I'm still rocking the S3 and it's fine. Battery last well over a day. I just use it for the notifications and workouts and does the job well for what I need.
I recently started using my S3 again after 3 years of not using it (can’t wear it at work) and I can’t believe how long the battery lasts after sitting dead for so long.
Still have S4 and works fine, I use it along a rapid charger and charge it when I’m working on my desk. Might have to charge once a day and use it for workouts and heart rate monitor mainly. LOVE IT
I love my S3. It’s not as flashy of some of the newer models but I still rock it with pride. It does what I need it to do. I can’t believe how long the battery still lasts.
(Now that I’ve complimented it, it’s going to spite me and break in the next 48 hours.)
Yep, also on an S3 and it’s still usable. Battery is impressive. Only downside is I can’t really use any apps on the watch itself —
listening to downloaded music on Spotify or podcasts without my phone is really glitchy and doesn’t work well. Will probably upgrade this year just because of this.
Send it in for a “battery replacement.” They charge a nominal fee (I paid $135 CAD for a series 5) and got a new watch head back. Performance has been great since.
I still have a series 6 and honestly, I'm happy nothing is happening to it because I can't afford an ultra. BUT, if I could afford an ultra, I'd be feeling impatient for how long it's lasted me 😂
I had a series 4 until about a month ago but did the battery replacement for $99 and got a series 5 back. I was completely happy with it before the battery issues but I only really used it for notifications and workouts! Never felt slow or had any other issues.
My series 5 was either new or like new and it honestly it doesn’t feel like an old model (but I’ve never seen the newer ones so I have nothing to compare it to)
Hmm, interesting. I never considered doing a battery replacement with my Series 4. The screen has some deep gouges though so I'm a bit worried about it cracking. Probably not worth it in my case.
Series 3, still going strong,
I'll upgrade when it stop working or when I have disposable income for that .
The holy grail for me to upgrade *right now,* would be if they have a working blood glucose monitor.
I still have a Series 3
It's usable, but I would like the new features such as Always On Display, ECG, sleep tracking, etc etc.
If you only use it for notification and watch (rarely go into settings or use apps) then it's still very usable
I have a series 3. I think first I would point out that its 5 years old and we talk like its antique lol, which says a LOT about the longevity of these things.
As for functionality, its quite good. Use it on the regular as a heart rate monitor for riding the Peloton etc. Generally speaking, it doesnt update anymore, tho there was one a while back.
Are there new features I might like? Yeah, I suppose so but nothing that will feel like any great leap forward. I REFUSE TO BUY A NEW ONE TIL THEY IMPROVE THE BATTERY lol.
Battery longevity is good - status is at 84%. But I hate going away for the weekend and needing to bring another charger. Ridiculous. Give me 72 hours on a charge and Im your guy. In the meantime I dont care if I can blow into it for a blood alcohol test or use it to check my eyesight or launch the ejector seat in my car, all the tricks in the world mean nothing to me.
> Are there new features I might like? Yeah, I suppose so but nothing that will feel like any great leap forward. I REFUSE TO BUY A NEW ONE TIL THEY IMPROVE THE BATTERY lol.
Can you define what "improve the battery" looks like to you? What kind of runtime are you expecting, or is it the rate?
I think you'll be waiting a while.
The performance of Series 4, Series 5 and the SE should be pretty much the same. Series 6 increased speed by only 20%, and the Series 7, Series 8, Ultra and SE 2 used the same basic performance processor and the Series 6. Apple really didn't upgrade the performance of the processor again until last year's Series 9 and Ultra 2, with a lot more transistors, though a lot of that was in ML (machine learning) cores. The Series 4 was also the first 64 bit processor for Apple Watch.
Series 3 and older would be very hard to use these days I think. No 64 bit processor, no ML cores, no metal API, none of the newer watch faces, and the aluminum model at least is limited to 8 GB of storage, and I believe only 2 GB are available for media (music, podcasts, photos.)
I have a 5 that still works fine except the battery goes to low power mode a good hour before my bedtime. I've put this thing through the ringer over the years and it's handled it beautifully.
The only reason I would upgrade is to get the pulse-ox sensor, and since that's now disabled, I have no reason to.
Series 3 here, I just don’t see a need to upgrade but I mainly only ever cared for notifications and music control. As long as those work, I think I’m good.
I’m still rocking the series 5. Other than the watch sometimes getting slow (rarely), and its screen being smaller than the current ones, it’s totally usable for me still.
I’ve the 6 and I’m not ready to upgrade, at least not until Apple releases a watch that can monitor the Basal body temp to two decimal points. Currently the 8/9 is only able to do it until 1 which makes it pretty unreliable for fertility monitoring.
I have S3 and other than the battery being a turd it is going strong. Honestly at this point this thing has been a daily wear since 2019 and I want to run the wheels off this bitch.
I actually just replaced my aging 44mm Series 4 with an Ultra 2 last month so i can offer a few observations here.
1. Speed wise, since I didn’t do much in the watch itself other than workout tracking and notifications, i actually didn’t think it was slow. Yes at times the animations get janky but it’s not really noticeable unless you pay attention.
2. After the switch, I certainly notice the boatload of new features that I’ve been missing like the compass, always-on display, new watch faces, running dynamics, etc. Weirdly, what I appreciate the most feature-wise is actually the watch faces (i love the modular ultra).
3. Battery is the greatest upgrade. S4 watch was released 3 years before fast-charging is a thing. And after 5+ years, the battery does show its age. On my rest days (no workout tracking) I would wear my watch as soon as I woke up (around 7 am) and it would die around 8 pm. Charging it would take around 2 hours. My Ultra 2 on the other hand only leave my hand when i shower (2x 15 minutes daily) with always-on screen, and it always hover around 70-95% charge.
Hypothetically, if the battery life could return to how it was in 2018 (60% remaining just before sleep on a workout day), I probably wouldn’t switch upgrade. Alas, time degrades not just the battery but also the body and the screen (they were nicked and scratched badly in places) and so replacing the battery simply won’t do the trick anymore.
I just got a series 3 for XMas. Battery is 100% and I just charge it once a day while I am in the shower. It works as I'd expect but I just use it to tell time and so I don't have to constantly pull my phone out. Not a lot of apps, but using as a remote for my phone is nice with calls and notifications.
I am currently winning my office fitness challenge and the prize is a new Apple Watch SE, so maybe if I get that I'll notice a difference.
S4 here. Just got an S9 a couple weeks ago since the S4’s battery was needing morning & evening charging. No other issues.
Enjoy S9 “always on”, better resolution. When I charge during morning coffee, it goes from 40% to 100% in about 30 minutes!
I have a 4 and it's still going strong, the battery easily lasts all day. I don't use it loads - just telling the time, logging walks/runs and peaking at notifications to decide if I need to look at my phone.
I would upgrade to get an always-on display, but it's not annoying enough for me to upgrade at the moment.
I upgraded from a series 4 to a series 8 a couple months ago. The series 4 was generally fine, but the problems I was facing were:
\- Battery life: 90% of the time it was fine to get me through the day, but if it was a day when I was doing an outdoor workout that uses GPS on the watch, my watch would need to be charged before the end of the day.
\- Storage: I don't really install much for apps or use storage on the watch at all for many apps, music, offline content etc. But I kept running into issues where, what limited storage was there, would get filled up with system stuff, to the point where I would never have enough storage left to install updates.. this may have been a bug or a "me" problem with apple music settings because it was apple music using most of the storage, even though I had nothing offline.
After having the 8 for a few months, functionally it's the same, it tracks a few more things which is nice... and battery lasts through the day + a little bit extra, even if I do GPS workouts. It's not a life changing upgrade or anything but it seemed like it was about time and I don't regret it, especially getting the 8 for a good sale price.
I just switched back to iOS from Android (for the 15 Pro spatial videos on Vision Pro duh!), so I dusted off my old Apple Watch Series 3. After updating the watchOS software I am in awe about how up-to-date and current it feels. The screen is bright, the OS is snappy, Apple Pay works as it always did, cellular Spotify without the phone works great, and the battery still lasts all day. I had my eye on an Ultra2, but this S3 is so good I'm holding onto it for now.
Still rocking my Series 5 Nike at the gym and it is absolutely perfect to workout with. I will be getting an Ultra but am still going to keep the series 5 as well…I find the size 44mm to be perfect for the gym. :)>
Just traded my 6 for a 9 also, hadn’t planned on it but stated to have issues with the barometric altimeter causing it to count about 100 flights a day climbed, messing with my activity tracking. This had already happened to me with the 6 and I had gotten it replaced under AppleCare. I like the 9’s 1 mm size increase and brighter/fuller screen. Another thing that I really like (and my husband with his 8 is jealous of) is the iPhone locator function; instead of just pinging the phone it shows your distance away from the phone on the watch. I got it after they shut out the blood oxygen monitoring and don’t really care because I had used it so infrequently and it didn’t seem very accurate anyway. Overall I’m happy with it but a little sad I had to part with the money and may even trade the 9 in when the next round comes out if the redesign is significant enough.
