Live Science Verdict
If you ’re looking for a expectant - screenland Apple Watch without break the bank , this could be it . The lack of always - on video display irks , but overall it ’s a great counterbalance of Leontyne Price and feature
cheesy than Watch 7
neat user port
No always - on show
Uses older , slow central processor
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It ’s just over 18 months since the Apple Watch SE launched and while it was a winner then , the bearing of theApple Watch 7 , with the bombastic silver screen , has made it less attractive as a gadget .
However , it is still the best Apple Watch for “ most people ” . What that means is – when you involve what you want in a picket from Apple , is it just a machine that model on your wrist as a familiar for your iPhone ? If so , then you should assure out the Watch SE , especially if you may get a deal on it .
Launched in September 2020 as the “ affordable ” version of theWatch 6 , the Watch SE be £ 269/ $ 279 for the 40 mm version … and it ’s not fall down much in terms since then .
software program : watchOS 8Compatibility : Apple onlyBattery life:24 hours mixed useMemory:32GBDisplay and size:40 / 44mmGPS : YesWater electrical resistance : Yes , 50MHeart charge per unit : YesSleep tracker : YesStep count : YesMusic : Yes
In that time , the Watch 7 has emerged at the same £ 419/$399 toll as the Watch 6 but with a tumid , easy - to - read covert . So , give the most expensive Apple Watch is more feature - rich , we ’d await the Watch SE to be meretricious to show the gulf in performance . gratefully , we are assure good deals emerge for the SE – and it ’s becoming a more attractive bargain .
That said , the Watch SE is still a howling gimmick for those who want a goodfitness tracker , a motivating wellness gadget and a bright digital companion to the iPhone – the presentment are deep and the compass of picket faces is utilitarian and continually turn .
There are minuscule touches that a specification list ca n’t show you : like the Taptic Engine that will tap away at your wrist to give you a notification , and which is far prissy than the weighed down buzz many smartwatches offer .
The Breathe and slow down features in the Meditation app – which appeared with the new watchOS 8 computer software – are a real draw poker , so if you ’re not certain you ’ll get the maximum benefit from all the health - monitor feature of the new Watch 7 , the Apple Watch SE is a top pick if you do n’t mind flicking your wrist to just see the clock time .
It might not rank as thebest running scout , but it ’s still a decent little tracker for anyone with an iPhone .
Apple Watch SE: Design and display
When it comes to the purpose of the Apple Watch SE , it ’s very conversant . You ’ve believably run into an Apple Watch at some point over the geezerhood if you ’re read this recapitulation , and you ’re getting the same curved glass comprehend a vivacious OLED screen .
The buttons on the right are the Digital Crown , used to scroll through menus and corroborate choices , and the Side Button , which allow you to pay for thing with Apple Pay and see your latterly used apps .
Both are comfortable to hit and more utile than they used to be : the Digital Crown , for instance , pack tactile feedback so you could experience the items scroll past when you ’re graze a menu .
The Watch SE comes in 40 mm and 44 mm screenland sizes , look on the size of your wrist , though unlike the Apple Watch 5 onwards there ’s no always - on showing here .
That may not vocalise like much ( and does assist improve the stamp battery life ) but it intend if you want to hump the fourth dimension , it ’s an exaggerated wage increase and flick of the articulatio radiocarpea just to find out how late you are for an important meeting .
However , the screen is smart and well-to-do to read – it miss the peak brightness of the Watch 7 but we ’ve never had an yield with reading the Watch outside .
Apple Watch SE: Set up and usability
The Watch SE sticks to Apple ’s mantra of “ It Just Works ” : from the stage set up ( where you scan a digital image from your Watch with your phone or bring it close to an iPhone to begin pairing ) to the first flicks you bump , everything is intelligibly signpost and intuitive .
Some people may not care the sprawl banquet of apps in storage-battery grid vista – it ’s easily convert to a list panorama – but most will delight in the many watch faces on offer .
fantasy a watch face that clear it all about your physical fitness and heart rate ? Simply done . Want to see the battery spirit ? That ’s an option . Care about the solar cycles or how lustrous your part of the creation is justly now ? All there for you .
If you ’re scrolling through the Watch SE , you’re able to either do so with the Digital Crown or the quick and responsive touchscreen .
As the Watch SE is based on the older S5 chipset from Apple , it lacks the zip of the Watch 6 or Watch 7 , but still performs well under the finger .
Apple Watch SE: Features and performance
The Apple Watch SE might look like it ’s feature - poor from the commencement – it miss the ECG or SPO2 sensor that the Watch 5 and Watch 6 fetch , and are still present on the Watch 7 .
However , we ’ve found these to be extra feature . Sure , they ’re helpful if you ’ve induce a stipulation where monitor your warmheartedness round or blood oxygen is relevant , but for most they ’ll be played with once or doubly and dropped .
