Apple Watches: SE vs. Series 8

[Chuckanut]

I am interested in purchasing an Apple Watch.

I have an iPhone SE and don't think that will be changing. My main reason is to have the watch for Fall Protection. I live alone and want to be able to notify close friend(s) in the event I hurt myself in a fall and cannot move enough to reach a phone. Last year a neighbor down the street fell in his house and he spent over 48 hours on the floor until a package delivery person heard him calling for help. With the help of the police and paramedics they broke into his home and got him to a hospital. I have friends who would drop over if they did not hear from me, but that might take 24 hours.

I imagine I will use the other features of the Apple Watch, but none of them are important enough to justify the purchase price. Only the fall detection provides enough reason to get the watch. And, No, I do not want to wear a chain with a button around my neck.

What do people think of the iPhone SE compared to the older series 7 and 8 watches? I have heard that the crystal is easier to scratch and crack. Has that been your experience? Are there any other reasons I should spring for the Series 8 watch over the SE?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I think if you’ve reviewed this page and don’t find any of the better features of the Series 8 to be compelling, then I think you’re a perfect candidate for the SE. I would not worry about scratching the surface. They are all good.

https://www.apple.com/watch/compare/

I have the 8 and love it. I’m on my 3rd Apple Watch. But, admittedly, I only use a small subset of the features.

 

[DuluthGA]

I’ve had the SE for a couple of years and have had no problems. Bought clip on screen protectors that you barely notice.
I fell off a step stool and bounced off a plant and the watch asked me if I needed it to call for help. I was impressed

 

[Alan]

I have had an Apple Watch for a few years and there have been times when the fall detection will initiate when I don’t want it to but it is nice to have.

Thinking about it now, what if it doesn’t detect a fall I have or for whatever reason I am immobilized. Can I initiate a call for help using my watch by clicking some buttons or tapping somewhere?

ETA

Yes I can. Must remember this. (Press and hold side button)

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206983

 

[DuluthGA]

I have had an Apple Watch for a few years and there have been times when the fall detection will initiate when I don’t want it to but it is nice to have.

Thinking about it now, what if it doesn’t detect a fall I have or for whatever reason I am immobilized. Can I initiate a call for help using my watch by clicking some buttons or tapping somewhere?

ETA

Yes I can. Must remember this. (Press and hold side button)

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206983

You can also just say “hey Siri, call 911”

 

[Alan]

You can also just say “hey Siri, call 911”

Cool, thanks for that, I always forget about the Siri option. Even easier than pressing buttons.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I’ve worn a Series 3 for years and never had a scratch. You can always make and receive phone calls on the watch, too.

I’m wondering if I need the fall protection feature of the newer models as well. I recently developed back trouble which is making me consider that I’m not getting any younger. Before we met, DW’s mom fell at home in the tub and lay there for a day. Not fun.

 

[COcheesehead]

I recently bought the Apple Ultra, mostly for the increased battery life which is up to 3 days. My old Apple 5 wasn’t holding a charge as well, especially if I used the GPS. The battery health indicator was down to 81%. Anything below 80% is starting to be old.
The Ultra has a number of advanced health features including EKG, body temp, sleep tracking and a much better GPS for anyone using the watch for sports activities.

 

[audreyh1]

Scratches - the way you use and view the watch you won’t notice these. Hold it up to outside light a certain way and you might be able to see some fine scratches. I’ve never gotten a deep scratch on any of my Apple Watches nor cracked any screen. If it’s on your wrist you are unlikely to drop it, especially if you have a loop type band (doesn’t open completely). For this reason plus being waterproof I never buy AppleCare type accident protection on my watch, although I do for my phone.

DH favors the fancy higher end watch surfaces. I never bothered.

 

[COcheesehead]

I’ve had three Apple Watches and use them outdoors for hiking and cycling. Years of use. I don’t ever remember having a scratch, at least one I have noticed. Same for my Apple phones and iPads.

 

[athena53]

I have an 8.7, bought for only $80 as a participant in a heart health study (Heartline, which I think is closed to new participants now). I love it. I've had it 6 months and no scratches. The fall detection was a pleasant surprise and someday it will be welcome. Right now I've had one real positive (slid on an icy patch, no injury) and many false ones. A few times it's detected a "fall" when I used my left hand to try and vigorously shake down the contents in a plastic bottle. So, the algorithm isn't very good at correcting itself.

Still, I was dreading wearing a pendant and paying a subscription fee. I usually sleep on my stomach and figured it would get in the way, and one of the most common times people fall is going to/from the bathroom in the middle of the night.

There's also the "cool factor". A "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up" pendant would make me feel old. The Apple watch is high tech with a lot of other great functions (my granddaughters love to check decibel levels) and I've already gotten two new bands for it from Etsy.

 

[Jerry1]

If one of the features you think you might want in the 8 is the ability to read your temperature, think twice. It’s one of the features I wanted and the feature sucks. It’s not like the heart monitor where you push a button and it reads your heart rate. You have to wear it at night and you have to set your watch up in sleep focus. Sleep focus basically disables your watch so you can sleep. I didn’t like that at all. You can’t even check the time during sleep focus without pressing and holding a button. Same with checking your heart rate. If you feel something like your heart racing, you have to press and hold the crown button which briefly suspends sleep focus so you can get your heart rate. I got fed up with it and don’t track my temp anymore.

