editor’s Note: Black Friday doesn’t officially happen until Friday, November 28; However, if you want to shop ahead of time, we’ve collected the best early Black Friday deals you can get now.
If you have an iPhone, Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for you. but there was only One Apple Watch was a smartwatch when it was launched in 2015. A decade later, you have three flavors to choose from: the entry-level Watch SE, the Standard series, and the rugged Ultra. Each appeals to a different demographic and set of needs, but good news: I’ve tested every Apple Watch prior to the Series 2 and can point you in the right direction.
what we are looking for
Apple Watches do a lot of things, from tracking your health and fitness to fielding notifications. Like other wearables, we do a mix of experiential testing and benchmarks throughout the year. So even if we don’t fall down the stairs, we will pay attention to whether a natural stumble during a walk indicates a fall. (Or not.) We also check out how accurate the sleep tracking, heart rate, and GPS are compared to long-term control devices like the Aura Ring or Garmin. We’ll also look at how different Apple Watch models compare to each other on factors like durability, performance, and battery life.
We’re not going to recommend the Apple Watch Ultra for couch potatoes – unless you want the best battery life. The idea is to guide you to the right Apple Watch for your needs.
Should you buy a new one? You can often save on an Apple Watch by buying refurbished, especially since there generally aren’t much changes from year to year.
Do you want to pay extra for LTE? Which sensors are in which model, and how does it apply to you?
Some scenarios require you to purchase a cellular model, while in other scenarios you can get away with only having a GPS.
Best Apple Watch for most people
,199
Good
- Finally we get an always-on display
- We get a double tap and a wrist jerk!
- So many health features!
- 5G!
- Fast Charging!
- more durable!
- On-Device Siri!
- advanced processor
- you also get a speaker
bad
- those bezels are still thick
- wish battery life was better
size: 40mm, 44mm/ weight: 26.3g(40mm), 32.9g(44mm)/ battery life: up to 18 hours/ display type: Always On LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: 5G (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi/ water resistance: up to 50 meters/ Music Storage: 64GB
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is an incredible value. So much so, that there isn’t that much difference between this entry-level watch and the more advanced Series 11. It now has an always-on display, an improved S10 chip that enables gestures like double-tap and wrist flick, fast charging, on-device Siri, 5G cellular, and a new wrist-temperature sensor thanks to additional health features. People who are in relatively good health do not need advanced health care tests like blood oxygenation or EKG to detect Afib. The SE 3 still gives you the basics like abnormal heart rate notifications, the new Sleep Score, and sleep apnea notifications.
Apart from health, you are really only sacrificing aesthetics. The SE3 has thicker bezels, and I wish the battery life was a little longer. Still, I had zero FOMO while testing this watch with the Series 11. And for $150 less? This is the Apple Watch that most people should buy.
Read my review of the Apple Watch SE 3
Best Apple Watch for health monitoring
,339
Good
- slightly better battery life
- 5G connectivity
- FDA-Approved High Blood Pressure Notifications
bad
- It’s not “bad”, but the most exciting updates are in watchOS 26 and are coming to older watches too
size: 42mm, 46mm/ weight: 30.3g(42mm), 37.8(46mm)/ battery life: Up to 24 hours, 38 in low-power mode/ display type: Always On LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: 5G (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi/ water resistance: up to 50 meters/ Music Storage: 64GB
While I believe the SE3 is best for most people, if health monitoring is your primary focus, the Series 11 has a slight edge. It has all the advanced sensors that enable Afib monitoring and the larger battery is a bonus if sleep tracking and sleep apnea features appeal to you. Apple has also added FDA-approved high blood pressure notifications, which the SE 3 doesn’t have. Its slim profile and large display are other reasons why I’d recommend the Series 11 to anyone buying an Apple Watch for parents.
But if you want to save some money, I suggest looking for the Series 10 while stocks last. The Series 10 and 11 are nearly identical watches, with the latter’s main hardware upgrades being 5G connectivity and a slight bump in battery life.
Read my Apple Watch Series 11 review
As said, blood oxygen feature is not that important feature Any Wearable now. Many either only have spot checking features or passively track your SpO2 overnight and give you an average in the morning. They cannot and should not replace fingertip pulse oximeters.
Best Apple Watch for athletes
,780
Good
- Even longer battery life
- Large display, thin bezels
- Satellite and 5G connectivity
bad
- Most people probably won’t notice 5G or satellite improvements
size: 42mm, 46mm/ weight: 30.3g(42mm), 37.8(46mm)/ battery life: Up to 24 hours, 38 in low-power mode/ display type: Always On LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: 5G (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi/ water resistance: up to 50 meters/ Music Storage: 64GB
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is great for daily life. Its extra durability, bright screen, siren and action buttons are best suited for people with active lifestyles. I’m constantly talking about hiking, outdoor runs, recreational diving, and all that jazz. you don’t do that to pass Being an athlete to enjoy the Ultra – I especially know a lot of tech dads who love this watch for its extra long battery life and large display. (For both reasons I have Too Used the Ultra as my daily driver for the last two years.) The black model looks sick too.
Like the series watches, I would look for the Ultra 2 model on sale for a small savings as this year’s model was a minor upgrade. Also, if you already have Ultra 2, hold your horses! Now is not the time to upgrade. The exception is if you feel you will find value in the new satellite connectivity feature. I’ve been on many hikes in New Jersey and didn’t find any areas that didn’t have coverage – but if you’re in a rural area where this is a problem, that’s a valid reason to choose the Ultra 3.
Read my Apple Watch Ultra 3 review
Best Apple Watch for kids
size: 40mm, 44mm/ weight: 26.3g(40mm), 32.9g(44mm)/ battery life: up to 18 hours/ display type: Always On LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: 5G (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / water resistance: up to 50 meters/ Music Storage: 64GB
Unless there are obvious health issues at play, your kids don’t need the advanced health tracking of the Series 11, nor do they need the bulky design of the Ultra 3. The SE3 is more than enough for keeping track and staying in touch. Plus, if you’re buying for a small, rambunctious child, the SE 3 comes in the smallest size And If it breaks, it won’t leave that big a hole in your wallet. But if you’re not willing to give your child your iPhone yet, make sure you get a cellular model so you can take advantage of the Apple Watch setup feature for your kids.
Read my review of the Apple Watch SE 3
Now that the Fall iPhone event is over, it’s time to look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for deals. If you want to save some money this is the time of year when you can usually find great deals on last year’s inventory.
Otherwise, Apple refreshes its smartwatches only once a year. The next big update could be coming in the future for the next version of watchOS at WWDC in June.
Update, 26 November: Updated selection, availability and pricing, as well as the format of this article. Updated the Blood Oxygen Monitoring sidebar, as well as the What’s Coming Next section.
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