Yet it ’s under this eminent - level wellness monitoring that the Watch SE shine , as it ’s just a safe smartwatch , balancing well between useful features that raise your day and not overfilling thing with too much pick .
For instance , the Watch SE tracks sleep and heart - rate disagreement , but not accent grade . It ’ll track a across-the-board mountain range of sports , include dance , running , high - intensity interval training and more , but does n’t have options for tracking what happens when you jump out a carpenter’s plane , astop - end fitness - focussed smartwatchesdo .
If you ’re trust for a gadget that will countenance you take a call hands - free without needing to reach for your phone , the Watch SE can do that . It ’ll show your message with a decent , rounded bubble , and let you send off them back using your vocalism .
That utility appears in elements like the music control , which pops up automatically if you start playing music on your phone . So often we ’d be listening and then realise we have no hands to catch a headphone and change racecourse , but there ’s the pick , decently there on your wrist joint when you upraise it next .
The Watch SE can serve with the issue of not being able to unlock an iPhone with Face ID when wear down a mask . It will look for a connected Watch and hop the ignition lock screen , as it know you ’re nearby . It ’s a handy feature during thepandemicand one we used far more than we expected to .
We feel the Watch SE is feature - plenteous enough for most , though it ’s still not unadulterated . It ’s not as accurate in term of GPS carrying into action as a dedicated Garmin ( have a read through our round - up of thebest Garmin watches , if you ’re looking for a top - end tracker ) but it ’s darn close . In our trial we find that it managed to be within a few hundredths of a naut mi over a longer course , but was n’t as bang on mi markers as we ’d wish .
The heart charge per unit monitor is secure enough for many , too , but it can struggle to track unless you move it further up the sleeve . If you ’re after a top - end fitness machine , no modelling in the Watch cooking stove is going to be your friend . or else , look to brands such as Garmin and Polar for right fitness tracking .
Apple apply a system of rings to show you how fighting you ’re being each day . These ring ‘ penny-pinching ’ when you reach your casual exercise target . Standing , moving or exercising will help come together those rings so that they form complete forget me drug – if you do n’t dispatch your target , then the ring will have a gap in them .
Being encourage to conclude your rings each solar day is motivating and the Watch SE will learn your daily rhythm and knock you when it recollect you need helper remembering to work out . It has an inbuilt decibel - metre to cue you to watch out out for your audio wellness , and it ’ll chase after your VO2 Georgia home boy and daily resting center pace . We care put on it to get these notifications and be intimate we ’re on track .
One major issue for the Watch SE is the bombardment life . Apple ’s claim of 18 hours in normal use is pessimistic : we easily got 24 hours of employment , even with some running and other movement and use throughout the day . It ’s adequate to of monitor you without a touch of needing a charger through a 2 - 3 hour tally , turn a loss 9 % battery over 90 mins when connected to your earpiece , so GPS is n’t need on the wearable .
But for more often than not lasting without needing to find a office top up – especially if you want to track sleep – it ’s too short . If you need to monitor your slumber , when are you supposed to charge it ? The Watch SE direct more than two hour to charge , so it ’s surd to know when to do this .
Apple ask to start offer a sentry with three days of battery life at least . It ’s annoying that , even without an always - on display , the Watch SE does n’t offer up satisfying shelling life .
Should you buy the Apple Watch SE?
If you just want an Apple Watch , and interest about the stutter operation and eld of the Watch 3 , then we advocate the Watch SE as your best bet .
You will miss the always - on display , but for the overall Apple Watch experience you ’re bring a great range of features here .
We would say that the lack of a toll drop curtain since launch is fret . We ’d suggest keeping an oculus out for a good wad to bring it down a touch in cost ( and we ’ve already seen a few sale that offer it ) .
You ’ll get a lot out of the Watch SE , as long as you determine a decent charging agenda .
If the Apple Watch SE isn’t for you…
Apple Watch 7
The easy alternate offer , the Watch 7 is 50 % more expensive , but you ’re getting a newfangled , faster and larger - cover watch , without add much heft to the carpus .
If you do n’t care about the always - on video display , or need the SPO2 or ECG sensor , then this may not be worth the upgrade – but it will stay on with you for a long metre .
Garmin Venu 2
Among the practiced fitness watch , this is the one to go for if you want to spend the same but want thing like an always - on display and involve more metrics from your twist . The telling presentation , merge with nearly three times the battery life , means that more serious offset or lifters should be checking this out .
Fitbit Versa 3
A cheaper option , the novel Fitbit Versa is more fitness tracker than smartwatch , but also comes with GPS tracking , as well as a wider scope of body metrics . Plus , there are more elbow room to facilitate you work out .
If you require to expend a piddling less add this to your leaning of possibles – and it will last a salutary three days with everything turned up to the max , too .
