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Apple Watch vs Apple Watch Sport: Unboxing and full comparison (Video)

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If you’re still debating on which Apple Watch model to order, we may have a bit of help/advice to offer. Apple Watch Sport is the cheapest option to go for, but what exactly will you be missing over one that’s more expensive? Well, we took the plunge, picked up a few of them, and put together a helpful comparison video between these models…

First off, it’s important to note that not only is there a difference in materials between the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport, there’s also a major difference in presentation. Apple Watch is packaged to seem like more of a premium product over its sporty brother. That’s not to say one is definitely better than the other when it comes to opening the box, but there are a few things that could make the decision easier.

The packaging on Apple Watch is designed to appear like it came straight from a jewelry shop. The box it comes with is large and square (unlike the rectangular box with the Sport version) and inside you’ll find a compact case to protect the Apple Watch during storage or traveling. Apple Watch Sport includes a similar box (but much longer). While the Sport’s box isn’t low quality by any means, there’s something about Apple Watch’s presentation that makes the extra bit of money seem worth it. But check out the video below and be the judge yourself.

Watch our Apple Watch vs Sport unboxing & comparison video:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhh1HmGXCOs]

Obviously fancier packaging is not the only thing you’ll get with Apple Watch. The materials being used are very different as well. On the front side of Apple Watch, the display is covered in sapphire crystal, while Apple Watch Sport features a much weaker Ion-X glass. On the back side, the sensors are housed by a ceramic plate on Apple Watch, while the Sport variation is made up of composite.

The most visible difference between these two models comes down to the casing materials. Apple Watch Sport is made from 7000 series aluminum. The Space Gray Sport we’ve shown in the above video is a very sleek device, but nothing shines like the 316L stainless steel used to create the Apple Watch casing. Along with that, the 2m magnetic charging docks between these two are different. Apple Watch’s charger has a brushed steel casing, while the Sport’s is plastic.

As far as software goes, there won’t be any differences and the overall form-factor will remain the same unless you go with the much smaller 38mm casing shown in the comparison video above. Either way, hopefully this comparison video will help identify all of the differences between Apple’s smartwatch options. Personally, I prefer the Apple Watch over the Sport, but this is still a first generation product. Your money may be better placed in a light investment of a Sport for now. Both models are great, but it really depends on what you’re looking for.

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Comments

  1. atomgross - 9 years ago

    Great video thanks! You put the watch holder back on backwards on the WATCH

  2. Eng Sin Tan - 9 years ago

    I think the Apple watch Sport is also lighter right?

  3. Ricardo Márquez Pérez - 9 years ago

    I like the sport more, but the screen on the Apple Watch is a serious point to consider.

  4. galley99 - 9 years ago

    Fancier packaging and a stainless steel charger makes me feel a little better about shelling out the additional $200 for the stainless steel model.

    • nonyabiness - 9 years ago

      And the sapphire crystal display, and the ceramic back, and the heavier “premium” feel…

    • jamessmooth - 9 years ago

      Agreed. Makes me feel WAY better about getting the SS model too. That sapphire screen sure does pick up finger prints like a mf tho!

    • vandy75 - 9 years ago

      I paid $29 for the stainless covered charger. Do you really care about the box. I could see it if like the addition the box had a charger in it.

    • Yeah, cause you know, those are two things that you’ll carry around with you to make it worth it. Hey, look at this fancy box and this cord man, it’s got metal on the end.

      Most likely, the box will be put in a drawer or a closet somewhere and forgotten about and the cable, well, you can buy a metal one for $29 from Apple, so, yeah, there’s that. You could have spent $170 less, pitched out $30 for the metal charger for home and used the Sport’s plastic one for the office or car or whatever.

  5. George Pollen - 9 years ago

    Dom is a sucker for advertising.

  6. Matt - 9 years ago

    How much lighter does the sport feel on your wrist compared to the steel?

    • jakexb - 9 years ago

      The sport feels very featherweight. It’s surprisinglly light. The steel feels much more like an average watch. Which one you like better is a matter of preference.

      • duepeak07 - 9 years ago

        Exactly, I like the lightness of the sport watch. I also like the matte body, I didn’t want to worry about getting fingerprints all over the body.

      • Matt - 9 years ago

        Thanks. I’d like it to feel lighter than my current mechanical watch (which has some weight to it). I also prefer the matte look of the sport, but would really like a sapphire screen–that combo doesn’t exist. If cost wasn’t an issue I would settle on the space gray stainless steel (but I don’t want to spend $1000).

  7. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    The Sport is so much nicer. Not even kidding.

  8. Tom Jerry (@jwap12) - 9 years ago

    here he is with 3 watches and my order is still processing =(

  9. larry bic (@larbic) - 9 years ago

    1. The Sport model is 20g lighter than the Watch. I prefer LESS weight.
    2. Scratch tests have proven that the Ion-X cover is very close in performance to the Saphire.
    3. The composite back of the Sport is going to be as durable, possibly more so, it’s lighter, possibly cooler than the ceramic.
    4. 4mm is not “much smaller”, it’s just more appropriate for smaller wrists.
    It’s all about style, not performance. Your report is simply incorrect in many aspects.

