I’ve had the AW6 SS Gold 40mm, since the day it launched and I love the SS Gold look and the fact that it takes me from CrossFit to wedding with just a swap of a band.
Yesterday, I was changing at the locker rooms at my CrossFit gym and it fell and cracked at the upper right corner (image attached). It still works fine, but I’m worried that the water proofing might be compromised and that the glass shards will start falling off.
I was planning on upgrading next year to get the AWX, but now that the 6 cracked I don’t know what to do. I thought of keeping it as is, but if it‘s certain that it will start breaking apart due to the crack expanding, I might as well get the 9 one now that it’s just released.
If I were to get the 9, I would upgrade to the SS Gold 45mm, in order to get a bigger screen. I also consider keeping the AW6 as is for when I want to dress up (maybe add one of those curved screen protectors to hold the shards in place) and get an Ultra 2 for everyday use, but the thought of managing 2 devices seems a big hassle to me. Also, I’ve tried the Ultra 2 and it is quite big for my small female wrists.
Any thoughts to help me decide?
PS. Repairing is not an option, as it costs almost as much as getting a new one if Apple replaces it and 3rd party repair stores ask for $300 for a non-authentic, non-sapphire screen and the watch will not be waterproof anymore…
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You can go the screen protector route, but understand it is still not water or dust resistant, and that crack will worsen over time. In addition, the sapphire glass used on the SS series watches is quite scratch resistant, but is more brittle than the plain glass on the aluminum models. It’s quite possible it will fail before any AWX reaches the market (and who knows what features it might bring).
You can baby it along for as long as possible, but be prepared for a decision of “I now have x months before a new model is out. Will I go that long without a watch?” If the answer is no, I need a dependable watch, just replace it. You have at least 10 months before you’ll be able to consider a new model on your wrist. The S9 is an excellent watch (as is the S8 if you can find it in the model and color you want, especially with Black Friday sales less than two weeks away). You’re coming up on a good time to find a good deal, and if it were me, I’d be buying now, not hoping I make it almost a year to the next model.
Your comment answers all of my questions! I’ve already ordered a curved screen protector from Spigen (https://www.spigen.com/products/apple-watch-series-screen-protector-proflex-ez-fit) to hide the crack, but I also believe that it’s not going to last a full year as a main watch, so it’s better to buy one now and enjoy a new watch for the next 10 months.
After trying out a friends Ultra on my wrist, I’m leaning towards the Ultra 2 instead of AW9. This will give me an excuse to buy the Series X next year in order to have a more elegant look and still own an Ultra watch for snowboarding during winter and scuba diving in the summer! :D
In the meantime, if the screen protector hides the crack well enough I can use the AW6 for when I want to dress up.
The Spigen will do the job, although TBH, for what it is, overpriced. I like Spigen, I use a MagSafe case of theirs on my phone, but cheaper alternatives for protectors are out there. Still, the order is in place and you certainly can use it.
I didn’t know an ultra was on the table. Pretty easy decision there. The only question will be an ultra 1 or 2. There really isn’t much of a difference. The 2 does have a brighter screen, although the 1 should be more than sufficient for just about any situation. The 2 has a new chip that’s supposedly faster than the chip in the 1, although I doubt you’ll be able to tell any difference, and “double tap”. It looks like fun, although it still may take several double taps for the watch to properly sense it.
I bring all that up because Black Friday is fast approaching in the US. You can score some good deals around then, with modest reductions on the ultra 2 (maybe), but if you can find it a new in box ultra 1 might be a great deal. Your money, your choice.
Get AppleCare, even for an ultra. Sn ultra is not cheap. People here have still managed to bust it, even with a drop onto a tile floor. AW hate tile floors. In those cases, the screen was fine, but the back sensor glass shattered. Go figure. Also, I recall at least one ultra that drowned while diving. It happens. Any dive computer can die. The insulting part is water damage is not covered under the basic warranty. Yeah, a dive watch not guaranteed for at least a year for water damage. But AppleCare covers it as accidental damage, and you just lay the service fee (I think it’s $99 USD for an ultra), way cheaper than a new watch. I think the “repair fee” is $499 on an ultra. So yeah, it’s a few dollars a month for coverage (you can pay monthly now, and even pay monthly after the what used to be normal of 2 years). Oh, they don’t actually repair anything, just give you a like new refurbished watch with a brand new battery.
So if you want an ultra (who doesn’t), decide if the latest and greatest matters to you, and keep an eye out for sales in the US in the next week or two. There’s no doubt you’ll be in a position of getting an AWX in a year should you fall in love with it. Keeping the S6, and even getting an X, does make sense for more formal settings where the ultra might just feel a bit too much. I don’t snowboard and haven’t been diving in a really long time, so my S7 works out just fine for me. For me, an ultra would just be a pretender to an active outdoor lifestyle. But plenty of sedentary people do get it for the style and the extended battery life.
Good luck either way with whatever choice you make. There is no doubt the ultra will live well beyond AW X release, so the pressure is off. And who knows, that S6 might last well beyond as well, although I wouldn’t put money on it.