Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
CR rates new and older models to help you choose the best version
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Whether you’re looking to accurately track your morning runs or respond faster to texts, the Apple Watch is a solid choice for your next smartwatch. All of Apple’s Watch models perform well in our tests. They make routine tasks—like changing a song while you’re listening to music or paying for your morning coffee—easier. Think of the Watch as a seamless extension of your other Apple products, including your MacBook and your iPhone.
The question is, which one to buy—especially now that Apple has a whole lineup of options: the top-of-the-line Ultra 2, the Series 10, and the lower-cost second-generation SE.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is aimed at adventurers—and those who’d like to look like one. It has a thick titanium body, a bright display, and an extended battery life, features that might be useful even if you’re not venturing off into the backcountry.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The premium-priced Apple Watch Ultra 2 is aimed at serious athletes and outdoorsy types. It has a thick titanium case—offered in black and natural titanium—with a beefier crown and large buttons on the sides that allow menu-free access to your most-used functions. Unlike other models, the Watch Ultra 2 comes in only one display size, 49 mm, but it can accommodate Apple Watch bands made for a 44–mm or 45-mm Watch.
The display is brighter than the one on the Series 10, which helps with readability. But the size of the watch case is bigger, too, which may be a negative for someone with a petite wrist or a desire for a more subtle everyday look.
Some of the features seem particularly useful for a regular adventurer, like the ability to set off an 86-decibel siren should you need help or to function as a full-fledged dive computer via an app from Oceanic+. But we doubt these will make or break the average consumer’s purchasing decision.
What might, though: The Ultra 2 performs very well in our labs, earning top scores for ease of use, scratch resistance, water resistance, and readability in low light. It’s also quite accurate at step counting and heart rate monitoring.
The Ultra 2 comes equipped with the S9 processor and offers Double Tap functionality, which allows the wearer to take certain actions, like answering calls or snoozing alarms, by bringing together the thumb and forefinger. That’s handy for when you’re, say, turning off a timer with full hands in the kitchen. This feature isn’t available on the Watch SE, but it is on the Series 10.
But overall, the major appeal of the $799 Ultra 2 (compared with a $399 Series 10 or $249 SE) is the way it looks and feels on your wrist, as well as the brighter display and significantly longer battery life. The Ultra 2 can last up to 36 hours—and 72 hours in low-power mode—compared with up to 18 hours for Series 10 and Watch SE. But whether your lifestyle actually requires the wider range of features and top-tier performance is your call.
Apple Watch Series 10
This latest version of the classic Apple Watch is the best pick for anyone who wants the latest health and fitness features but doesn’t need the added bells and whistles (or bulky design) of the Ultra 2. The Series 10 does outperform the previous Series 9 model in our testing by just a hair, but you can expect a fairly similar device.
The case is offered in 46-mm and 42-mm sizes, slightly bigger than the Series 9 models, with a display that’s a bit brighter when viewed at an angle. The watch face is also easy to read in both low and bright light, our experts say, and aces our scratch-resistance testing. You have the option of an aluminum case or, for the first time, a premium-priced titanium case, both offered in a few different colors. The watch is also thinner and lighter, making it potentially more comfortable to wear all day, including to bed.
No matter the size or display type you choose, expect a top-tier smartwatch that’s equipped with all the important functionality that matters to a typical smartwatch user, like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and tap-to-pay. The step count is very accurate, according to our testing, though the heart rate monitoring is a bit less so.
Unlike the Watch SE, the Series 10 offers an Always On Display option—handy for when you want to simply glance down to get the time—as well as the Double Tap gesture.
The Series 10 also comes equipped with the latest S10 processor, but there’s no change in claimed battery life from the last generation. You can expect up to 18 hours of power per charge or up to 36 hours in low-power mode, Apple says. (This is the same as the Watch SE but a bit less than the Ultra 2.) The model does get a boost in charging speed, though, according to Apple. The Series 10 can now charge up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, which could better accommodate all-day and all-night wear.
