Which Apple Watch is the one that costs $399, and which is the one that costs $1,299? It’s not a trick question.
Lately, I’ve suggested ignoring the “Pro” model of the iPhone. It’s often hundreds of dollars more expensive and doesn’t give users enough to make up for it. I called the iPhone X the last iPhone that should cost over $1,000, but they all have since then. They’ve all been ripoffs. This year will be no different, thanks to the fact that the iPhone 12 mini will be considered “consumer.” While I liked the larger iPhone 11 size at first, I have quickly soured on it, and I look forward to replacing it with something smaller.
But what about the Apple Watch? I have the same suggestion: grab the cheapest. However, when it comes to the Apple Watch, it’s even more silly to go for the more expensive options. There’s just not a really good reason to go for Apple’s stainless steel or titanium Apple Watch models.
Here’s why nearly all Apple Watch owners should just go with the cheapest Apple Watch in the size they want.
In This Article:
All The Same Features
This is sort of the same argument for getting the iPhone 11 instead of the iPhone 11 Pro. Except it’s far more true in the case of the Apple Watch. The iPhone 11 Pro has an additional camera, OLED display, and a matte textured back. The higher-end models of the Apple Watch just have a different case. It’s the same exact Apple Watch, just in a different body. Same speed, same performance, same sensors, just a different body.
The titanium case with a sport loop if $799. The exact same watch band, all the same internals, basically the same watch minus the sapphire display cover and titanium body, is $399 for the aluminum version. That’s a $400 difference for a case design that no one’s going to notice. Your watch won’t be any faster or any more capable, it’ll just cost twice as much.
Bands Sold Separately
There’s nothing stopping me from buying Apple’s most expensive band for my watch size and putting it on my aluminum Apple Watch Series 6. The Hermès Ébène Barénia Leather Single Tour Deployment Buckle band is $539. Slap that on an aluminum Apple Watch and few people would be able to tell that you didn’t buy the Hermès edition Apple Watch outright.
Replacing It Every 2-4 Years Anyway
The Apple Watch Series 6 (review pending). It replaces my 2-year-old Series 4 mostly because I wanted a red watch.
The biggest point for getting the more expensive Apple Watches is the durability. Steel and titanium are stronger than aluminum. They’re less likely to sustain damage over time. That’s why high-end watches have been made of these materials for decades. These high end models also come with sapphire displays instead of Apple’s Ion-X glass. The latter is the same glass they use on the iPhone. Is it good enough for your iPhone? Probably, but you’re not wearing your iPhone on your wrist.
The entire reason to get a more durable watch is if you plan to keep it for many years. But the Apple Watch is a piece of tech. If you’re not replacing it every two to four years, you’re going to fall behind. For the same price of buying a new titanium watch every four years, you could buy an aluminum watch every two years.
Counterpoint: You’re Rich and Like Shiny Things
Alternatively, you could have a lot of money. You may also prefer the look of stainless steel to titanium. If that’s the case, and money is no object, buy a titanium watch every year! Why not?
Otherwise, Go Aluminum!
If you’re not rich, the aluminum case comes in a variety of colors and styles. In fact, there are more options for aluminum cases than any other finish. There’s space gray, silver, gold, and now blue and red. The red one even contributes to charity! For stainless steel, there’s graphite, silver, or gold. For titanium, there are just two options, “space black” and plain titanium. The space black titanium Apple Watch doesn’t even look significantly darker than the steel graphite or space gray aluminum models!
The aluminum Apple Watch is just as fast, just as capable as the more expensive models, it just potentially won’t last as long. You could get a rugged case for it for when you’re doing anything potentially dangerous, use a screen protector, or just be extra careful, and then, even that point is moot.
So why spend more for a watch than the base model? Outside of aesthetics or wanting to prove you can afford the most expensive Apple Watch, there’s not a very good reason. The smallest Apple Watch is 40mm, about the size of many men’s watches anyway, so any watch size can work for any gender. Really? There’s not much of a reason to spend more than $400, maybe $450 on your Apple Watch. Perhaps in the future Apple will introduce more variation into the models, but for now, just grab the aluminum one.