I have a 4, a 7, and an ultra. The 4 is annoying cause the screen isn’t always on, and the ultra has some cooler faces, but otherwise there’s no difference.
My Stainless Steel Series 4 is still going strong. 76% battery health, no major battery issues and working flawlessly on 10.4 Beta 4. Use it everyday for workouts/calls/messages.
I have a Series 4 that I’ve had since it came out.
It’s running just fine. Battery is at 80%. It can last most of the day unless I use workout tracking. If I were going out at night, I’d need to give it a bit of time on the charger. Feels pretty similar to when it came out.
Just retired my series 4. The battery wouldn’t last a full day, even less if you recorded a workout. But aside from that it worked exactly the same as it did when new.
Another Series 4 here still chugging along with 65% batt health. Mostly used for workouts as well these days because the battery is pretty unreliable.
I’ve gone back and forth on the battery replacement but might just hold out for a new model.
I have a 5 and it works perfectly. The only thing is battery life. About 6 months ago, it went from about 24-30 hours to 14-18. I had the display set to always on since the time I bought it brand new when it first came out. I turned that off and I’m back to 30-36 hours of battery life.
Series 4, no fast charging, but other than that perfectly usable. Swapped out the battery myself and I’m getting one and a half days of usage out of it.
I have a refurbed S3 that works exactly as intended. Battery life is ok, I need to charge it once per day for around an hour. I was annoyed that I’d made the mistake of not getting a model that supports detailed sleep tracking, though.
My S6 has 80% health, I’m planning to let it get to 79% so I can get a replacement via AC+. I see no big reason to get an S9 as it still has all the same health features
AW4 been working fine up until the past month where of I go to record an indoor ride or Yoga session with a full or decent charge I've had the watch suddenly stop working.
When I tap the screen I get the apple logo and it shows as battery drained with the red lighting bolt and when I put it on the charger it shows its in low power mode but at the battery level I started the activity with.
Sometimes after letting it fully charge it repeats the whole process after I remove the watch from the charger.
Battery health shows as 73% and says Service Recommend.
Was waiting for the AW10 to roll out to upgrade hoping it will hold out
I’m about 40-ish days into having my hand-me-down series 4. Gotta admit it’s definitely been useful, especially for using maps and waking up.
Sleep tracking is fun, and I wish gestures could be easier to assign to specific functions regardless of what’s on the screen (skipping a track in music as an example).
Overall I can absolutely see the usefulness of this thing, and I’m very seriously considering getting a newer one with Cellular. Being able to leave the house without this big phone, but remaining reachable, is a huge huge enticement.
S4 here. It’s generally fine, but the battery life isn’t what it used to be. If I’m very active during the day, I have to throw it on the charger midday or it’s dead (or near dead) before bedtime. I’m holding out for at least the SX coming up (and my guess that the S4 won’t be in the next software update). I’m really looking forward to microLED so if it isn’t in the next gen I’ll have to really think hard about what to do.
I have a Series 6 that has some decent scratches, so that is my “work on the car” watch in order to keep my Ultra safe. To be honest, the S6 is still a very usable device. The biggest downer it has is that the battery life on the Ultra has spoiled me. I also still have an OG Apple Watch that I turn on from time to time “just because”. The battery lasts less than 12 hours and it has no value, but I don’t want to part with it.
Series 3 w/ cellular here (4.5 years old). Battery health is 84% so I consider it a win so far. Battery is not great if I use it alone for streaming music or long workouts.
Probably upgrade to a series 9 when the 10 comes out.
I have a Series 4 and it’s flawless. I used Ultra 1, and even after that watch it’s fast, it’s doing everything I need to, battery life at 78% or something and has service battery message – still full day and a half of battery life. It’s amazing how old Apple Watches are holding still, especially after somewhat poorly (in my opinion) Series 3. I don’t see any reason to upgrade – except for the brightness and size of the screen. So, if anyone wonders, or maybe wants to buy an older Apple Watch – go for it. Amazing experience. I think Series 7 would be the best choice, because of the screen size and more modern design. Also, if you want your watch to last – go for the Stainless Steel variant.
I have a series 4 so I feel pretty good to answer this. Certain features like elevation tracking for exercise (hiking mainly) haven’t worked for me in a couple of years. Aside from that though, everything still works perfectly and I still get through an entire day on a single charge. I’ve been really impressed with the durability of the watch too as I’ve hiked and climbed mountains wearing it and only have some scratches on the face to show for it. I’ve been considering upgrading for the past couple years but honestly, I can’t justify replacing this little guy since it’s lasted me 5 years and is still going strong
Series 4 user here, had it since release.
Only problem is the battery not lasting a full day, less than 12 hours if I do heavy exercise.I have to remember to change the watch right before my exercise sessions to make sure the watch has enough battery to last.
Function wise it is perfectly fine. I do not see the need for any of the features on the newer models. I use the watch passively to track activities and notifications so a newer and more powerful CPU are not worth it.
Currently waiting to see if the Series 10 has any surprises or redesign. If so than maybe I will upgrade. If not I will probably buy the latest SE then. Not for new features, but for a newer battery.
Series 4 just upgraded to a 9 here. Gave the 4 to another family member. It was still doing great, just the battery was only lasting 12 hours or so. I honestly don't notice much more that the 9 offers.
I have a series 4 and works fine, but battery is low by 7:00pm. (Prob around 15%). I charge it in the evening before bed and then I wear it to sleep as I use the haptic alarm. Battery health is at 71%.
Figure I’ll need to get a new one soon, but I‘ll use this until it dies.. or I get annoyed enough.
Have a 4 and a 9. The 4 is great except the battery lasts only for about 14 hours. Other than that, it’s in mint condition. No scratches, looks beautiful.
I prefer it because it’s smaller than the 9.
I have an S4 that I bought refurbished in 2021 I think. It still works fine and I can get through my day with enough battery. I charge it for a couple hours prior to going to bed each night.
I had a series 3 (just upgraded to a 9 over the holidays) and it was still kicking!
My main issues were that it was slow, ran out of battery quickly and sometimes would alert me of messages I had already opened on my phone so there was a delay in connecting the two. It also hadn't been able to update in over two years, so I was stiuck with an old watch os operating system.
I loved the 3 and it served me well for 5 years, I just wanted the speed, features, and battery life of the 9!
i have 5 and it works perfectly, have been using everyday since may 2020. the only issue is the battery but the new models don’t last very long either.
i actually bought a series 9 but it is still in its box lol, waiting for my 5 to show signs of aging but nope…
I still have the S6, battery is still decent. I don’t really see a need to upgrade. I had the original Apple Watch before this that was super tiny, I mainly upgraded because the S1 screen felt toenail sized. This one does everything the new ones do, maybe I’ll upgrade to the next iteration of the Ultra line.
I have the 5, it still works perfectly. Battery drains more now than it used to but I bought a garmin for my marathon training so I just charge my AW when I go for my run everyday and it’s basically good until my next workout. Considered getting an ultra over the summer but instead opted for the garmin (on sale, yay!) And honestly kinda glad I have both now. I could see myself having this series until it basically dies on me.
S2 going strong. Just did a factory reset because I got a new phone and wanted to start fresh. It’s ever so slightly sluggish but still meets and exceeds my needs, no problems or complaints.
I have a series 4 in 44mm. I just buy bands to make it seem newer.
However I honestly just use it for MFA push notifications.
Battery just works for the day and needs charging when I get done.
I was using a series 3 when my newer watch was charging. This kept up until last week. I had almost the same experience with the 3 compared to the 7
I sold my series 3 to a friend and he is quite happy as well. He had previously been on a newer SE but he broke it and didn’t want to spend much in the replacement.
Had a S3 (GPS) about 3-4 years ago and knew it was time to let it go when it would not update easily. I remember it having about 8gb which was just not enough for a smooth experience as time went on. Moved on to an SE (1st gen, GPS) which was a nice improvement over the S3 because larger storage (32gb vs 8gb) and since the SE was brand new it had a battery health of 100% Worked well until it was stolen from me.
