The most important information in Apple Watches proper now could be the upcoming launch of watch OS 26 — new software program that features a Exercise Buddy and help for a wrist flick gesture — and the restoration of the blood oxygen monitoring characteristic. Each the working system and restored characteristic solely apply to the flagship Apple Watch Sequence 10 and the adventure-geared Apple Watch Extremely 2. The third wearable within the lineup, the budget-focused Apple Watch SE, nonetheless has its benefits, particularly value and powerful fitness-tracking chops. In fact, all three fashions could also be changed after Apple’s anticipated iPhone 17 event in September. However when you need assistance choosing the perfect Apple Look ahead to you proper now, this information will help. We’ll stroll you thru the specs, sensors and different options, together with our evaluations based mostly on our evaluations.
Desk of contents
Finest Apple Watch in 2025
Chip: S10 SiP | Sensors: ECG, coronary heart price, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, fall/crash detection | Show: At all times‑on Retina wide-angle OLED show, max 2,000 nits brightness | Battery life: 18 hours | Case dimension: 42mm or 46mm
Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 10
After a number of years of the identical dimension choices for Apple’s flagship wearable, the Apple Watch Series 10 now comes with a much bigger display matched with a thinner total design. As an alternative of 41 and 45mm case sizes, now you can get the watch in both 42mm or 46mm. And, because of a redesigned metallic again that integrates the antenna into the housing, it’s now simply 9.7mm thick, a full millimeter thinner than the Sequence 9.
In her review, Engadget’s Cherlynn Low stated the brand new watch was noticeably thinner and lighter, although that didn’t make an enormous distinction in consolation between the brand new model and its predecessor. The bigger display did make some issues clearer, reminiscent of street names in Maps. The wide-angle OLED show additionally made it simpler to learn the face when not trying immediately at it.
The Sequence 10 delivers extra highly effective speaker output, too. Cherlynn famous that the audio system are most likely not one thing you’ll need to depend on for prolonged listening, they usually positively work higher in quiet environments. But when you must hear a tune or a little bit of a podcast sooner or later, your watch might be higher outfitted to take action. One other {hardware} improve comes with the addition of a depth gauge. It’s not meant for diving, because the gauge is barely rated to 6 meters, however it may offer you insights when snorkeling or swimming.
Along with sleep monitoring, the watch now additionally helps sleep apnea detection, a situation that’s critically under-diagnosed. Whereas it’s not supposed for individuals who already know they’ve the dysfunction, it may assist establish sure respiration patterns throughout sleep that ought to be checked out by a physician. That characteristic will even be obtainable on the Apple Watch Sequence 9 with watchOS 11.
Battery life didn’t change drastically — Apple nonetheless guarantees an 18-hour stretch per cost — and that comparatively brief span has at all times been our biggest complaint with the watch. The charging pace, nevertheless, did get a lift. It’s best to now have the ability to get your watch as much as 80 % in only a half an hour utilizing a fast-charge-certified charger.
In fact, the brand new options aren’t the one purpose to purchase an Apple Watch Sequence 10. It simply occurs to be the perfect companion you will get for an iPhone. The watch will maintain you on prime of your notifications (presenting fewer distractions than your cellphone), whereas the exercise monitoring and health options will help maintain you motivated, if that’s one thing you’re into. It may additionally remind you to take meds, observe your moods and log your interval for cycle monitoring and predictions.
In the end, we expect the Apple Watch Sequence 10 is a good purchase for iOS customers who’re both new to Apple Watches or coming from a Sequence 8 or older. In the event you’ve acquired a Sequence 9, you may most likely wait on an improve.
- Thinner and lighter construct
- Probably useful sleep apnea detection
- The most effective companion for an iPhone
- Helpful new water sports activities options
- Nonetheless solely has an 18-hour battery life
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Chip: S8 SiP | Sensors: Coronary heart price, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, fall/crash detection | Show: Retina show, max 1,000 nits brightness | Battery life: 18 hours | Case dimension: 40mm or 44mm
Read our full review of the Apple Watch SE
But once more, Apple didn’t come out with a brand new era of the Apple Watch SE when it introduced the Apple Watch 10 and different Apple units in September. A brand new plastic model is reportedly in the works (and we’ve some ideas on what Apple can improve). However for now, this $250 smartwatch is Apple’s price range possibility.
Cherlynn also reviewed the SE when it got here out in 2022, calling it “the perfect smartwatch for the cash.” It makes use of the identical chip as the unique Extremely and the Sequence 8, and in our evaluate of the brand new Sequence 9, Cherlynn “barely observed a distinction in efficiency” in comparison with the older Apple Watch.
