Sometimes theres a ‘gesture’ to toggle ANC settings, like “tap left earbud 3x “ or something, which wouldn’t require any app on phone or watch,,,,but I don’t know if this model specifically has that capability.
PhilthyPDX
joined 2 years ago
Man the frustrations just keep coming with this wOS 10 upgrade! I tried apple music briefly before I had a watch, and did enjoy the HiFi/Spatial Audio features compared to Spotify, but everything else kept me coming back to Spotify.
Even if this doesn’t directly affect me, WOWZA I am glad both my S4 & S7 are still on wOS 9!
Main difference is the S9 chip (also in U2) that enables better integration of the double-tap, and on-board Siri for faster response, especially when dictating. So if you know/think you’ll use your watch “hands free” a lot, the S9 might be the move, especially if you also feel the Ultra may be too big. I’ve never been a big / flashy watch guy, so I wear the 41mm case size, but that may or may not apply to you!
If you will use double tap and/or dictate a lot of texts to Siri, I’d say the 9 is worth it for you! I will also say that due to Apple’s annual release cycle for the watch, they really focus on one or two features every year, so if a new feature doesn’t excite you, the last years model sis basically the same. This year did include a chip upgrade, which facilitates the better integrated double-tap and on-board Siri. Going back to the 6, it got a new chip, S7 got a new screen, S8 got (moon) cycle tracking, so the 7 and 8 are basically the same to me(n).
I tend to buy older refurbished electronics lately, and that allowed me to afford a gold stainless sterl S7 for less than the holiday sale pricing of an aluminum 8 right now. So if you think you might like the nicer finish/durability of stainless or titanium case over the double-tap and Siri of the 9, maybe I might suggest budgeting more for the case than the newer model?
If it’s JUST the battery life, absolutely go for the Ultra 1! The S9 chip that’s in the 9 and Ultra 2 is a big upgrade putting Siri on the chip to help with dictating texts into your watch and making the “double pinch” motion recognizable with less battery drain (that motion has been an accessibility option since I think the 4) so if either of those are important to you then save up for an U2:
Check ebay and maybe even etsy
Get a least a 4 or an SE, I would recommend a 6 for always on display, and a 7 if you can afford it. If cost is an option keep an eye on woot / ebay for refurbished that are close to new condition (usually at least 85% battery health) and have been certified functional by a tech.
Keep an eye on Woot if you’re looking to buy an older model apple watch, as they run refurb deals every week or two. I just got a SS 7 in ‘grade A’ condition with 85% guaranteed battery health for 250$ (US), and they had series 4/5/6 ranging from 125-200$. Ebay is another good source for refurb or gently used (make sure you understand the condition it is sold in and any pics or descriptions of damage) and I consistently see series 6 available for about the price your friend offered you the series 5 (in US $ anyway).
Yeah, it’s wild! The 2 main causes I’ve seen are either a random 3rd party app, or if the iPhone isn’t on iOS. Seems like pretty obvious things you would test in QA.
Fortunately I had my S4 set NOT to auto-update, so I’m holding off now until a fix is released!
Also ensure your iPhone is updated to latest iOS (17.1?) as having an earlier version can cause the battery drain issue for some.
MANY issues reported across reddit, best advice I’ve seen is to ensure your watch is on 10.1 and phone is on 17.1.
Kinda hard to say after some of the major battery issues have been fixed,,,some people say they prefer some of the design changes, and others who are newer to Apple Watch (apparently Ultra is a HUGE seller, bringing lots of new AW wearers, and considering the only change they made to the 2 from 1 was S9 chip with double tap, I can see the point of the article I read that sales are perhaps driven by the “luxury/status” perception of the most expensive option) don’t know much about previous OS interface/interactions, so they just learn their muscle memory when interacting with watch based on OS 10, so they are happy too! Until some major feature they got used to changes with wOS 15 😅