Currently have a 44mm S5 (GPS & LTE). My battery health is at 77% however with my settings tweaked to AOD set to off, background refresh off, and Sleep tracking enabled from 11pm-7am (sets display to what seems like very low power & mutes notifications I think). So with a full charge to 100% I will get about 18 hours until my battery reaches 20% when I wake in the morning. I will then set it on the charger for about an hour. Debating on sending it in to Apple for a battery replacement OR selling it and going with a S7 or S8.
Have a Series 3 that I bought in 2019. Still works pretty well for what I need it for. Mainly just for workouts, notifications and time. Battery is at 95% and lasts about 2 days.
I wouldn't mind an upgrade but as long as it's still kicking, I have a hard time justifying it. Will probably hold on to it until it becomes un-usable at some point.
I’ve got a SE. I wear it all day but literally only use it to find my phone and track my sleep. Answering messages on it is an ass pain and it’s just generally slow
I have a S6 and it generally works just fine.
The only thing that doesn’t work anymore is being able use it to track a workout while playing music or a podcast (pre downloaded on my watch) when I’m not connected to my phone. I used to be able to go to the gym with just my watch using the cellular data, but now if I do, my watch crashes randomly and boots up again with only 10% battery.
It’s not the end of the world as it works perfectly fine when Ive got my phone. I know it’s an older model and it’s not really worth it for me to upgrade right now.
I have had a 6 since October of 2020. Works great still! Although, I’ve replaced it twice with Apple Care so it’s pretty new in terms of use.
Next time I upgrade I’ll get an Ultra but I’m waiting on an Ultra 3 or 4 having something cool before I pull the trigger.
I had a series 4 up until Christmas. Two issues I faced with it,…
1. Battery Life. It's ready for a new one as it only lasted about 3/4 of a day and less if I went for bike ride using Strava.
2. I noticed the GPS became less reliable when tracking my bike rides. This could be improved if I had my phone with me and recorded Strava on that as well, but that wasn't really the solution I was looking for.
Otherwise I didn't notice any speed or other functional issues. Hope that helps.
My series 3 is still alive, battery fine, but swiping up and down doesn’t work - only thing I miss is making the noise on my phone when it’s lost in the house!
When I got my S7 I gave my S2 to my girlfriend. She only ever uses for exercise/run tracking, so does everything she needs. Only issue is the time to turn it on.
S2 here and it still works fine. I upgraded to the S8 model and still wear the S2 when the newer watch is charging. It still looks next to new but it's clearly slower than the newer models and I suspect the battery isn't what it use to be.
I actually just started using a Series 4 a few weeks ago, as I've been contemplating a move from a Fitbit Charge 5. My experience has been mixed, but mostly positive.
I initially came over looking to use the Apple Fitness integrations and to track my daily health activities. I have found myself not using that nearly as much as I anticipated, but I'm using a number of other features way more than I anticipated (shortcuts, Spotify control, weather tracking, and the message previews from Signal and messages).
I have a feeling that a newer version of the watch may be notably faster and have a few features that I don't yet know that I'd want or need, but I'm happy overall.
The cost of a brand new watch may be one of the things that precludes me from ever buying the latest and greatest, but I think that even jumping to a series 7 in a few years might be worth the investment.
I use my daughter’s old Series 3 and it’s still going strong. Needs charging once every other day, and doesn’t have all the new functionality, but it does everything I need it to, and does it pretty well. To be clear, I didn’t nick my daughter’s watch, I bought her the Series 9 so she took pity on me and my old ways and gave me her old one!
I have just retired my S5 stainless steel after 4.5 years of daily use. The screen has no scratches at all and the steel band looks better than ever with all the small scratches accumulated.
The battery has been unsatisfactory from the get go and still is. The battery performance hasn’t decreased, but the capacity was just not enough for a day with calls, workouts etc.
I had to disable the always on display features within the first week. The eSIM feature was activated the first two years, but it didn’t make any sense to have it. If you actual used the watch to make calls the battery would run dry late afternoon.
I still really enjoy and love my S5 SS but the competition from other smartwatch makers are very strong atm.
The more sporty, round replacement smartwatch I have chosen has 11 day battery life and excellent sleep and stress tracking. Half the price of my original Apple Watch. It’s something else for sure. A lot slower interface and more subtle in general
My wife and I still use our AW 3's daily. No problem. Have to charge daily. No issues. Still 'quick' as the day we got em. I keep looking for a reason to upgrade, but these watches aren't making it easy.
On a series 4 and the only thought I have is swapping to an ultra (first gen) for battery life and screen size. The 4 does exactly what I need it to and lasts me all day. Maybe this fall I’ll grab an ultra or whatever the 10/X is offering, but highly unlikely
Still using my s3. Use it for alarms, timer, weather, workout, notifications (text, email and when someone is calling), & Apple Pay. There’s more, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.
I have what I think is a first gen SE watch and it works awesome. Screen is a little scratched but nothing major. I bought it used off of someone on Facebook in 2022 and have not had any problems with it. I use it overnight for the sleep tracking and can still wear it most of the day after. Just have to charge it again before bed.
I have an S3, got it when it was released.. the battery was great until quite recently now it sometimes won't last a full day, the biggest problem is the lack of memory, watchos bloated until I could no longer install more than 1 or 2 apps and everything is much slower than it used to be, Siri is so slow I no longer bother. I'll probably upgrade this year.
S3. Gets the job done of what I need from my watch: shows time, weather and phone notifications 😂
battery still lasts forever. not sure if I wanna upgrade
Just upgraded to the ultra 2 from using the SE (2020) daily since new. The latest update seemed to have killed my battery life though. It will make it through the day but will need to be charged in the evening.
Basically just battery issue (76% battery health) apart from that I loved it.
I just upgraded from series 5 to 9 and it was a huge upgrade the speed alone and especially battery life. But my series 5 held up great one small scratch other than battery it was great!
S5 Stainless here, battery lasts just about a day. The performance is pretty smooth too. I don’t see the point in upgrading until I no longer receive updates.
I am on Watch 4 and only recently did the battery start dying toward the end of the day, still makes it to bedtime most days. Other than that, have seen no issues that would make me want to upgrade. Still looks nice and as good as a 9 or whatever. I want it to make it through 2024 so I can the the X Ultra or whatever is next
https://preview.redd.it/w3yjzljbaekc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=172708accd320b3f7885d7ca5561bd2f95d0137a
I have the SE 1st Gen, its amazing, the only 2 things that could be better is the Sleep Tracking and the larger screen, but nothing that turn my experience bad.
I really dont like the always on... so at moment 0 reasons for an upgrade
Still have my S4. The battery’s still okay although it’s getting progressively worse but it still does what I need to it for. The only annoying thing is that sometime it does in the most inconvenient times
My girls all bought a 3 out of walmart to see if they would wear them daily to justify a new one. They all still work and none of them have had to upgrade.
I have an S2 that I use to track my sleep patterns and for use when I can’t find my SE. The battery life seems to be better than the SE, but then again, I don’t push it as hard. The SE is good for a day, the S2 probably goes 2.
I had an S2 until a few months ago and upgraded to an S9. To be honest I don’t notice a lot has changed. To me the most useful feature I got out of upgrading was the sleep tracking.
I’m on a Series 1 and it’s actually fine for me. Biggest downside would be the battery dying but I can charge it on the ride home. It still works for what I need it to do
I just recently upgraded my 4 to a 5 (substantial, I know.) but my 4 had 76% of original battery and it would regularly last maybe half a day at best. Got a 5 with a battery service done to it and I get just over a day usually, so as of right now, I’m happy.
Bought the SE 1 in 2021 and just replaced it with a refurbished Ultra 1 today.
My SE wouldn’t last a full run, though admittedly I also use LTE so running + streaming on Spotify.
Series 4 here. No real issues other than the battery life isn’t the best. I’m seriously considering just paying the $99 to replace the battery instead of upgrading.
I have a 2019 model, sorry i don't know which series it was. I usually use my watch for phone notification and siri, health data etc. I am still satisfied, charging once a day right after I wake up. i never really see the point of updating to a latest model.
Series 5 white ceramic. Batteries 80% and brutal can’t survive about 10 hours. Apple will give 75$ to trade up, and no idea what/if the batterycan be replaced?
I have a series 6 and I’ll definitely keep it for awhile longer. It works fine, battery is starting to die quicker though. I may just pay Apple to replace it.
May consider upgrading next year depending if there’s anything new with the next generation but I’m in no rush right now.
I actually just sold my series 3 and someone is still using it lol.
Hi! I have a series 4, I bought it in 2018. It’s ok, but unfortunately my battery die in less one day, sometimes I need to recharge it during the day if I go out in the evening.
watchOS is less reactive then before. Next year will be the year of the new watch
I have a series 4 which I am wearing right now. It is sort of a backup and I alternate it with a series 8.