    • -1 mm difference is a lot in a watch.
      -You also forgot to mention that Ion-X is much better at taking hits against door, etc. which is more likely to happen than scratches in my experience.
      -I do think the use of Sapphire for the HR sensors might make the SS one better since your likely to get dirt, etc. between your watch and hand.
      -As far the composite back, the SS has a ceramic coating then sport has no coating so the SS will be more durable since it has an extra layer of protection.
      -Most of this won’t matter, most of us won’t keep the watch for more than 1-2 years, the build quality will last far longer than that.

    • darwiniandude - 9 years ago

      1. Apple watch classic buckle is lighter than any sport with sport band. White sport band is 47grams vs 16grams of classic buckle. That’s 31 grams of difference. I like a heavy watch. The version I’m getting is 125 grams. But that’s still lighter than many watches I own.

    • Your comment comes off as very defensive for some reason…

  10. ijulianv - 9 years ago

    “You’re money may be better placed…” Thanks for the comparison, but the proper form is “Your.” 😇

  11. mark83607 - 9 years ago

    How do left handers feel about there watch?

    • yojimbo007 - 9 years ago

      My wife has it on her right hand .. Crown facing fingers…( all these orientations can adjusted in initial setup !
      She loves it as much as i love mine on my left hand!

    • Doesn’t matter, in the software (on the phone app) you can have the watch turned upside down so the digital crown is on the left side and it works just fine.

  12. Jenny Sue - 9 years ago

    What’s an ounce? There is no definite and clear definition. It could either be 1/12 of a pound troy or 1/16 of a pound avoirdupois. Whatever the hell that is.

  13. yojimbo007 - 9 years ago

    I love thus thing…. Amazing… Fun… Practical…. Sweet…
    A winner in so many fronts so far…..
    I have no doubt it will keep getting better as i learn it more !
    Takes it to another level if your better half and or friends have an applewatch too .

  14. mrwayne1 - 9 years ago

    if you guys could please post pics of the space grey sport apple watch with the WHITE band on it, I would appreciate it! I think id like that look so I’m just debating on wether i should order the white band as well for my watch.

    • editingsofa - 9 years ago

      Check out mixyourwatch.com

      Let’s you do just that, kinda fun.

      • mrwayne1 - 9 years ago

        thank you!

      • Nico Emanuelli - 9 years ago

        Latest sport bands added, the ones spotted in Milan’s presentation: red, navy, yellow, pink, and orange ;)

    • Andy Johnson III - 9 years ago

      I purchased the 42mm sport with a white band but would prefer the black band. Since it doesn’t come with silver aluminum face, I had to order the white band. If you are interested in swapping a black band for my white one, I would be happy to do so. I’m not sure how else to get this done for now.

  15. Brian J Holmes - 9 years ago

    Great video Dom. Thanks.

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  17. incredibilistic - 9 years ago

    I’m perfectly okay going with the “lesser than” model for my first foray into Apple’s new device. More than likely when it’s time to upgrade (I suspect I’ll stick with this model for 2-years) I’ll probably spend the extra coin on a “premium” model.

    Counting the days!!

  18. Mitch Litle (@BeosDoc) - 9 years ago

    Did you notice any difference in the display quality? It seemed like the sapphire display was brighter and richer at the store but it could have been the settings.

  19. d3nn5 - 9 years ago

    Another great video on the Apple Watch. Nice job.

    I was all set to order the Apple Watch Sport, but I started having second thoughts thinking about the different materials used to make the display crystal: Ion-X glass in the Sport, versus sapphire crystal in the Watch.

    When I was a kid, I always always managed to scratch the cheap crystal on my watches, which was a real drag. As an adult, I eventually began buying watches that use sapphire crystal, which is almost impossible to scratch. I still manage to bump them every now and then, and I have that moment of panic checking whether the crystal is scratched—haven’t scratched one yet.

    I was having doubts about how scratch-resistant the Ion-X glass would be, and I knew I would be really disappointed if I ever scratched the thing. So I went with the sapphire crystal Watch just for peace of mind.

    Since then, Consumer Reports has tested the Ion-X glass and found it’s pretty good—not as good as the sapphire crystal, but pretty scratch-resistant anyway. I probably could have done fine with the Sport watch. I’m okay with all the other differences in packaging, charger and case materials for the Sport watch.

    Oh well, still happy with the Apple Watch I have. No regrets.

  20. Mike Hiteshew - 9 years ago

    “It’s kinda set up like a jewelry box…”.

    Methinks you have not purchased a watch before, other than what you may get at Walmart. It’s nice to see Apple connecting with people who have never worn a real timepiece before.

  21. Jeff Gardner - 9 years ago

    best apple watch comparison i’ve found to date online. thanks!

  22. mackierain - 9 years ago

    How is the sport band? I imagine it gets dirty easily. I am considering getting a leather band for that reason but the price difference is pretty significant so I would much rather get the sport if it doesn’t get grimy easily.

  23. Arthur A. Huffman - 9 years ago

    Great video, Dom! Would you be able to give me the exterior dimensions of the Apple Watch (square) box that the Apple Watch comes in? You may use metic or inches, either one works for me. Thank you.

  24. ash11183 - 9 years ago

    Fuck Apple! Make a true Lefty watch instead of making leftys turn it upside down making the crown on the bottom… You suck Apple… how about righys wear it upside down and see if you like the crown on the bottom!

  25. Jill Misnik Butcher - 9 years ago

    Very informative really help me make up my mind