The smartwatch for the masses

The Apple Watch SE is a cheaper version of the wearable Series 6. It makes many small compromises that shouldn’t be important to most potential buyers in order to get the lower price tag. It’s a real workout and smartphone companion that has most of the features at a cheaper price.

Find out why we like this newest wearable on the internet Android Authority Apple Watch SE rating.

Information about this Apple Watch SE review: We spent 10 days using the Apple Watch SE as the main wearable. It was paired with an Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max and received a small bug update (watchOS 7.0.1) during the test period. Android Authority bought the watch directly for the purposes of this review.

design

The Apple Watch SE is identical in design to the Apple Watch Series 6, apart from two things: colors and materials. The Series 6 is offered in a range of hues including silver, space gray, gold, blue, and red. However, the SE is limited to silver, space gray, and gold. If the Series 6 is available in aluminum, stainless steel and titanium, the SE is also only available in aluminum. Everything else is the same.

Not much can be said about the design of the watch right now as it has been adopted for a number of years (since the Series 4). The Apple Watch SE is available in two sizes: 40 mm and 44 mm. You can order it with a wide variety of ribbons and add LTE for cellular connection if you wish. We tested the 44mm Space Gray (GPS) model with a red silicone strap. (We couldn’t get any of the new solo loop bands.)

The size and fit of the Apple Watch SE is good for me. The gently rounded lower abdomen lies comfortably on the skin and the edges have never dug into my skin. I don’t care about the feel of the plain silicone strap that came with our review unit (in fact, it caused me a rash). It has a smooth finish that just doesn’t feel good on your wrist. I would really prefer one of the cloth-like loops. However, the silicone strap offered a tight fit that wasn’t too tight.

I was impressed with the ad. The 44mm size is great as it has plenty of space over 448 x 368 pixels. The SE does not have the always-on display feature of the Series 6, but it will illuminate when you raise your wrist. I had no problem viewing it outdoors in direct sunlight. Note that Series 6 offers sapphire crystal for the stainless steel and titanium models. The Watch SE is limited to Ion-X glass for protection. It is more prone to scratches than the sapphire.

The digital crown remains one of the best control tools for any smartwatch on the market. There is a flush button under the crown that works well. The speaker slots are on the left edge of the clock. Countless sensors are in the glass below.

Apple gave the SE their S5 SiP processor with a 64-bit dual-core engine. It’s paired with 32GB of storage, which is more than enough for some pieces of music. Other hardware features include the W3 chip for pairing with AirPods, an altimeter that is always on, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a compass.

The battery life is 18 hours with active use. You will find that your mileage will vary widely. For example, if the watch is only used occasionally, for example to monitor daily activities, it will easily reach the end of the day with a 50% charge. However, doing just one GPS workout will drain the battery considerably. Even so, even on long days from 7 a.m. to midnight, I never had any problems with the battery. Charging takes about 90 minutes.

The Apple Watch SE is still one of the most comfortable and functional smartwatches on the market.

Health and Fitness Tracking

As with all Apple Watches, the Watch SE covers the spectrum when it comes to monitoring health and fitness. However, it loses some key Series 6 features, including the ability to measure blood oxygen and take an electrocardiogram. If you have relied on this then you need to upgrade to the 6.

While these two heart health functions are absent, the Watch SE constantly monitors your heart rate. It can tell you if you have an abnormally high or low heart rate and signal you if it detects irregular heart rates. These could be indicators of heart problems. I tested the Apple Watch SE against an Apple Watch Series 4 that I have on hand and found the heart rate detection to be equivalent between the two. The Series 6 has an improved heart rate sensor. So you have to spend more money again to get an even more accurate heart rate monitor.

Sleep tracking is a big feature touted by modern day wearables, and it’s one that makes the Apple Watch SE stand out a bit. Rather than fully tracking your sleep (we’re talking about advanced features like REM cycle tracking), the app helps you set and aim for sleep goals. Let’s say you want to get eight hours of sleep a night. The watch will tell you when to go to bed to achieve this goal. The app depends on the last time you used your iPhone to determine when you fell asleep. The Apple Watch SE doesn’t track sleep as thoroughly as some Fitbit devices, but it does cover the basics of sleep time. If you want serious sleep tracking with advanced features, you have to look elsewhere.