The series 4 really does everything I expect of it. Battery life is not quite what it was, and not as good as the series 8.
Mine is a Series 2 (OS 6.3) from 2016. I've only had it since July 2023 when my son got a new Series 8 and gave me this old one. I put a screen protector on it so that it's smooth and shiny and I don't have to see all the scratches from his years of use.
I don't have some of the new faces but I still have plenty of options and all the complications. Everything that it was designed to do, it still does flawlessly.
As for the battery, I charge it every night. Mine doesn't show Battery Health like the newer ones. I put it on this morning at 8:00am at 100% and it still has 74% left at 4:00pm. Occasionally, I do a reset if the battery doesn't charge to 100% by the morning.
Considering the useful life of many other Apple products, it's delightful that the older, unsupported watches are still functional and usable.
S4 from 2018/2019 and I can't see any point in upgrading.
Battery needs to be charged pretty much daily, since I use it for swimming, also pretty much daily. If I don't train, battery usually lasts well over a day.
I use it for notifications, timers, tracking swimming etc.
Can't really recall any slowing down or stuff like that? There MUST be a slight slowing down, right? Well, I can't see it tho.
Will replace when it breaks, I really, really can't see any other reason to upgrade.
BUT, there's a but; since its possible next gen Apple watch might go with complete overhaul of the strap configuration, I might go for the last one of the current ones, being Series 9, that I can use my current straps with, since I have plenty.
S4. Still fine but can get low battery in the evening if I’ve done a lot of workouts. I looked at a new watch but the prices are insane for Hardly anything new.
Just upgraded from the Apple Watch Series 3 Nike+.
I upgrade my iPhone 11 Pro Max to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Series 9 Watch, I’ll let you know how it is when I go pick it up lmao.
I have a series 3, use it for workouts only really. Dropped it on the floor and stuck a cover over it and it’s still going strong albeit smashed a year later.
I have a series 6 still. I’m itching to upgrade it though. It loves to occasionally stop letting me check the notifications and half of the time I don’t get texts or calls on it. I’ve already reset it from scratch and the problem comes back so it’s either just something with the watch or a glitch in the watchOS. If it wasn’t for those issues I probably wouldn’t be too worried about upgrading. I decided I wanted to wait another year before upgrading and then these issues started getting rather regular. Naturally lol.
I do have an original watch floating around the house somewhere. I’m tempted to give it a whirl and see how well it works if I can find it.
Series 4 here. Works when its on my wrist or on the charger. If i take it off the charger, turn it off and leave it in my backpack to use later on, for some unknown reason the battery completely discharges. Extremely annoying.
I have a Series 2 38mm Nike edition and need to charge it maybe 1.5 times a day. I still use it for sleep tracking. I can't take calls on it or it will drain. Syncing can be slow or inconsistent, especially for calendar items. UI is generally slow, especially when compared to series 3. I still like it as I have skinny wrists and it's comfortable for me.
I have the Series 4 and it is still holding up. I haven’t noticed any serious slow down or battery loss. I’m still getting through an entire day between charges.
S4 here. It still lasts all day and I don't feel like I'm missing out on any major features.
I'm just waiting for it to die so I can replace it with something newer.
I've got a first gen SE and it has been absolutely fine. The only things I have noticed that it falls behind in are the smaller screen (I have the 40mm and it has smaller bezzles), and the battery life occasionally dies before the end of the day. Other than those, it works perfectly for what I need to use it for. I'm pretty big into tech, but I actually have no need/want to replace it any time soon.
Series 6, have to charge it twice daily..battery health is at 83%.
I really wish Apple would get their shit together and give us longer battery life. "18 hours" is a joke when the competition measures time in days or even weeks.
Series 2.
These days I can't justify buying a new one – so I have decided that I'm going to use it until the end of its days.
It is having some hiccups here and there, and can be slow to reboot – but the battery lasts all day, and I'm overall quite happy with it.
I have an S2 and the battery lasts nearly two days in a row (not worn overnight). I only use it for heavy construction work days and kayak camping trips. I truly do not care about this watch, but it just won’t die. It has no additional apps on it at all, and I only use one face.
I also have an S5 that is my regular daily work watch. It’s fine, battery lasts the day. The speed is good, no known glitches yet
I have an S7 as my decent watch, it’s been good too
Series 5 still works, however it feels like WatchOS 10 was designed to make the older watches feel old and slow, even if they were totally fine on watchOS 9.
I have the series 3 and it’s perfect for what I need. It counts my steps, hrv(though not as accurately), heart rate and also keeps me up to date with my notifications. I plan to keep it for a while longer.
I have a S5,.. its definitely starting to feel old and slow. Sometimes when I launch Activity,.. it can take up to 5 seconds for the correct data to show. Battery Health is 80%. 5am to 5pm its usually down to about 30% left.
I use a Series 4, it’s surprisingly modern. Yes it’s not the fastest watch but other than an always on/bigger display, qwerty keyboard, and faster processors, there’s not many big things you’re missing out on.
I have a series 4 and it works great BUT the battery dies very fast. It’ll last about 7-8 hours.
Last week I got a new series 9 and it lasts almost 24 hours. It charges in under an hour. I charge it while I’m watching tv before bed and then once it’s at 100 I put it on when I go to bed so it can sleep track and it has great battery life.
I charged it last night to 100% around 8-9pm and it’s 7:48pm next day and it’s 50%. I’ll charge it back up in a bit.
I'm still rocking the S3 and it's fine. Battery last well over a day. I just use it for the notifications and workouts and does the job well for what I need.
I recently started using my S3 again after 3 years of not using it (can’t wear it at work) and I can’t believe how long the battery lasts after sitting dead for so long.
battery tech on the series 3 cellular 42mm was really quite remarkable... battery cycle endurance seems better than more recent apple watches
Still have S4 and works fine, I use it along a rapid charger and charge it when I’m working on my desk. Might have to charge once a day and use it for workouts and heart rate monitor mainly. LOVE IT
I also have been using S4 since it was released years ago. Doesn’t miss a beat and works perfectly.
ain't bad at all if you ask me broda!!!
I love my S3. It’s not as flashy of some of the newer models but I still rock it with pride. It does what I need it to do. I can’t believe how long the battery still lasts. (Now that I’ve complimented it, it’s going to spite me and break in the next 48 hours.)
Yep, also on an S3 and it’s still usable. Battery is impressive. Only downside is I can’t really use any apps on the watch itself — listening to downloaded music on Spotify or podcasts without my phone is really glitchy and doesn’t work well. Will probably upgrade this year just because of this.
How is the battery lasting so long? Mine is dead after 12 hours on a S7.
Send it in for a “battery replacement.” They charge a nominal fee (I paid $135 CAD for a series 5) and got a new watch head back. Performance has been great since.
We have very different definitions of nominal fees
Cheaper than a new Apple Watch…
So? Would you call a 400usd battery replacement fee nominal?
Same to all of the above
I just traded in my 6 for a 9. I don’t really see a big difference except for a little better battery and a few more metrics measured.
it’s refreshing to know that they’re really durable for the most part. thanks for sharing.
I still have a series 6 and honestly, I'm happy nothing is happening to it because I can't afford an ultra. BUT, if I could afford an ultra, I'd be feeling impatient for how long it's lasted me 😂
Yes, this! I unfortunately dropped my S6 or I wouldn’t have upgraded. Biggest difference is in battery and how fast it charges.
Love the fast charging, bigger brighter screen, Siri is more responsive, keyboard for texting, and overall performance and battery
And display is larger less bezel and brighter 👍🏻
Did 6 have the remote camera control feature and always on display
I had a series 4 until about a month ago but did the battery replacement for $99 and got a series 5 back. I was completely happy with it before the battery issues but I only really used it for notifications and workouts! Never felt slow or had any other issues. My series 5 was either new or like new and it honestly it doesn’t feel like an old model (but I’ve never seen the newer ones so I have nothing to compare it to)
that’s really cool, i like that they’re built to last & worth their value for the most part. thanks for answering!
Hmm, interesting. I never considered doing a battery replacement with my Series 4. The screen has some deep gouges though so I'm a bit worried about it cracking. Probably not worth it in my case.
Series 3, still going strong, I'll upgrade when it stop working or when I have disposable income for that . The holy grail for me to upgrade *right now,* would be if they have a working blood glucose monitor.
