The Student Room Group

Apple watch

What do people think of the new apple watch series 5? I am thinking of getting one but a few people have said its not worth the money. Whats your opinion? Thanks :smile:
IMO, most smartwatches are not worth the money. In terms of watch functionality, a non-smartwatch is just better at being a watch. In terms of what smartwatches bring to the table, I'm yet to see a feature that makes them worth the money. But that is mostly from a practical perspective.

Really it comes down to you personally. It's your money at the end of the day and something does not have to be "worth the money" for you to enjoy the purchase. Whether something is worth the money is subjective, because worth varies from person to person. Ask yourself a bunch of questions.

Do you have a smartwatch already?

If so, what does the Apple Watch 5 do that your current one does not?

If not, what sort of value do you think you'd get out of a smartwatch, and specifically the Apple Watch 5?

Are those benefits unique to the Apple Watch 5, or can they be found elsewhere at a lower cost.

Do you have the money to spend?

If so, what else could it be spent on? Would those other things improve your life more, or provide more value than a smartwatch?

I don't really understand the point of a smartwatch. It seems that for any 'smart' functionality, they need to be in communication with your phone. So, if you have to have your phone with you at all time to make the 'smartwatch' smart, then why not just use your phone? Or am I missing something?
I'm not sure any smartwatch is really worth the money. You're paying at least £400 for something that provides almost no functionality over a phone.
Original post by Reality Check
I don't really understand the point of a smartwatch. It seems that for any 'smart' functionality, they need to be in communication with your phone. So, if you have to have your phone with you at all time to make the 'smartwatch' smart, then why not just use your phone? Or am I missing something?


It depends on the smartwatch. It's more common nowadays that smartwatches can connect to your mobile providers network independently, removing the need for a phone. However that doesn't actually mean the experience is any good and even without being tethered a smartwatch is not a smartphone replacement.

There are use cases. For example if I go out running taking a bulky phone is inconvenient. A smartwatch would offer me the phone functionality I want (security, music, health tracking) in a much more convenient package. But I wouldn't pay smartwatch money for that, nor do I think I'd be getting good overall value out of this one scenario.

IMO, smartwatches are indicative of a lifestyle choice. They're a bit like smart connected homes. In much the same way I don't care about getting up to turn on the lights, I don't need a device strapped to my wrist to see notifications. But some people do want that, and smartwatches cater to them. It's a personal preference thing that almost requires a totally different way of thinking. Personally thought smartwatches don't sit well with my values. I don't want notifications on my wrist, I'll deal with them when I'm ready. I don't want a watch that needs recharging regularly. And I won't even get into the security and data collection side of things.
Yes, I fully agree with this. I'm not the sort of person who needs to be 'connected' all the time, and a smartwatch for me would be totally redundant. I suppose other people will differ on this. Thanks for the thoughts :smile:
Reply 6
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. Some good points made. I think I aught to have a bit more of a serious think about it.

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