 

[COcheesehead]

If one of the features you think you might want in the 8 is the ability to read your temperature, think twice. It’s one of the features I wanted and the feature sucks. It’s not like the heart monitor where you push a button and it reads your heart rate. You have to wear it at night and you have to set your watch up in sleep focus. Sleep focus basically disables your watch so you can sleep. I didn’t like that at all. You can’t even check the time during sleep focus without pressing and holding a button. Same with checking your heart rate. If you feel something like your heart racing, you have to press and hold the crown button which briefly suspends sleep focus so you can get your heart rate. I got fed up with it and don’t track my temp anymore.

When in sleep mode you only need to tap the screen to see the time. Your heart rate is also captured in the health app for later viewing, if you want to monitor it.

 

[Jerry1]

When in sleep mode you only need to tap the screen to see the time. Your heart rate is also captured in the health app for later viewing, if you want to monitor it.

Thanks for the correction of my rant. I just remember that sleep mode was frustrating. The main point is that it doesn’t just take your temperature when you want it and that sleep focus is a pain.

 

[audreyh1]

If one of the features you think you might want in the 8 is the ability to read your temperature, think twice. It’s one of the features I wanted and the feature sucks. It’s not like the heart monitor where you push a button and it reads your heart rate. You have to wear it at night and you have to set your watch up in sleep focus. Sleep focus basically disables your watch so you can sleep. I didn’t like that at all. You can’t even check the time during sleep focus without pressing and holding a button. Same with checking your heart rate. If you feel something like your heart racing, you have to press and hold the crown button which briefly suspends sleep focus so you can get your heart rate. I got fed up with it and don’t track my temp anymore.

To check the time during sleep focus all I have to do is tap the watch face. Works for me!

 

[mpeirce]

If one of the features you think you might want in the 8 is the ability to read your temperature, think twice.

This feature isn’t really for taking your temperature, but rather to monitor changes in it from a baseline. Basically, predicting

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213275

Things you should know

• The temperature sensing feature is not a medical device and is not intended for use in medical diagnosis, treatment, or for any other medical purpose.
• The temperature sensing feature is not a thermometer and cannot provide wrist temperature measurements on-demand.
• The temperature sensing feature is designed for users who are at least 14 years old.
• Wrist temperature data can also be impacted by certain physiological, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
• To get the best results, make sure your Apple Watch fits just right. If the fit is too loose, it can impact wrist temperature data.

 

[audreyh1]

This feature isn’t really for taking your temperature, but rather to monitor changes in it from a baseline. Basically, predicting

My understanding was that it was for monitoring your Basel temperature when at rest - trends over time. Useful for monitoring fertility for women, also for hypothyroid conditions.

 

[Chuckanut]

I see that Costco is selling the Series 8 with a $60 discount. So for $60 I can get a Series 8 rather than the SE. I tend to keep my electronics for 5 years minimum.

 

[COcheesehead]

I see that Costco is selling the Series 8 with a $60 discount. So for $60 I can get a Series 8 rather than the SE. I tend to keep my electronics for 5 years minimum.

The battery on my watch started to slow noticeably at 3 years.

 

[Chuckanut]

The battery on my watch started to slow noticeably at 3 years.

I checked an Apple will replace the battery for about $80.


Question. Can I turn off the Apple Watch at night to preserve battery life?

 

[zinger1457]

The battery on my watch started to slow noticeably at 3 years.

The battery on the series 8 sucked from day 1 IMO, especially if you make use of the exercise and GPS features. I was surprised at how good/accurate the heart rate monitor is, even during exercises like jogging, the best of any previous heart rate monitor watch I've used.
Can't complain too much, I also got it through the Heartline study for $79. Not sure what's going on with the Heartline study, it's been closed for a while now but received an email from them a couple days ago asking me to refer friends to the study, but clicked on the link in the email and it states the study is closed. Maybe they are opening back up but haven't updated the web site yet.

 

[COcheesehead]

I checked an Apple will replace the battery for about $80.


Question. Can I turn off the Apple Watch at night to preserve battery life?

There are a number of battery management things you can do, screen not always on, but you’ll likely have to recharge the battery overnight. I was getting down to 10%-20% power by the end of the day. That’s when I bought the Ultra.

 

[audreyh1]

I checked an Apple will replace the battery for about $80.


Question. Can I turn off the Apple Watch at night to preserve battery life?

The watch goes into sleep mode and uses very little energy overnight. I generally charge it while showering/getting ready for bed and I often have 40%+ charge at the end of the day before recharging. I wear my watch overnight because it has very useful sleep monitoring and data collection.

I have the watch set to turn the display off unless you turn your wrist to look at it and that saves a lot. Series 6.

 

[zinger1457]

I checked an Apple will replace the battery for about $80.


Question. Can I turn off the Apple Watch at night to preserve battery life?

You can configure your normal sleep hours in sleep mode and it will keep your watch in low power and turn off notifications and calls during those hours. You'll probably get into a routine of charging the watch during the night, that's what I do.

 

[Jerry1]

Mine is only about 4 months old so I don’t know how the battery will deteriorate over time, but out of the box, it’s no problem. It charges in a few minutes so I just take it off when I shower and it’s good to go for a day+. Set a charger up near your computer or tv chair and charge it when you’re sitting down and I don’t think the battery will be an issue. I like having it on at night so I can see the time if I wake up. Plus, I really like the alarm function. I don’t get up early too often but when I need to set an alarm, having it on my wrist makes it easy to snooze and pretty quiet so it doesn’t wake up DW. I could probably set it to only vibrate to wake me but I haven’t looked into how to do that yet.