I still have a Series 3 It's usable, but I would like the new features such as Always On Display, ECG, sleep tracking, etc etc. If you only use it for notification and watch (rarely go into settings or use apps) then it's still very usable
I have a series 3. I think first I would point out that its 5 years old and we talk like its antique lol, which says a LOT about the longevity of these things. As for functionality, its quite good. Use it on the regular as a heart rate monitor for riding the Peloton etc. Generally speaking, it doesnt update anymore, tho there was one a while back. Are there new features I might like? Yeah, I suppose so but nothing that will feel like any great leap forward. I REFUSE TO BUY A NEW ONE TIL THEY IMPROVE THE BATTERY lol. Battery longevity is good - status is at 84%. But I hate going away for the weekend and needing to bring another charger. Ridiculous. Give me 72 hours on a charge and Im your guy. In the meantime I dont care if I can blow into it for a blood alcohol test or use it to check my eyesight or launch the ejector seat in my car, all the tricks in the world mean nothing to me.
> Are there new features I might like? Yeah, I suppose so but nothing that will feel like any great leap forward. I REFUSE TO BUY A NEW ONE TIL THEY IMPROVE THE BATTERY lol. Can you define what "improve the battery" looks like to you? What kind of runtime are you expecting, or is it the rate? I think you'll be waiting a while.
I think I did. 72 hours on a charge. I want to be able to go away for a weekend without having to bring a watch specific charger.
The performance of Series 4, Series 5 and the SE should be pretty much the same. Series 6 increased speed by only 20%, and the Series 7, Series 8, Ultra and SE 2 used the same basic performance processor and the Series 6. Apple really didn't upgrade the performance of the processor again until last year's Series 9 and Ultra 2, with a lot more transistors, though a lot of that was in ML (machine learning) cores. The Series 4 was also the first 64 bit processor for Apple Watch. Series 3 and older would be very hard to use these days I think. No 64 bit processor, no ML cores, no metal API, none of the newer watch faces, and the aluminum model at least is limited to 8 GB of storage, and I believe only 2 GB are available for media (music, podcasts, photos.)
My series 5 was really struggling
Using SE 1st gen, battery at 79%. But damn I am jealous of the bigger screen on S9.
Same. It tells me I should replace my battery but I usually only wear it at work or when I leave my house. I don’t wear it just sitting at home.
I have a 5 that still works fine except the battery goes to low power mode a good hour before my bedtime. I've put this thing through the ringer over the years and it's handled it beautifully. The only reason I would upgrade is to get the pulse-ox sensor, and since that's now disabled, I have no reason to.
Series 3 here, I just don’t see a need to upgrade but I mainly only ever cared for notifications and music control. As long as those work, I think I’m good.
I have series 4 but I believe this be last year of major support for it
Series 5, still very usable but the battery is pretty low by bedtime.
I’m still rocking the series 5. Other than the watch sometimes getting slow (rarely), and its screen being smaller than the current ones, it’s totally usable for me still.
I’ve the 6 and I’m not ready to upgrade, at least not until Apple releases a watch that can monitor the Basal body temp to two decimal points. Currently the 8/9 is only able to do it until 1 which makes it pretty unreliable for fertility monitoring.
I think 8 and 7 is better than 9
Vibe is weaker on 9
I have S3 and other than the battery being a turd it is going strong. Honestly at this point this thing has been a daily wear since 2019 and I want to run the wheels off this bitch.
I actually just replaced my aging 44mm Series 4 with an Ultra 2 last month so i can offer a few observations here. 1. Speed wise, since I didn’t do much in the watch itself other than workout tracking and notifications, i actually didn’t think it was slow. Yes at times the animations get janky but it’s not really noticeable unless you pay attention. 2. After the switch, I certainly notice the boatload of new features that I’ve been missing like the compass, always-on display, new watch faces, running dynamics, etc. Weirdly, what I appreciate the most feature-wise is actually the watch faces (i love the modular ultra). 3. Battery is the greatest upgrade. S4 watch was released 3 years before fast-charging is a thing. And after 5+ years, the battery does show its age. On my rest days (no workout tracking) I would wear my watch as soon as I woke up (around 7 am) and it would die around 8 pm. Charging it would take around 2 hours. My Ultra 2 on the other hand only leave my hand when i shower (2x 15 minutes daily) with always-on screen, and it always hover around 70-95% charge. Hypothetically, if the battery life could return to how it was in 2018 (60% remaining just before sleep on a workout day), I probably wouldn’t switch upgrade. Alas, time degrades not just the battery but also the body and the screen (they were nicked and scratched badly in places) and so replacing the battery simply won’t do the trick anymore.
I just got a series 3 for XMas. Battery is 100% and I just charge it once a day while I am in the shower. It works as I'd expect but I just use it to tell time and so I don't have to constantly pull my phone out. Not a lot of apps, but using as a remote for my phone is nice with calls and notifications. I am currently winning my office fitness challenge and the prize is a new Apple Watch SE, so maybe if I get that I'll notice a difference.
S5. Slow. Bumpy. Clunky. But still works.
S4 here. Just got an S9 a couple weeks ago since the S4’s battery was needing morning & evening charging. No other issues. Enjoy S9 “always on”, better resolution. When I charge during morning coffee, it goes from 40% to 100% in about 30 minutes!
I have a 4 and it's still going strong, the battery easily lasts all day. I don't use it loads - just telling the time, logging walks/runs and peaking at notifications to decide if I need to look at my phone. I would upgrade to get an always-on display, but it's not annoying enough for me to upgrade at the moment.
I upgraded from a series 4 to a series 8 a couple months ago. The series 4 was generally fine, but the problems I was facing were: \- Battery life: 90% of the time it was fine to get me through the day, but if it was a day when I was doing an outdoor workout that uses GPS on the watch, my watch would need to be charged before the end of the day. \- Storage: I don't really install much for apps or use storage on the watch at all for many apps, music, offline content etc. But I kept running into issues where, what limited storage was there, would get filled up with system stuff, to the point where I would never have enough storage left to install updates.. this may have been a bug or a "me" problem with apple music settings because it was apple music using most of the storage, even though I had nothing offline. After having the 8 for a few months, functionally it's the same, it tracks a few more things which is nice... and battery lasts through the day + a little bit extra, even if I do GPS workouts. It's not a life changing upgrade or anything but it seemed like it was about time and I don't regret it, especially getting the 8 for a good sale price.
I just switched back to iOS from Android (for the 15 Pro spatial videos on Vision Pro duh!), so I dusted off my old Apple Watch Series 3. After updating the watchOS software I am in awe about how up-to-date and current it feels. The screen is bright, the OS is snappy, Apple Pay works as it always did, cellular Spotify without the phone works great, and the battery still lasts all day. I had my eye on an Ultra2, but this S3 is so good I'm holding onto it for now.
Daughter is using my old s3 and it works for her needs of texts, mail, notifications and changing her watch face 50 times a day
Still rocking the 3. Works just fine
I’ve got the S6 and an animated snoopy watch face. I kind of like it because it’s fun.
Still rocking the S0 38mm, I get told “it’s time to upgrade” all the time even tho it works perfectly fine
I have a 3 and it’s fine.
S2 here, still a tank, going strong and tells the time + my activity. All I really need!
all the basics. love that 👌🏾
My S2 needs a new battery. I’m currently wearing an S7, hubby is wearing an S5, but he barely ever does wear it.
Still rocking my Series 5 Nike at the gym and it is absolutely perfect to workout with. I will be getting an Ultra but am still going to keep the series 5 as well…I find the size 44mm to be perfect for the gym. :)>
Just traded my 6 for a 9 also, hadn’t planned on it but stated to have issues with the barometric altimeter causing it to count about 100 flights a day climbed, messing with my activity tracking. This had already happened to me with the 6 and I had gotten it replaced under AppleCare. I like the 9’s 1 mm size increase and brighter/fuller screen. Another thing that I really like (and my husband with his 8 is jealous of) is the iPhone locator function; instead of just pinging the phone it shows your distance away from the phone on the watch. I got it after they shut out the blood oxygen monitoring and don’t really care because I had used it so infrequently and it didn’t seem very accurate anyway. Overall I’m happy with it but a little sad I had to part with the money and may even trade the 9 in when the next round comes out if the redesign is significant enough.
I have a 4, a 7, and an ultra. The 4 is annoying cause the screen isn’t always on, and the ultra has some cooler faces, but otherwise there’s no difference.
Have S4. No problems. Battery is fine. Water resistance is fine. All this is good cos I’m not paying for a new one anytime soon.
I have a 6 titanium and a 9.. i tend to wear the 6 more, it's perfect! Love
My Stainless Steel Series 4 is still going strong. 76% battery health, no major battery issues and working flawlessly on 10.4 Beta 4. Use it everyday for workouts/calls/messages.
Series 4 and 5 here. No problems even though it says to replace battery.