See also: The best sleep trackers you can buy

In the fitness area, the Apple Watch is a good tool to attach to the wrist. It can automatically track a number of workouts such as walking, swimming, or cycling, and track many more manually. I found the indoor and outdoor tracking very accurate. For example, I took the Watch SE with me on a regular (outdoor) hike where I set the mileage just right, with the number of steps for the hike being average. I also tested the Watch SE for walks on the treadmill. The margin of error was within 0.03 miles, which is pretty good over a 2.5 mile walk.

Read our Apple Watch Series 6 review (coming soon!) For a detailed look at the fitness features of the Apple Watch SE.

Smartwatch functions

The Apple Watch SE offers numerous smartwatch functions. It contains all of the basic behaviors you’d expect from a modern smartwatch.

First and perhaps most important: apps. If there’s one thing the Apple Watch SE does well, it’s apps. Apple has an entire app store just for its smartwatches, and developers have actually filled it with wrist-sized versions of their smartphone apps. For example, I can use the Starbucks app to pay for coffee, the United app to scan my boarding pass, or I can use the Spotify app to control my playlists or the CNN app to check the check latest headlines.

Apple has also stuffed a variety of its own apps on board the watch. Smartwatch basics like calendar, messaging, stopwatch and compass are on board, as are useful things like the camera shutter button, Apple Maps and Apple’s Memoji app.

Lastly, there’s a new service called Family Setup. As long as you buy an LTE version of the Apple Watch SE and have an iPhone, you can set up multiple watches for the family. Think of it as the easiest way to give your child a phone and smartwatch combo. Since the watch has LTE (this service doesn’t only work with GPS watches), it can send / receive messages and phone calls, as well as connect to the App Store to discover apps. However, we couldn’t test this because we don’t have an LTE-enabled Apple Watch.

More: The best smartwatches you can buy

If there’s one other watchmaker behind Apple it’s the apps and the overall smartwatch experience.

Apple Watch SE evaluation: price and competition

• Apple Watch SE GPS: 40mm – $ 279
• Apple Watch SE GPS: 44mm – $ 309
• Apple Watch SE LTE: 40mm – $ 329
• Apple Watch SE LTE: 44mm – $ 359

Depending on the series and options you choose, you can spend as little as $ 199 on an Apple Watch or up to $ 1,249. The base prices are pretty simple. The Series 3, which is now the “budget” of the Apple Watch, costs $ 199 while the SE starts at $ 279 and the Series 6 starts at $ 399. Adding LTE, jumping to the bigger screen, or using a stainless steel strap will set you back more.

Unless you’re on the strictest budget, Series 3 can be safely ignored. That $ 80 difference between the Series 3 and the SE really isn’t too much to ask for a dramatic improvement in features like the processor and display. The 6 Series gives you a lot of advanced features, but many of them, like the EKG and SpO2, are not overlooked by anyone but the most dedicated fitness fanatic.

In other words, the Apple Watch SE has become the Goldilocks option because it strikes the right balance between price and features.

If the Apple ecosystem in general, and the Apple Watch in particular, isn’t for you, options are yours.

Apple Watch SE review: the verdict

The Apple Watch SE is easy to wear. It is characterized by the basics like fitness and ease of use. It also lacks some serious features such as advanced sleep tracking, as well as the electrocardiogram and 6 series blood oxygen sensors.

The SE is a definite and worthwhile step up from the affordable Series 3. It offers just enough functionality to be worth the extra cash. On the other side of the same coin, it’s better value than the $ 399 Series 6. While the Series 6 does a better job on some things, for the casual user it’s not necessarily worth the extra batter.

At $ 279, the Apple Watch SE is a good buy.

Next: Fitbit Sense review