Apple’s cheaper smartwatch is all most of us will ever need
> From £259 (40mm), £299 apple.com/uk > FEATURES 40mm or 44mm case size, Apple S8 processor, Retina display, water-resistant to 50m, 18 hours’ battery life, GPS, mobile connectivity options (44mm)
The Apple Watch SE seems to come from the idea that the original Apple Watch SE wasn’t broke, so it didn’t need fixing. Instead, Apple’s polished it, giving it a lighter-weight body, a new processor, new colours, and a price drop.
If you want to know whether it’s worth upgrading from the original Apple Watch SE, the answer is no. You don’t get any big new features here – the most notable is Crash Detection, but we don’t think many people will pay £259 for that. If you’re wondering whether you should go for the new Apple Watch SE or the Apple Watch Series 8, that comes down to the features you may want, and what you’re willing to pay for them. The Series 8 has an Always-On display, plus an ECG, a pulse oxygen sensor, and a temperature sensor that’s designed to help women manage their reproductive health. If you don’t care about any of those, then the Series 8 is a lot more money for not much of a different experience.
Because the overall experience is what the Apple Watch SE nails: this is a full-fat Apple Watch, with no questions over what’s been cut compared to the higher-end option. The omissions are listed above. The screen is a little smaller than the one on the Watch Series 8, with a slightly thicker bezel, but it’s not a big deal given the focus on black backgrounds in watchOS.
While Apple could fit an Always-On screen, or help democratise home health monitoring by including the ECG and/or pulse oxygen sensor, there’s no question that this is the best Apple Watch for those on a budget, and is one of the best smartwatches of any kind in terms of balancing features and price.
Design
The Watch SE will be familiar to anyone who’s ever seen an Apple Watch. Coming in 40mm and 44mm sizes, it’s available in three finishes: Midnight, Starlight and Silver, and is water-resistant to 50m.