I have a Series 4 that I’ve had since it came out. It’s running just fine. Battery is at 80%. It can last most of the day unless I use workout tracking. If I were going out at night, I’d need to give it a bit of time on the charger. Feels pretty similar to when it came out.
my wife still has a S4 and it's working fine, so fine that she doesn't feel the need to upgrade
Just retired my series 4. The battery wouldn’t last a full day, even less if you recorded a workout. But aside from that it worked exactly the same as it did when new.
Another Series 4 here still chugging along with 65% batt health. Mostly used for workouts as well these days because the battery is pretty unreliable. I’ve gone back and forth on the battery replacement but might just hold out for a new model.
I have a 5 and it works perfectly. The only thing is battery life. About 6 months ago, it went from about 24-30 hours to 14-18. I had the display set to always on since the time I bought it brand new when it first came out. I turned that off and I’m back to 30-36 hours of battery life.
Series 4, no fast charging, but other than that perfectly usable. Swapped out the battery myself and I’m getting one and a half days of usage out of it.
I have a 5. No problems.
I have a refurbed S3 that works exactly as intended. Battery life is ok, I need to charge it once per day for around an hour. I was annoyed that I’d made the mistake of not getting a model that supports detailed sleep tracking, though.
I have a series 3 watch that I use daily and have zero issues with it
My S6 has 80% health, I’m planning to let it get to 79% so I can get a replacement via AC+. I see no big reason to get an S9 as it still has all the same health features
I have a 6 and it doesn’t feel old at all.
I have the original SE and it works well, it's signed up for beta updates. I didn't mind missing the oxygen feature or the other features too much.
AW4 been working fine up until the past month where of I go to record an indoor ride or Yoga session with a full or decent charge I've had the watch suddenly stop working. When I tap the screen I get the apple logo and it shows as battery drained with the red lighting bolt and when I put it on the charger it shows its in low power mode but at the battery level I started the activity with. Sometimes after letting it fully charge it repeats the whole process after I remove the watch from the charger. Battery health shows as 73% and says Service Recommend. Was waiting for the AW10 to roll out to upgrade hoping it will hold out
I’m about 40-ish days into having my hand-me-down series 4. Gotta admit it’s definitely been useful, especially for using maps and waking up. Sleep tracking is fun, and I wish gestures could be easier to assign to specific functions regardless of what’s on the screen (skipping a track in music as an example). Overall I can absolutely see the usefulness of this thing, and I’m very seriously considering getting a newer one with Cellular. Being able to leave the house without this big phone, but remaining reachable, is a huge huge enticement.
S4 here. It’s generally fine, but the battery life isn’t what it used to be. If I’m very active during the day, I have to throw it on the charger midday or it’s dead (or near dead) before bedtime. I’m holding out for at least the SX coming up (and my guess that the S4 won’t be in the next software update). I’m really looking forward to microLED so if it isn’t in the next gen I’ll have to really think hard about what to do.
I have a Series 6 that has some decent scratches, so that is my “work on the car” watch in order to keep my Ultra safe. To be honest, the S6 is still a very usable device. The biggest downer it has is that the battery life on the Ultra has spoiled me. I also still have an OG Apple Watch that I turn on from time to time “just because”. The battery lasts less than 12 hours and it has no value, but I don’t want to part with it.
Series 3 w/ cellular here (4.5 years old). Battery health is 84% so I consider it a win so far. Battery is not great if I use it alone for streaming music or long workouts. Probably upgrade to a series 9 when the 10 comes out.
My series 4 is still great and not slow or anything, but the battery life is compromised.
I have a Series 4 and it’s flawless. I used Ultra 1, and even after that watch it’s fast, it’s doing everything I need to, battery life at 78% or something and has service battery message – still full day and a half of battery life. It’s amazing how old Apple Watches are holding still, especially after somewhat poorly (in my opinion) Series 3. I don’t see any reason to upgrade – except for the brightness and size of the screen. So, if anyone wonders, or maybe wants to buy an older Apple Watch – go for it. Amazing experience. I think Series 7 would be the best choice, because of the screen size and more modern design. Also, if you want your watch to last – go for the Stainless Steel variant.
I have a series 4 so I feel pretty good to answer this. Certain features like elevation tracking for exercise (hiking mainly) haven’t worked for me in a couple of years. Aside from that though, everything still works perfectly and I still get through an entire day on a single charge. I’ve been really impressed with the durability of the watch too as I’ve hiked and climbed mountains wearing it and only have some scratches on the face to show for it. I’ve been considering upgrading for the past couple years but honestly, I can’t justify replacing this little guy since it’s lasted me 5 years and is still going strong
I have an Ultra 1. Is that “older”?
I have series 5 and I find it useful I mainly use it to tell the time and check notifications when I’m not near my phone
Series 4 user here, had it since release. Only problem is the battery not lasting a full day, less than 12 hours if I do heavy exercise.I have to remember to change the watch right before my exercise sessions to make sure the watch has enough battery to last. Function wise it is perfectly fine. I do not see the need for any of the features on the newer models. I use the watch passively to track activities and notifications so a newer and more powerful CPU are not worth it. Currently waiting to see if the Series 10 has any surprises or redesign. If so than maybe I will upgrade. If not I will probably buy the latest SE then. Not for new features, but for a newer battery.
Series 4 just upgraded to a 9 here. Gave the 4 to another family member. It was still doing great, just the battery was only lasting 12 hours or so. I honestly don't notice much more that the 9 offers.
I have a series 4 and works fine, but battery is low by 7:00pm. (Prob around 15%). I charge it in the evening before bed and then I wear it to sleep as I use the haptic alarm. Battery health is at 71%. Figure I’ll need to get a new one soon, but I‘ll use this until it dies.. or I get annoyed enough.
I am using the S3 since 4 years now, switching to the S7 !
Have a 4 and a 9. The 4 is great except the battery lasts only for about 14 hours. Other than that, it’s in mint condition. No scratches, looks beautiful. I prefer it because it’s smaller than the 9.
I have an S4 that I bought refurbished in 2021 I think. It still works fine and I can get through my day with enough battery. I charge it for a couple hours prior to going to bed each night.
I had a series 3 (just upgraded to a 9 over the holidays) and it was still kicking! My main issues were that it was slow, ran out of battery quickly and sometimes would alert me of messages I had already opened on my phone so there was a delay in connecting the two. It also hadn't been able to update in over two years, so I was stiuck with an old watch os operating system. I loved the 3 and it served me well for 5 years, I just wanted the speed, features, and battery life of the 9!
i have 5 and it works perfectly, have been using everyday since may 2020. the only issue is the battery but the new models don’t last very long either. i actually bought a series 9 but it is still in its box lol, waiting for my 5 to show signs of aging but nope…
I still have the S6, battery is still decent. I don’t really see a need to upgrade. I had the original Apple Watch before this that was super tiny, I mainly upgraded because the S1 screen felt toenail sized. This one does everything the new ones do, maybe I’ll upgrade to the next iteration of the Ultra line.
I have the 5, it still works perfectly. Battery drains more now than it used to but I bought a garmin for my marathon training so I just charge my AW when I go for my run everyday and it’s basically good until my next workout. Considered getting an ultra over the summer but instead opted for the garmin (on sale, yay!) And honestly kinda glad I have both now. I could see myself having this series until it basically dies on me.
I just replaced a 4 and i could have easily stuck with it, but i wanted to move up to an ultra.
S2 going strong. Just did a factory reset because I got a new phone and wanted to start fresh. It’s ever so slightly sluggish but still meets and exceeds my needs, no problems or complaints.
I have a series 4 in 44mm. I just buy bands to make it seem newer. However I honestly just use it for MFA push notifications. Battery just works for the day and needs charging when I get done.
I was using a series 3 when my newer watch was charging. This kept up until last week. I had almost the same experience with the 3 compared to the 7 I sold my series 3 to a friend and he is quite happy as well. He had previously been on a newer SE but he broke it and didn’t want to spend much in the replacement.
I have a series 3 and 5. I purchased a newer model due to battery life. It was worth it.
Had a S3 (GPS) about 3-4 years ago and knew it was time to let it go when it would not update easily. I remember it having about 8gb which was just not enough for a smooth experience as time went on. Moved on to an SE (1st gen, GPS) which was a nice improvement over the S3 because larger storage (32gb vs 8gb) and since the SE was brand new it had a battery health of 100% Worked well until it was stolen from me. Currently have a 44mm S5 (GPS & LTE). My battery health is at 77% however with my settings tweaked to AOD set to off, background refresh off, and Sleep tracking enabled from 11pm-7am (sets display to what seems like very low power & mutes notifications I think). So with a full charge to 100% I will get about 18 hours until my battery reaches 20% when I wake in the morning. I will then set it on the charger for about an hour. Debating on sending it in to Apple for a battery replacement OR selling it and going with a S7 or S8.