That stated, there are some trade-offs. You received’t get an always-on show, blood oxygen monitoring or a temperature sensor. The SE can also’t help the brand new Double Faucet characteristic and requires your cellphone to be close by for Siri requests (when you don’t have a cellular-enabled mannequin). Supplies-wise, the SE face is roofed in Ion-X glass, which is much less sturdy than the sapphire crystal on both the chrome steel Sequence 9 or the Extremely 2.
However the SE has extra in widespread with its pricier sibling than not, together with crash detection, coronary heart price monitoring, emergency SOS calling, and 50 meters of water resistance. And, in fact, the watch does all of the fundamentals properly, like sharing notifications, controlling your music playback and setting timers and alarms.
Although the display isn’t fairly as shiny because the pricier fashions, we thought it was crisp and simple to learn, even in shiny daylight. The health monitoring is correct, the design is light-weight and comfy and the processor is snappy. In the event you’re on the lookout for a starter smartwatch and don’t thoughts the few lacking options, the SE remains to be the way in which to go.
- Reasonably priced value
- Nice well being and health monitoring
- Extends the utility of an iPhone
- Lacks blood oxygen and temperature sensors
- Would not help Double Faucet
- No always-on show
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Chip: S9 SiP | Sensors: ECG, coronary heart price, temperature, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, fall/crash detection, depth gauge | Show: At all times-on Retina show, max 3,000 nits brightness | Battery life: 36 hours | Case dimension: 49mm
Read our full review of the Apple Watch Ultra
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Extremely 2 on the identical event because the Sequence 9 however, the next yr, we didn’t get an Apple Watch Extremely 3. Instead, Apple introduced a brand new satin black colorway created with a “diamond-like carbon bodily vapor deposition” course of that you just’ll typically discover used on high-end knife blades.
Engadget’s Cherlynn Low took the earlier mannequin Extremely out on a hike to make the most of its outdoor-specific options and the Backtrack perform truly saved her and our video producer Brian from taking an unintended detour within the fallacious route. The perform lives throughout the Compass app and allows you to set waypoints reminiscent of marking the car parking zone earlier than you set out. There’s an onboard siren that’s loud sufficient to alert passersby or emergency personnel to your whereabouts when you ought to want it.
For water-based actions, the Extremely 2 packs diving options that may measure water temperature, dive period and gauge as much as 40 meters of depth. For exercises nearer to house, the dual-frequency GPS offers you extra correct route monitoring and tempo calculations. And the motion button might be programmed to start out a exercise, management the stopwatch, set off the flashlight, set a waypoint and extra. Simply observe that we discovered it fairly simple to unintentionally set off the motion button when attempting to press the crown, so it might take a bit of apply.
The S9 SiP chip allows Double Faucet and on-device Siri processing. The display has been bumped as much as 3,000 nits and whereas we didn’t get to take the brand new mannequin on a hike, the unique at 2,000 nits was lots shiny sufficient in direct daylight. We like how the brand new Modular Extremely watch face makes nice use of the outsized display (although that’s additionally obtainable on the unique AWU.) The battery life stays the identical at 36 hours, and we acquired about three days of reasonable use out of the Extremely earlier than needing a recharge. The low energy mode is especially spectacular, squeezing out many further hours from a near-empty watch.
- Strong construct
- Specialised options for outside actions
- Massive display shows quite a lot of information
- Costly
- Massive case can really feel cumbersome on smaller wrists
What to search for in an Apple Watch
Like all Apple merchandise, Apple Watches will solely work with different units from the model’s ecosystem. You will not have the ability to pair any Apple Watch to your Android cellphone. Word that you just can pair different wearables (like a Garmin tracker or a Fitbit band) along with your iPhone. There are some extra options which can be particular to Apple Watches and that set every of the three fashions aside from each other.
Chips and sensors
The brand new Apple Watch Sequence 10 has an S10 SiP (system in a package deal) chip with a four-core Neural Engine. The Extremely 2 was updated September 2023 with Apple’s S9 SiP. Each chips permit for on-device processing of Siri requests in addition to dictation, translation, automated exercise detection and the Double Faucet gesture that allows you to reply calls or cease an alarm by tapping your thumb and forefinger collectively twice. It additionally allows sooner machine studying efficiency for deciphering sensor knowledge, speech recognition and performing different “considering” duties. The Apple Watch SE nonetheless depends on the S8 SiP, which was additionally used within the Series 8 and the unique Extremely.
Each the Sequence 10 and Extremely 2 can measure sure very important indicators like coronary heart price, and each have an ECG app. Temperature sensors will help monitor ovulation, whereas underwater temperature sensors might come in useful whereas swimming and snorkeling. Each additionally help fall-detection and crash-detection as a security characteristic. All three fashions have a compass and altimeter. The Apple Watch Extremely 2 has an onboard SOS siren, in addition to dive options like a depth gauge. Water options have been added to the Apple Watch Sequence 10, however with a shallower depth ranking (simply six meters, as in comparison with 40 meters on the Extremely).
