Apple watches

[tinstar]

I'm way behind with Xmas shopping so am getting a bit desperate! DS2 (22) thinks he'd like an Apple Watch. I know nothing about them. Can anyone tell me if they are any good? Is there much difference between series 3 and series 4?

DH is lusting after the apple watch but it's more than we usually spend on presents for each other. It's gotten great reviews. The 4 has a bigger nicer screen and a electrical heart sensor:

www.apple.com/watch/compare/

I'm seriously tempted to get him one. Your DS has an iPhone, right?

I gave mine away, found it a pita and not terribly intuitive and I switched to apple twenty years ago.

Also, they need to be charged every night - I prefer my Fitbit!

I bought a series 3 on Black Friday for £219 and am so happy with it, I don’t think I would have been £180 more pleased with a series 4 which is what I was originally going to get but the one I wanted never seemed to be in stock.

Yes he has an iPhone and an iPad. We both love Apple products (unlike dh, ds1 and ds3!). It’s a lot more than I would normally spend but i’d rather spend more on something he’s likely to use than less on a load of crap. He’s never bothered with a watch before but he’s just started working after graduating and has discovered that it doesn’t create the right impression if he keeps looking at his phone!

EttOrf - that sounds good. Can you use them for fitness tracking too?

If he wants it for sports stuff though, I think Garmins and Fitbits are probably better. The Apple Watch is fine for non sporty me though.

I love mine.. I wear it every day. Emails, texts, Apple Pay, news, just everything. I really like tracking my exercise and steps and so on.

I have a series one and it’s still going strong! Love mine, it does need charging every night (actual charge only takes about an hour though) but it’s no bother for me. I use it for fitness tracking, I do quite a lot of running and have switched to garmin just for that but use my Apple Watch for everything else!

Just to say, they are great, but if you plan to get the GPS+data model, then the only way of getting a cellular data plan is to sign up with EE as your iPhone data provider. Cellular data means you can use the watch for phone calls. The GPS-only model just pairs with your iPhone so you can use your usual provider.

I just do the basic fitness stuff on mine but the 4 just really has a better heart rate monitor, and some of the other stuff is a bit better on the 4, mine tells plenty for what I need to know, if you compare them side by side on the Apple website I didn’t think it was worth the extra money to get the 4, I think John Lewis has the 3 for £249 now, the 4 is £399. I keep saying to DH I am so glad I just bought the 3

I've just updated to a Series 4. Don't bother with the cellular option. Get GPS only

I would get him a series 3, the space grey with the black strap will look smart. I’m sure he will love it, mine keeps telling me to stand up if I have been sat to long and I love how it vibrates on my wrist when my delivery is coming or I have a text

I like being able to set (vibrate) reminders just before meetings at work are due to start to help keep track of time on busy days - also great for tube travel using Apple Pay. And it displays the time.

Oh lord, now I may have to buy one.

There are two sizes 38/40 and 42/44 depending on how big you are, I think men often have the bigger size which is £30 more

I’m on my second. I had a series 0 and now a series 1, I think.

I love it. I love the way I can get texts, pay, track my runs, check my bank balance and turn on the lights.

Thanks so much everyone for such helpful advice. Think I'll get him the 3.

I have the 3, it was a Christ present last year. I love it. It does basic fitness tracking for me including counting my lengths when swimming, I can check my incoming messages, e-mails etc on it and it looks smart. It means I don’t have to carry my phone around the office and have it on the table in all my meetings (stupid women’s clothes with no pockets but that’s a whole other issue!) but nursery can still call me and I can look at my calendar and check where the next meeting is.

Hi tinstar, a late entry to the debate but I think you have it spot on! I researched it and also got a series 3 due to considerable drop after the series 4 was launched. The 3 is available with cellular if sought, EE was mentioned above but you can also use Vodafone (£5 a month, first few months free etc). Series 4 has new screen without the surround but I agree that a series 3 is a good call at a better price :)

That sounds good, best place to get from is John Lewis who have the 2 years guarantee, they have them in stock now, size 38 from £249 and size 42 from £279

DH and I both have them (earlier models). Love them! We both do quite a bit of exercise, and love the tracking feature (I got mine through my work health insurance, and the more exercise I do, the less I have to pay for - my watch will be free, I get Amazon Prime for free etc etc, but that's the insurance rather than the watch). It's really motivated me to do more.

The calls, texts, calendar reminders, What's App, Messenger alerts are all brilliant, I can quickly check if there's anything I need to deal with, and often reply via the watch rather than phone.

Apple Pay via the watch is handy.

I charge mine overnight, but I do the same for my phone - no biggie.

I don't have the 3G version, I didn't feel the need, quite happy without it. I like the newer version, slimmer face and bigger screen, but I don't think it's worth that much more than the series 3.

I'm going to show my technological ignorance here, but once you've bought the watch, do you then pay for a data plan? DS has an iPhone which he pays for monthly - could the watch be linked to that?

Sorry if that sounds like a daft question but I know nothing about how Apple watches work.

You only pay for a data plan if you get the cellular one, I only have the GPS one which means to use the phone functions it has to be in bluetooth range of my iPhone, fitness stuff will still track though.

He will only need the cellular one if he wants to use the phone functions without taking his phone out with him, I guess in most situations his phone will be with him anyway. you do not need the phone with you for the fitness things to work, it still tracks them.

Cellular one is extra £5 a month on EE or Vodaphone but your phone also needs to be with same provider

A GPS only one will most likely be fine, I think most people have them as there is always a bigger availability for the cellular ones and they are more expensive to buy

I am with Tesco (O2) P&G who don't support the watch so didn't consider a cellular one as it would have meant getting a different contract for my phone.

I am not that into technology either but as I was considering spending possibly more than 400 quid on this watch, I did a lot of research . fortunately I managed to pick up my bargainous 3 series on Black Friday so save loads but had already done my research.