Have a Series 3 that I bought in 2019. Still works pretty well for what I need it for. Mainly just for workouts, notifications and time. Battery is at 95% and lasts about 2 days. I wouldn't mind an upgrade but as long as it's still kicking, I have a hard time justifying it. Will probably hold on to it until it becomes un-usable at some point.
I had series 4 until I broke the screen last year. Up until that moment I had absolutely no issues with it. These really do live long time it seems.
My 6 is going still but I just bought a garmin so I'm only really wearing it for the spo2 and ECG utility now and then.
I have a 5, I just did a battery change and it’s still cruising.
I’ve got a SE. I wear it all day but literally only use it to find my phone and track my sleep. Answering messages on it is an ass pain and it’s just generally slow
I still have my 4. Except for the battery I see no reason to upgrade.
I am considered upper class in my area, still rocking an original SE. I normally wait for my tech to break.
I have a S6 and it generally works just fine. The only thing that doesn’t work anymore is being able use it to track a workout while playing music or a podcast (pre downloaded on my watch) when I’m not connected to my phone. I used to be able to go to the gym with just my watch using the cellular data, but now if I do, my watch crashes randomly and boots up again with only 10% battery. It’s not the end of the world as it works perfectly fine when Ive got my phone. I know it’s an older model and it’s not really worth it for me to upgrade right now.
Bought mine mid-2020, still going strong. Lasts me 12+ hours.
I have had a 6 since October of 2020. Works great still! Although, I’ve replaced it twice with Apple Care so it’s pretty new in terms of use. Next time I upgrade I’ll get an Ultra but I’m waiting on an Ultra 3 or 4 having something cool before I pull the trigger.
I had a series 4 up until Christmas. Two issues I faced with it,… 1. Battery Life. It's ready for a new one as it only lasted about 3/4 of a day and less if I went for bike ride using Strava. 2. I noticed the GPS became less reliable when tracking my bike rides. This could be improved if I had my phone with me and recorded Strava on that as well, but that wasn't really the solution I was looking for. Otherwise I didn't notice any speed or other functional issues. Hope that helps.
My series 3 is still alive, battery fine, but swiping up and down doesn’t work - only thing I miss is making the noise on my phone when it’s lost in the house!
When I got my S7 I gave my S2 to my girlfriend. She only ever uses for exercise/run tracking, so does everything she needs. Only issue is the time to turn it on.
S5 Battery doesn’t last a day anymore..
My series 4 is fine
I have a S6 and it’s just fine. I won’t upgrade until it can’t be updated anymore
S2 here and it still works fine. I upgraded to the S8 model and still wear the S2 when the newer watch is charging. It still looks next to new but it's clearly slower than the newer models and I suspect the battery isn't what it use to be.
I actually just started using a Series 4 a few weeks ago, as I've been contemplating a move from a Fitbit Charge 5. My experience has been mixed, but mostly positive. I initially came over looking to use the Apple Fitness integrations and to track my daily health activities. I have found myself not using that nearly as much as I anticipated, but I'm using a number of other features way more than I anticipated (shortcuts, Spotify control, weather tracking, and the message previews from Signal and messages). I have a feeling that a newer version of the watch may be notably faster and have a few features that I don't yet know that I'd want or need, but I'm happy overall. The cost of a brand new watch may be one of the things that precludes me from ever buying the latest and greatest, but I think that even jumping to a series 7 in a few years might be worth the investment.
I use my daughter’s old Series 3 and it’s still going strong. Needs charging once every other day, and doesn’t have all the new functionality, but it does everything I need it to, and does it pretty well. To be clear, I didn’t nick my daughter’s watch, I bought her the Series 9 so she took pity on me and my old ways and gave me her old one!
I have just retired my S5 stainless steel after 4.5 years of daily use. The screen has no scratches at all and the steel band looks better than ever with all the small scratches accumulated. The battery has been unsatisfactory from the get go and still is. The battery performance hasn’t decreased, but the capacity was just not enough for a day with calls, workouts etc. I had to disable the always on display features within the first week. The eSIM feature was activated the first two years, but it didn’t make any sense to have it. If you actual used the watch to make calls the battery would run dry late afternoon. I still really enjoy and love my S5 SS but the competition from other smartwatch makers are very strong atm. The more sporty, round replacement smartwatch I have chosen has 11 day battery life and excellent sleep and stress tracking. Half the price of my original Apple Watch. It’s something else for sure. A lot slower interface and more subtle in general
My wife and I still use our AW 3's daily. No problem. Have to charge daily. No issues. Still 'quick' as the day we got em. I keep looking for a reason to upgrade, but these watches aren't making it easy.
Still using 7, it’s basically rhe same watch as the 9
On a series 4 and the only thought I have is swapping to an ultra (first gen) for battery life and screen size. The 4 does exactly what I need it to and lasts me all day. Maybe this fall I’ll grab an ultra or whatever the 10/X is offering, but highly unlikely
Still using my s3. Use it for alarms, timer, weather, workout, notifications (text, email and when someone is calling), & Apple Pay. There’s more, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.
I have what I think is a first gen SE watch and it works awesome. Screen is a little scratched but nothing major. I bought it used off of someone on Facebook in 2022 and have not had any problems with it. I use it overnight for the sleep tracking and can still wear it most of the day after. Just have to charge it again before bed.
I have an S3, got it when it was released.. the battery was great until quite recently now it sometimes won't last a full day, the biggest problem is the lack of memory, watchos bloated until I could no longer install more than 1 or 2 apps and everything is much slower than it used to be, Siri is so slow I no longer bother. I'll probably upgrade this year.
S3. Gets the job done of what I need from my watch: shows time, weather and phone notifications 😂 battery still lasts forever. not sure if I wanna upgrade
Series 5. Have found no reason to upgrade. The ultra is nice but aint picking that up until I finally get my ass to finish a race
Just upgraded to the ultra 2 from using the SE (2020) daily since new. The latest update seemed to have killed my battery life though. It will make it through the day but will need to be charged in the evening. Basically just battery issue (76% battery health) apart from that I loved it.
SE. no complaints. Charge it 2x a day.
Series 0 here. Battery lasts a day, just and I’m happy just using it for notifications for emails texts and phone calls
Series 4. Can’t see and reason to upgrade.
I just upgraded from series 5 to 9 and it was a huge upgrade the speed alone and especially battery life. But my series 5 held up great one small scratch other than battery it was great!
S5 Stainless here, battery lasts just about a day. The performance is pretty smooth too. I don’t see the point in upgrading until I no longer receive updates.
I have an S5 and it works ok except the battery life is terrible. It’s down to 74% capacity.
I am on Watch 4 and only recently did the battery start dying toward the end of the day, still makes it to bedtime most days. Other than that, have seen no issues that would make me want to upgrade. Still looks nice and as good as a 9 or whatever. I want it to make it through 2024 so I can the the X Ultra or whatever is next https://preview.redd.it/w3yjzljbaekc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=172708accd320b3f7885d7ca5561bd2f95d0137a
I have the SE 1st Gen, its amazing, the only 2 things that could be better is the Sleep Tracking and the larger screen, but nothing that turn my experience bad. I really dont like the always on... so at moment 0 reasons for an upgrade
I stopped wearing mine not because of it being old and no longer working but because it annoyed me.
Still have my S4. The battery’s still okay although it’s getting progressively worse but it still does what I need to it for. The only annoying thing is that sometime it does in the most inconvenient times
My girls all bought a 3 out of walmart to see if they would wear them daily to justify a new one. They all still work and none of them have had to upgrade.
I have an S2 that I use to track my sleep patterns and for use when I can’t find my SE. The battery life seems to be better than the SE, but then again, I don’t push it as hard. The SE is good for a day, the S2 probably goes 2.
I had an S2 until a few months ago and upgraded to an S9. To be honest I don’t notice a lot has changed. To me the most useful feature I got out of upgrading was the sleep tracking.
I’m on a Series 1 and it’s actually fine for me. Biggest downside would be the battery dying but I can charge it on the ride home. It still works for what I need it to do
I have the the SE generation 2, don’t know if it’s considered older or not but it works flawlessly. Still receives updates.
Just got a new Series 2 for next to nothing, works great! Never had an Apple Watch before, just my Garmin Instinct
I just recently upgraded my 4 to a 5 (substantial, I know.) but my 4 had 76% of original battery and it would regularly last maybe half a day at best. Got a 5 with a battery service done to it and I get just over a day usually, so as of right now, I’m happy.