All three fashions help close to discipline communication (NFC), the chip that permits Apple Pay. When you set it up utilizing the Apple Watch app in your iPhone, you may pay for stuff at any retailer that accepts Apple Pay, even when you don’t have your phone with you.
Blood oxygen characteristic
You might have heard a couple of patent dispute over blood oxygen monitoring expertise that compelled Apple to cease promoting its watches for a number of months again in 2023. The corporate then began promoting the watches with the blood oxygen app disabled. Now the feature is back — Apple announced in August of 2025 that it might be restoring the characteristic to any Sequence 9, Sequence 10 and Apple Watch Extremely 2 fashions that lack it. Doing so requires an replace to iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1. You possibly can view your blood oxygen measurement leads to the Respiratory part of the Well being app in your cellphone.
Shows and case sizes
The wide-angle OLED show on the Apple Watch 10 enables you to see the always-on show from extra angles. The Extremely 2 additionally has an always-on show, however you’ll need to carry your wrist to inform time or learn notifications on the SE. The SE can attain a most brightness of 1,000 nits, the Sequence 10 can get as shiny as 2,000 and the Extremely 2 hits 3,000 nits. Each higher-end screens can dim to a single nit, making them much less distracting at midnight.
The Apple Watch Sequence 10 got here with a brand new end and case materials — a shiny anodized jet black end on the aluminum mannequin and the choice for a titanium case. The Extremely 2 additionally acquired a brand new end, satin black, that makes use of a PVD (bodily vapor deposition) course of to use the colour.
As for case sizes, the SE is offered in 40 or 44mm. The Sequence 10 elevated in dimension from the prior era and now has a alternative of a 42 or 46mm case. The Extremely 2 is available in only one dimension measuring 49mm. You additionally get the chance to select the size and magnificence for watch bands. The SE and Sequence 10 are available small/medium or medium/massive and the Extremely 2 offers you the selection of small, medium or massive.
The Sequence 10 (left) and Sequence 9 (proper).
(Cherlynn Low for Engadget)
Battery life
Because it’s the biggest wearable, the Apple Watch Extremely 2 sports activities the largest battery and might final for a claimed 36 hours on a cost. That quantity jumps as much as 72 hours when you activate low energy mode. Each the Apple Watch 10 and the SE are rated by Apple to go for 18 hours earlier than they want a go to to the charger, and longer when utilizing battery saver mode. Meaning if you wish to use both of these fashions commonly for sleep monitoring, you might have to recharge them a bit earlier than mattress.
Health and wellness options
Consider it or not, all three Apple Watches have comparable health tracker chops. The Exercise app makes use of three “rings” to maintain tabs on how a lot you’re transferring in a day: The Transfer ring tracks your energetic energy; the Train ring screens the minutes you’ve spent strolling, operating, doing yoga and so forth; and the Stand ring tells you what number of hours in a day you’ve stood up and moved round for not less than one minute.
Completely different inner sensors detect these actions, for instance the accelerometer senses while you’re transferring versus sitting nonetheless, and the optical coronary heart price sensor judges how onerous you are understanding and what number of energy you’ve burned. You possibly can set your targets for every ring and also you’ll earn badges and animations while you hit them.
The Exercise app enables you to begin and monitor an train session. The sensors may even auto-detect while you’re understanding, tapping your wrist to counsel you monitor the exercise. Apple Watches will combine with Apple’s Health+ subscription, displaying actual time coronary heart price and calorie burn knowledge in your iPhone, iPad and even Apple TV 4K as you are taking a category. Health+ additionally consists of audio-guided walks and runs with simply your watch and Bluetooth earbuds. All three fashions help the Exercise and Exercise apps without cost. The Health+ app additionally works with all Apple Watches, however prices $10 per thirty days.
New options enabled with watchOS 11 embrace Coaching Load that gauges your physique’s response to exercises over time, which may assist athletes higher put together for occasions like marathons. Customers also can now skip a day (or extra) from health monitoring metrics when they should relaxation or aren’t feeling as much as the problem of closing their rings. The brand new OS additionally helps offline maps, which may show helpful when mountaineering removed from mobile protection. Upcoming options of the subsequent working system (watchOS 26) will embrace an AI Exercise Buddy to educate you thru your subsequent run by way of your related Airpods.
Siri
You will get the climate, begin a exercise, establish a tune and dictate a textual content simply by asking Siri. All Apple Watch fashions help the Increase to Converse characteristic that bypasses the necessity to say “Hey Siri” and can as a substitute pay attention to your request while you carry your wrist close to your mouth.
Each the Sequence 10 and the Extremely 2 make the most of onboard processing of Siri requests. Meaning executing easy requests like beginning exercises and timers are faster, as they received’t have to entry exterior networks. Nonetheless, requests like sending texts or getting climate forecasts nonetheless want to speak with Wi-Fi or mobile, so that you’ll have to have your cellphone close by when you’ve got a GPS-only mannequin.
