The Original Apple Watch Is Still Worth Getting
I was pondering the worth of my shiny new stainless steel Series 2 Apple Watch when it occurred to me that the processor upgrade scenario is a lot like the iPad Air 2.
I was mostly satisfied with my Series 0 Apple Watch after the WatchOS 3 upgrade. Yes, there were still lags here and there, but the improvement from where it used to be was huge. It’s kinda like having your puppy go from making a mess on the carpet twice a day to once a week. The speed increase compared to WatchOS 2 was significant, but occasionally it still choked.
Hearing all the reviews talk about how much improved the Series 2 was, I decided to upgrade with hopes that my lag would be completely gone. Well, it’s better, but not by much. Where before I may have had to wait five seconds for something to come up on my watch screen, now it’s maybe three seconds. A couple of my favorite apps that still lag on my Series 2 are Flipboard and Downcast. I suspect the lag has more to do with the app than the watch processing power.
The Series 2 Apple Watch has a much-improved processor and GPU, but the software doesn’t seem to have caught up with it. There’s really nothing that the new Series 2 does that the Series 0 can’t do, unless you count the new GPS or water rating.
This reminds me of when the iPad Air 2 came out with its triple core A8X chip and 2GB of RAM. It was putting up Geekbench scores that rivaled recent MacBook Airs. And yet, it didn’t really do anything that the previous iPad Air couldn’t do. It seemed overly powerful for what it was. Reviewers had a hard time recommending that anyone update from the Air, because all you got in return was a less reflective screen and a faster processor.
And then iOS 9 came out with its iPad-specific features of Split View multi-tasking and picture-in-picture. Suddenly it all made sense. Only the iPad Air 2 with its beefy processor was able to handle the new Split View feature. The original iPad Air was left behind.
When the Series 2 Apple Watch was released, all the reviews talked about how Apple must have realized that lack of speed was killing the reputation of the Series 0 so they quickly remedied the situation via the S2 processor. Considering that the difference in lag between the Series 0 and Series 2 watches is so slight, I’m dubious regarding this proposition.
I think the situation mirrors the iPad Air 2 scenario more than the iPad 4th gen. The iPad 4th gen was a case where Apple simply bumped the speed because the first Retina iPad was underpowered.
I think that there may be enhancements which were intended for watchOS 3 or coming to watchOS 4 that may require the beefier S2 processor. These enhancements would only be available on the Series 2 and forward devices. What these enhancements are I have no idea.
Although, I find it interesting that the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar is a cousin to the Apple Watch built into the laptop. It can dynamically interact with the content on the laptop screen to make your work faster. In theory, you could do something similar with the Apple Watch and the iPhone.
Today, the Apple Watch has all the widgets we used to crave on our iPhones. We use our watches when we don’t want to use our iPhones. But what if Apple intends to go further and allow for interactive input on the watch similar to the MacBook Touch Bar? We could use our watches and iPhones interactively.
Such functionality may even make more sense on an iPhone than a MacBook due to the severe iPhone screen constraints. As an accountant, I know I’d love to have some Excel toolbars on my watch allowing me to use my entire phone screen for spreadsheets if I had too. I generally don’t like to use spreadsheets on my iPhone, but in a pinch, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I’m not buying the theory that Apple rushed a processor upgrade out due to speed. I think it’s more believable that they intended to add some serious upgrades to watchOS 3 or will on watchOS 4. I think the S2 processor is more preparation for what is coming. If you can get a Series 0 for a good price or used it’s still a great buy. Just know that you may be giving up any future functionality that may come to the newer watches.
Hearing all the reviews talk about how much improved the Series 2 was, I decided to upgrade with hopes that my lag would be completely gone. Well, it’s better, but not by much. Where before I may have had to wait five seconds for something to come up on my watch screen, now it’s maybe three seconds. A couple of my favorite apps that still lag on my Series 2 are Flipboard and Downcast. I suspect the lag has more to do with the app than the watch processing power.
The Series 2 Apple Watch has a much-improved processor and GPU, but the software doesn’t seem to have caught up with it. There’s really nothing that the new Series 2 does that the Series 0 can’t do, unless you count the new GPS or water rating.
This reminds me of when the iPad Air 2 came out with its triple core A8X chip and 2GB of RAM. It was putting up Geekbench scores that rivaled recent MacBook Airs. And yet, it didn’t really do anything that the previous iPad Air couldn’t do. It seemed overly powerful for what it was. Reviewers had a hard time recommending that anyone update from the Air, because all you got in return was a less reflective screen and a faster processor.
And then iOS 9 came out with its iPad-specific features of Split View multi-tasking and picture-in-picture. Suddenly it all made sense. Only the iPad Air 2 with its beefy processor was able to handle the new Split View feature. The original iPad Air was left behind.
When the Series 2 Apple Watch was released, all the reviews talked about how Apple must have realized that lack of speed was killing the reputation of the Series 0 so they quickly remedied the situation via the S2 processor. Considering that the difference in lag between the Series 0 and Series 2 watches is so slight, I’m dubious regarding this proposition.
I think the situation mirrors the iPad Air 2 scenario more than the iPad 4th gen. The iPad 4th gen was a case where Apple simply bumped the speed because the first Retina iPad was underpowered.
I think that there may be enhancements which were intended for watchOS 3 or coming to watchOS 4 that may require the beefier S2 processor. These enhancements would only be available on the Series 2 and forward devices. What these enhancements are I have no idea.
Although, I find it interesting that the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar is a cousin to the Apple Watch built into the laptop. It can dynamically interact with the content on the laptop screen to make your work faster. In theory, you could do something similar with the Apple Watch and the iPhone.
Today, the Apple Watch has all the widgets we used to crave on our iPhones. We use our watches when we don’t want to use our iPhones. But what if Apple intends to go further and allow for interactive input on the watch similar to the MacBook Touch Bar? We could use our watches and iPhones interactively.
Such functionality may even make more sense on an iPhone than a MacBook due to the severe iPhone screen constraints. As an accountant, I know I’d love to have some Excel toolbars on my watch allowing me to use my entire phone screen for spreadsheets if I had too. I generally don’t like to use spreadsheets on my iPhone, but in a pinch, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I’m not buying the theory that Apple rushed a processor upgrade out due to speed. I think it’s more believable that they intended to add some serious upgrades to watchOS 3 or will on watchOS 4. I think the S2 processor is more preparation for what is coming. If you can get a Series 0 for a good price or used it’s still a great buy. Just know that you may be giving up any future functionality that may come to the newer watches.
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