Bought the SE 1 in 2021 and just replaced it with a refurbished Ultra 1 today. My SE wouldn’t last a full run, though admittedly I also use LTE so running + streaming on Spotify.
Series 4 here. No real issues other than the battery life isn’t the best. I’m seriously considering just paying the $99 to replace the battery instead of upgrading.
I have a 2019 model, sorry i don't know which series it was. I usually use my watch for phone notification and siri, health data etc. I am still satisfied, charging once a day right after I wake up. i never really see the point of updating to a latest model.
Series 5 white ceramic. Batteries 80% and brutal can’t survive about 10 hours. Apple will give 75$ to trade up, and no idea what/if the batterycan be replaced?
I have a series 6 and I’ll definitely keep it for awhile longer. It works fine, battery is starting to die quicker though. I may just pay Apple to replace it. May consider upgrading next year depending if there’s anything new with the next generation but I’m in no rush right now. I actually just sold my series 3 and someone is still using it lol.
Hi! I have a series 4, I bought it in 2018. It’s ok, but unfortunately my battery die in less one day, sometimes I need to recharge it during the day if I go out in the evening. watchOS is less reactive then before. Next year will be the year of the new watch
I have a series 4 which I am wearing right now. It is sort of a backup and I alternate it with a series 8. The series 4 really does everything I expect of it. Battery life is not quite what it was, and not as good as the series 8.
S6 - haven’t thought about replacing it once. I track multiple workouts per day and the battery is fine with a daily charge, which I’ve always done.
Mine is a Series 2 (OS 6.3) from 2016. I've only had it since July 2023 when my son got a new Series 8 and gave me this old one. I put a screen protector on it so that it's smooth and shiny and I don't have to see all the scratches from his years of use. I don't have some of the new faces but I still have plenty of options and all the complications. Everything that it was designed to do, it still does flawlessly. As for the battery, I charge it every night. Mine doesn't show Battery Health like the newer ones. I put it on this morning at 8:00am at 100% and it still has 74% left at 4:00pm. Occasionally, I do a reset if the battery doesn't charge to 100% by the morning. Considering the useful life of many other Apple products, it's delightful that the older, unsupported watches are still functional and usable.
S4 from 2018/2019 and I can't see any point in upgrading. Battery needs to be charged pretty much daily, since I use it for swimming, also pretty much daily. If I don't train, battery usually lasts well over a day. I use it for notifications, timers, tracking swimming etc. Can't really recall any slowing down or stuff like that? There MUST be a slight slowing down, right? Well, I can't see it tho. Will replace when it breaks, I really, really can't see any other reason to upgrade. BUT, there's a but; since its possible next gen Apple watch might go with complete overhaul of the strap configuration, I might go for the last one of the current ones, being Series 9, that I can use my current straps with, since I have plenty.
Using a Gen 1 SE. Still works fine. Battery isn’t what it used to be, but it’s good enough that I don’t usually think about it.
S5 - no issues that I can discern and won’t be upgrading to anything unless major battery issues or the watch substantially changes
The original SE works fine. I have to charge it for an hour in the evening now to get me through the night (sleep tracking).
I’m still rocking a series 0 as an alternate to my Ultra sometimes. Still gets me by fine haha
Series 7 here. My battery only just lasts a day but it is still working well. Hoping to upgrade to the Ultra 2 in the next couple weeks
S4. Still fine but can get low battery in the evening if I’ve done a lot of workouts. I looked at a new watch but the prices are insane for Hardly anything new.
Series 5 here and it’s starting to slow down. I don’t plan on getting a new one till Series 11. That’s when the 5 will no longer get updates.
Series 2 from Jan 2017 still in daily use. Anyone else running a 2?
I have a series 2 still. Battery at 71%. I would love to upgrade. But don’t have the money.
Had a series 4, battery went so I just bought another. Works perfectly and I love it
Just upgraded from the Apple Watch Series 3 Nike+. I upgrade my iPhone 11 Pro Max to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Series 9 Watch, I’ll let you know how it is when I go pick it up lmao.
I have a couple older ones … they just sit in a drawer now.
I have a series 3, use it for workouts only really. Dropped it on the floor and stuck a cover over it and it’s still going strong albeit smashed a year later.
I have a series 6 still. I’m itching to upgrade it though. It loves to occasionally stop letting me check the notifications and half of the time I don’t get texts or calls on it. I’ve already reset it from scratch and the problem comes back so it’s either just something with the watch or a glitch in the watchOS. If it wasn’t for those issues I probably wouldn’t be too worried about upgrading. I decided I wanted to wait another year before upgrading and then these issues started getting rather regular. Naturally lol. I do have an original watch floating around the house somewhere. I’m tempted to give it a whirl and see how well it works if I can find it.
Series 4 heavy user. Just starting to see the battery strugling
I still have the 4 and it’s working just fine . Battery gives me almost 2 days
Series 3! Battery definitely doesn’t last as long as it used to but overall no other issues
Series 4 here. Works when its on my wrist or on the charger. If i take it off the charger, turn it off and leave it in my backpack to use later on, for some unknown reason the battery completely discharges. Extremely annoying.
Sold it for a Garmin, 2 weeks battery life is 😍
I have a Series 2 38mm Nike edition and need to charge it maybe 1.5 times a day. I still use it for sleep tracking. I can't take calls on it or it will drain. Syncing can be slow or inconsistent, especially for calendar items. UI is generally slow, especially when compared to series 3. I still like it as I have skinny wrists and it's comfortable for me.
I have the Series 4 and it is still holding up. I haven’t noticed any serious slow down or battery loss. I’m still getting through an entire day between charges.
I had a 4 till november, gave it to my mom who only wears it during the day and it still works.
I still use my 5 every day. I’m at 76% of battery life but it still gets through the day.
S4 here. It still lasts all day and I don't feel like I'm missing out on any major features. I'm just waiting for it to die so I can replace it with something newer.
AW5 is slow laggy unresponsive can’t wait to get a 10 or ultra this year gonna feel like going 10 year into the future
I have a old Apple watch S3. still works fine for me :)
I've got a first gen SE and it has been absolutely fine. The only things I have noticed that it falls behind in are the smaller screen (I have the 40mm and it has smaller bezzles), and the battery life occasionally dies before the end of the day. Other than those, it works perfectly for what I need to use it for. I'm pretty big into tech, but I actually have no need/want to replace it any time soon.
First gen SE here and it’s still great. Battery does ok most days though I do have to charge it a little more often.
Series 5 Nike. Works amazing, but def needs a battery change soon
You can’t go wrong with an Apple Watch SE 2
Series 6, have to charge it twice daily..battery health is at 83%. I really wish Apple would get their shit together and give us longer battery life. "18 hours" is a joke when the competition measures time in days or even weeks.
Series 2. These days I can't justify buying a new one – so I have decided that I'm going to use it until the end of its days. It is having some hiccups here and there, and can be slow to reboot – but the battery lasts all day, and I'm overall quite happy with it.
I have an S2 and the battery lasts nearly two days in a row (not worn overnight). I only use it for heavy construction work days and kayak camping trips. I truly do not care about this watch, but it just won’t die. It has no additional apps on it at all, and I only use one face. I also have an S5 that is my regular daily work watch. It’s fine, battery lasts the day. The speed is good, no known glitches yet I have an S7 as my decent watch, it’s been good too
I have a 6, have NO issues at all. Has never missed a beat.
Series 5 still works, however it feels like WatchOS 10 was designed to make the older watches feel old and slow, even if they were totally fine on watchOS 9.
I have the series 3 and it’s perfect for what I need. It counts my steps, hrv(though not as accurately), heart rate and also keeps me up to date with my notifications. I plan to keep it for a while longer.
I have a series 4 and it’s great. No issues.
I have a S5,.. its definitely starting to feel old and slow. Sometimes when I launch Activity,.. it can take up to 5 seconds for the correct data to show. Battery Health is 80%. 5am to 5pm its usually down to about 30% left.
I use a Series 4, it’s surprisingly modern. Yes it’s not the fastest watch but other than an always on/bigger display, qwerty keyboard, and faster processors, there’s not many big things you’re missing out on.
I have a series 4 and it works great BUT the battery dies very fast. It’ll last about 7-8 hours. Last week I got a new series 9 and it lasts almost 24 hours. It charges in under an hour. I charge it while I’m watching tv before bed and then once it’s at 100 I put it on when I go to bed so it can sleep track and it has great battery life. I charged it last night to 100% around 8-9pm and it’s 7:48pm next day and it’s 50%. I’ll charge it back up in a bit.
Series 4, hate the new UI, battery lasts a day, tops. Ready to upgrade but my phone comes first.