Chris Velazco/Engadget

While Apple says the majority of people who purchase one of its smartwatches are first-timers, most of our user reviewers had experience either with other brands or previous versions of the Apple Watch. Michael, who owned the Series 1, waited five years to upgrade and said he couldn’t be happier with the decision. He noted that “the addition of cellular connectivity in Series 3, the larger screen and ECG of Series 4, combined with the always on screen of Series 5 finally put all the pieces together in one watch.” Likewise, Mary said she “went from a Series 3 to a Series 5 and I’m not disappointed! The 3 has enough going for it that it’s easy to sell and put towards the 5.” 

Kyuu was more reserved, saying the Watch was far lighter than Samsung’s alternatives and “the basics are fine, and that’s saying a lot after the number of smartwatches I’ve used.” However, Jeff was not impressed — he had the Series 2 and upgraded, but switched back after two months “because the AW5 heart-rate monitoring is much worse. The AW2 measurements match my Polaris chest-strap well, and the AW5 fails to read my heart rate most of the time.”

Chris Velazco/Engadget

When it came to battery life, Dana found it mostly lived up to the 18-hour claim. She got as much as 21 hours while our mobile editor Chris Velazco made it a full 24 hours on one occasion. The consensus among our users was less positive. Kyuu said the battery life was bad, and that getting through the day was “not a given.” He pointed out that “it’s a double problem because the standard charger sometimes fails to charge it full and may leave it at only 40 percent.” Jody said she wished the battery life was better, as “I’ve almost never run out of charge before bed, though I’ve come close a few times.” And Michael claimed the battery life on his Series 5 was impressive, though he didn’t detail how long it lasted or what he was using the watch for. 

Other hardware notes: Mary was the only one to mention the always-on display, which she loved for the ability to quickly check the time. Michael brought up the 64-bit processor, saying its responsiveness “makes feedback and launching apps feel more like you’re using the latest iPhone, not something as small and weak as a watch.” Kyuu voiced his opinion about the strap, declaring it very comfortable. 

Chris Velazco/Engadget

When it came to the software side of the device, there were more positives than negatives. Kyuu liked that “day-to-day tasks, notifications and checking up on health work as promised.” He also had positive experiences with Apple Pay, saying that “Making payments is a breeze and I pretty much pay almost everything with the watch now, it’s reliable and quick.” He also found health tracking “clear and simple to use,” but was disappointed that “workout detection is also unreliable. I might have walked for hours before it realizes I might be walking. I have to remember to use it manually, a minor inconvenience.” Meanwhile Mary, who loved the ability to listen to Audible books on her Series 5, said what really swayed her into buying it was the fall alert since she has taken a spill a few times. 

Kyuu and Jeff were the only ones to point out serious drawbacks. Jeff declared the Series 5 a “disappointing upgrade,” while Kyuu felt the emphasis on all icons and no text was a downside. “I often end up starting several apps in a row until I find the one I need. The icons are sort of logical, but not perfect. Maybe they make more sense to someone who’s been in the Apple zone longer.” 

Chris Velazco/Engadget

However, Kyuu also said the watch “mostly does as promised.” Jody said for her uses, the watch works very well. Michael was more effusive, stating the “early promise of what the Apple Watch could be was finally realized with Series 5” and “the improvements make the new Apple Watch feel like a completely new device, not just an upgrade.”

Of course, Apple’s up to the fifth iteration of its Watch Series now, so the older Series 3 is a budget option for those shopping for a smartwatch. It’s missing some of the Series’ newer features, such as ECG measurement, fall detection and an always-on display, but everything else you need is there. We scored it a respectable 82 points in our comprehensive hands-on back in 2017, with reviewer Chris Velazco noting its solid performance, great battery life and valuable fitness features, including accurate heartrate and activity tracking.

If anything, most of our gripes (of which there were few) stemmed from the Series 3’s LTE compatibility. This Amazon deal applies to the GPS version only, so some of the issues we noted — dubious call quality and the 10 bucks a month LTE charge, for example — aren’t applicable here. Indeed, Chris said he felt like the Series 3 represents Apple’s wearable coming into its own after the company’s first two attempts.

If you’re after a decent smartwatch, you could do far worse than the Apple Watch Series 3, especially at this price. Sure, the Series 5 offers newer and fancier features, but if you just need the basics — packaged up in a lightweight and attractive design, at that — this all-time low offer could be the one for you.

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It’s been five years since Apple debuted its smartwatch, and in that time the square-faced device has become iconic and infamous. The most recent version offers ‘dimmable’ faces that keep the screen available at all times, courtesy of its low-temperature polysilicon and oxide display. But it also provides many of the same things as before, including 18 hours of battery life, 40 and 44mm sizes and the Digital Crown. Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman gave the wearable a solid score of 88 when she reviewed it.  

While Apple claims that most people who buy a smartwatch are doing so for the first time, there are some repeat customers who simply want the upgrade. So tell us: Which group are you a part of? If it’s the latter, what feature inspired you to switch to the newest Apple Watch? And if you’re a newbie, what made you finally take the leap?  Submit your feedback in the form of a user review on the Apple Watch Series 5 product page, and share all the details that potential buyers should know. Remember, the best reviews are included in upcoming user review roundup articles so don’t leave anything out!

Buy Apple Watch 44mm at Amazon $430

The cellular connectivity of these models allows you to leave your iPhone at home when you want to go workout outside and still make calls, as well as send and receive text messages. With the Series 5, Apple also added an internationally emergency calling feature in case you need help while traveling abroad.   

Engadget’s Dana Wollman gave the Apple Watch Series 5 a score of 88 when she reviewed the wearable last year. An obvious highlight of the Series 5 is its new always-on display. Apple tweaked most of its watch faces to optimize them for the always-on display. The result is that the new screen is useful but won’t drain the wearable’s battery before the end of the workday. One other new is feature a built-in compass that’s particularly handy if you like to hike. You also get all the features Apple built into previous models, including fall detection, heart rate tracking and ECG analysis.

Unfortunately, Apple didn’t introduce any new fitness features. It also didn’t add any battery life enhancements. For better and worse, you can still expect to get about 18 hours of use from the new model on a single charge.  

If you want something more affordable, the Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS watch we highlighted yesterday is still on sale for $90. Note though that it’s an entry-level smartwatch without cellular connectivity. The Apple Watch also offers more robust tracking for a variety of activities, making it one of the best all-around smartwatches you can buy.