An Apple Watch can feel like an extension of your iPhone—until it doesn’t. Whether it’s age catching up or you want newer features, there’s always a moment when sticking with the same watch no longer makes sense.
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Your Watch’s Battery Doesn’t Last a Day Anymore

Apple Watches are usually supposed to last a day or more; if your watch isn’t accomplishing that, you must know the struggle. Since Apple Watches have an entirely different charging cable and are supposed to stay on your wrist the entire day to track all your metrics, having poor battery life isn’t really a practical solution.
You can get an idea of your battery condition by checking your Apple Watch’s battery health. If it’s below 80%, you’ll start noticing that you have to charge it more often.
You should also know that newer Apple Watches also charge much faster, and according to Apple, they can reach 80% from 0 in just 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the model.
If you still want a cheaper alternative, though, you can also make an appointment at a Genius Bar and get the battery replaced for $99 for most models.
2
Your Watch Isn’t Receiving Future Software Updates

Your Apple Watch also gets major feature updates every year, but older devices slowly begin to lose access to those upgrades. Even if you’re not interested in newer features, you’ll lose out on security updates, too.
For example, watchOS 11 has some great features, but it only supports the Apple Watch Series 6 or later. So if you have an older watch, you’re out of luck.
Speaking of software updates, keep in mind that you’ll need an iPhone running the latest iOS version to activate the watch. If you’re using an older device like an iPhone X, the watch won’t work at all.
3
You’re Missing Out on Newer Sensors

Apple has added several different sensors for monitoring your metrics over the years, and some of them could also be life-saving. A great example is the Crash Detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 8 or later, which can automatically detect if you’ve been in a severe car accident and automatically call emergency services if you fail to respond that you’re okay.
If you’re rocking a much older watch, like an Apple Watch Series 3, you should definitely upgrade without a thought, as you’re missing out on the electrical heart sensor as well, which can tell you if your heart is beating irregularly or you can also use it to take an ECG right on your watch.
You also get better cycle tracking and temperature sensing features on the Apple Watch Series 8 and later, and you can get a better idea about all the other sensors by comparing your current watch to the newer ones on Apple’s comparison page.
While all Apple Watches since the Series 6 include an SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen monitoring, those sold in the US after January 18, 2024, have the feature disabled due to a patent infringement lawsuit.
4
Your Watch Is Running Out of Storage
Older Apple Watches, like the Series 3 and Series 4, have 8GB or 16GB of storage. If you’ve managed to max that out, you’re a power user and might want to consider upgrading. Personally, I’ve never filled more than 10GB, as I stick mostly to built-in apps.
However, if you frequently load media onto your watch or rely on third-party apps, it’s worth noting that newer Apple Watches come with a generous 64GB of storage—far more than what most people will ever need.
5
Your Current Watch Feels Too Small

Older Apple Watches had smaller screens, usually between 38mm and 44mm, which felt too small for many people, including me. Newer models have larger sizes— the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at 42mm, and there’s a bigger 46mm option too. If you want an even larger screen, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a 49mm display.
The larger screens also make a difference in features. From Series 7 onward, you can use an on-screen keyboard, something not available on older models.