Carbon impartial choices
The Apple Watch Sequence 9 with the aluminum case was the corporate’s first carbon impartial product. Apple defines its carbon impartial merchandise as those who use “100% clear electrical energy for manufacturing and product use, 30 % recycled or renewable materials by weight and 50 % of transport with out using air transportation.” Mixed, Apple says these adjustments diminished the emissions by round 75 %, and the corporate will use credit so make up for the remaining emissions.
At present, the Apple Watch Sequence 10 in both aluminum or titanium with the game loop band, braided solo loop or Milanese loop, and the Apple Watch Extremely 2 with the path loop or alpine loop bands are designated as carbon impartial merchandise. If you choose, say the rubber Sport Band, the carbon impartial ranking would not apply.
Worth
There’s a $550 distinction between the most affordable and costliest Apple Watches. For $250 you will get the 40mm Apple Watch SE with GPS-only connectivity; including mobile connectivity ups the value by $50. The Apple Watch Sequence 10 begins at $399 for the 42mm, non-cellular mannequin in aluminum and goes as excessive as $749 for the 46mm titanium case (which is barely obtainable with GPS and mobile). The Apple Watch Extremely 2 has only one value: $799 for a titanium 49mm case with each GPS and mobile energy — although if you would like the titanium Apple Watch Band, the value goes up. For any mannequin you choose, you may most likely additionally need a number of Apple Watch accessories, so you might need to issue that into your buying resolution. Word that every one fashions go on sale pretty usually — however solely at third-party realtors. You will not discover many sale’s on Apple.com, although the positioning does supply reductions while you commerce in your outdated units.
How we examined Apple Watches
Engadget has been reviewing Apple Watches because the first one came out in 2015. Since then, we’ve tested every subsequent model Apple has released, including the Ultra and SE models, spending not less than a number of days or perhaps a couple weeks with one strapped to our wrists. Throughout that point, we run, hit the fitness center, go on hikes and put on it whereas sleeping, all of the whereas gauging the way it tracks numerous metrics, integrates with the iPhone and performs each different trick Apple claims its smartwatches can do.
Since we additionally evaluate smartwatches from different corporations, reminiscent of Samsung‘s Galaxy Watches and Google Pixels, our editors can evaluate Apple Watches not simply to earlier generations, but additionally to different wearables in the marketplace. Our purchasing guides and suggestions depend on first-hand testing by Engadget workers.
Apple Watch comparability chart
|
Product |
Apple Watch Sequence 10 |
Apple Watch Extremely 2 |
Apple Watch SE (Gen 2) |
|
Launch date |
September 2024 |
September 2023 |
September 2022 |
|
Case sizes |
42mm or 46mm |
49mm |
40mm or 44mm |
|
Case materials |
Aluminum or titanium |
Titanium |
Aluminum |
|
Show |
LTPO3 OLED At all times-On |
LTPO2 OLED At all times-On |
LTPO OLED |
|
Max brightness |
2,000 nits |
3,000 nits |
1,000 nits |
|
Chip |
S10 SiP |
S9 SiP |
S8 SiP |
|
Max battery life |
18 h./36 h. low energy |
36 h./72 h. low energy |
18 h. |
|
Water resistance |
50 m. |
100 m. |
50 m. |
|
Featured sensors |
ECG, electrical coronary heart price, optical coronary heart price, water temp, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, sleep monitoring, sleep apnea, wrist temp |
ECG, electrical coronary heart price, optical coronary heart price, water temp, expanded-range altimeter, compass, gyroscope, sleep monitoring, sleep apnea, wrist temp |
ECG, optical coronary heart price, altimeter, compass, gyroscope, sleep monitoring |
Apple Watch FAQs
What are the perfect Apple Watch apps for health monitoring?
All three watches use the identical Health and Exercise apps to trace your progress, they usually all have sensors to trace pace, cadence, distance and coronary heart price. However the Apple Watch Extremely 2 and the Apple Watch Sequence 10 have extra sensors than the Apple Watch SE. These embrace {an electrical} coronary heart price sensor and a depth gauge. The 2 watches even have a blood oxygen app and an ECG app, all of which can offer you a greater image of your total well being. The Sequence 10 and Extremely 2 are additionally the one fashions appropriate with the AI-powered Exercise Buddy from watchOS 26 (the characteristic additionally requires an AI-compatible iPhone).
Are any of the Apple Watch sequence waterproof?
All three fashions are water resistant. However they will all deal with immersion in water, together with a swim. The Apple Watch SE and Sequence 10 can deal with a depth of as much as 50 meters whereas the Extremely 2 might be submerged as much as 100 meters.
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