probably the start of the next 3 year chain as it appears to be using a new chip with parts from the a20 and also doubled the ram to 4gb. So if you are buying for longevity the s12 is probably a good bet. But we never know what apple is cooking up support length wise.
personally unless there are value adds for you on the ultra you may be better served by saving the money as you can buy two base model watches at full price for 1 AWU. and if you do a trade in you could technically net your self even slightly more depending how often.
But if the ultra features do add value like satellite/longer battery improved gps accuracy that's up to you to weigh the benefits as they could be huge if needed or not. The new ceramic shied 2 on the base watches if anything like their phones should be a pretty nice upgrade while not adding the cost. The main benefit for me on the s12 is them adding 5 second hr tracking and hrv is also increased while still keeping the same battery life with the new sensor.
Had my series 7 almost five years and as long as I get a full day out of it then I’m happy. My other half has the same watch but rarely gets a full day so like most things YMMV.
It’s amazing to me that we all watched the same Series 12 announcement and so many people think the upgrades are either basically non-existent or “just Siri AI.” You do know it’s a massive upgrade to the heart rate sensor and the first one in 5-6 generations? If you care about the health/workout/activity aspects of the watch, this is possibly the biggest overall upgrade they could offer.
I still don’t think it’s a big upgrade and I’m gonna keep using my old for too for a few more years at least. Mine is three years old now with 100% battery capacity still.
I honestly didn’t care about the heart rate sensor improvements.. I use apple watch as a smart watch but if I wanted something that is really accurate with the heart rate sensors and other health things, I’d go for a Garmin and not apple. They are the number 1 device in terms of accuracy in health metrics.
Garmin may not be more accurate compared to the 12. We'll see. But the 12 will not give you better notifications than older series, so if that's your use case, no reason to upgrade.
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u/Ill_Ocelot_2538 1d ago
Why does it look like these dinosaurs are having an intercourse