The health tracking is robust. Notably, the Series 10 features body temperature sensors for more accurate cycle tracking and retrospective estimates of ovulation, a high-g-force sensor for car crash detection, and ECG functionality to detect unusual heart rhythms. You can also feel comfortable tracking your swims; the Series 10 met Apple’s water-resistance claims and survived immersion in our dunk tank at a depth equivalent to 164 feet for 10 minutes.
For better assessing your sleep health, the Series 10 now comes with sleep apnea detection through the monitoring of nightly breathing disturbances. (The Watch SE doesn’t have these features, but the Ultra 2 does.) Note that the blood oxygen sensor on the Series 10 is not currently enabled, as with the Series 9 and Ultra 2, due to an ongoing patent dispute.
Overall, you can expect the Series 10 to do everything a high-performing smartwatch does—and do it very well—though you’ll lose a few of the premium features (and extra battery life) available on the Ultra line. You can also take a deeper dive into our first impressions.
Apple Watch SE
The newest version of the popular Apple Watch SE is significantly improved. It has the case (available in aluminum only) and display from the older Series 6 (in 40-mm or 44-mm sizes), as well as the same processor used in the Series 8.
It may be the lowest-tier option in Apple’s lineup, but it still provides all the essentials that most smartwatch users want out of a device, as well as many nice-to-have health and safety features. The SE supports fall detection, family setup, and Emergency SOS, which lets you call for help and alert preselected contacts, and international emergency calling, useful if you run into trouble overseas.
What are you giving up? Sleep apnea detection and the ability to take your own electrocardiogram, as well as the new body temperature sensors. You won’t have the Always On Display or the ability to use the Double Tap gesture. With the SE, you’ll lose out a bit on battery life and brightness. It’s also not capable of fast charging, which could have an impact on your ability to use the device regularly for sleep tracking.
In our lab tests, the SE ranks a bit below the Ultra 2 and the previous year’s Series 9, as well as a number of other non-Apple models, although its ratings are still well above average in all the categories we test.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Series 9 is no longer officially listed in Apple’s lineup, but you can still find it on sale at certain retailers, often refurbished, and it could be an appealing option if the price is right. Listed as low as $300, it’s a more-than-reasonable alternative to the Series 10 or even the SE.
While it’s not as light or thin as the new Series 10, it has most of that model’s important features, including an ECG function designed to detect unusual heart rhythms and the latest sleep apnea detection. Of course, it also offers the basics most of us are looking for in a smartwatch, like sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and workout logging.
While it may take a bit of shopping around, it’s still worth looking into the Series 9 Watch.
Other Factors to Consider
Do you need cellular? All Apple Watch Series and SE models can be purchased with Bluetooth connectivity alone. Adding cellular capacity raises the sticker price by about $100, plus the roughly $10-per-month fee for a wireless plan. The Ultra models can be purchased only with cellular capacity, but you don’t have to activate it.
Most people probably don’t need a watch with cellular. If you’re a runner and you want to leave your phone at home but want to stream your favorite workout mix and be reachable for calls and texts, the cellular option is a sensible upgrade. It might also be useful to an older person or anyone depending on the fall-protection features, which would otherwise rely on keeping a smartphone within range.
But many users are rarely out of Bluetooth range of their smartphones, which makes a cellular watch redundant.
Is bigger better? Regardless of which model you’re considering, anyone with smaller wrists will probably gravitate toward the smaller sizes. While men tend to buy the bigger size (which costs a little more), many find the smaller watch to be just right.
Fancy finishes: The starting prices listed in this article are for the basic aluminum finish. But on the Series 10, you can level up with a more premium slate, gold, or natural titanium finish, though you’re likely to see little functional difference. Apple also offers top-of-the-line Hermès designs with fashion-forward straps and hefty prices.
Beyond the Apple Watch: Yes, Apple’s smartwatches are great, especially if you own an iPhone or other Apple devices, but we also recommend models made by companies like Google, Fitbit, and Samsung. As always, Consumer Reports members can consult our smartwatch ratings for full test results on more than 60 models.
And if you’re more into counting steps than reading email, making calls, or checking the latest news, you might want to consider a fitness tracker. They have fewer features, but they’re often significantly cheaper than smartwatches.
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