Editor’s note: Black Friday doesn’t officially happen until Friday, November 28. However, if you want to shop ahead of time, we’ve rounded up some early Black Friday deals that you can grab already.
If you have an iPhone, Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for you. But it was just one The Apple Watch when the smartwatch launched in 2015. A decade later, you’ve got 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 the good news: I’ve tested every Apple Watch since the Series 2 and can point you in the right direction.
What are we looking for?
Apple watches do a lot of things, from tracking your health and fitness to fielding notifications. As with other wearables, we do a mix of empirical testing and benchmarking throughout the year. So while we can’t mess around under a flight of stairs, we’ll note if the walk triggers trip organically while detecting a fall. (Or not.) We also check how sleep tracking, heart rate, and GP compare to long-term control devices, like the OriRing or Garmin. We’ll also note how the various Apple Watch models compare to each other on factors such as durability, performance and battery life.
We’re not going to recommend the Apple Watch Ultra for a couch potato — unless you want the best battery life possible. 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 the Apple Watch by buying refurbished, especially since there usually aren’t a ton of changes from year to year.
Do you want to shell out extra for LTE? Which models have which sensors, and how does it apply to you?
Some scenarios call for you to buy a cellular model, others you can get away with just being GPS.
Best Apple Watch for most people
$199
good
- We always get a display eventually
- We get double tap and wrist flick!
- Lots of health features!
- 5 g!
- Fast charging!
- More durable!
- On-device Siri!
- Upgraded processor
- You also get a speaker
bad
- Those bezels are still THICC
- Wish the battery life was a squish better
Size: 40mm, 44mm/ Weight: 26.3g (40mm), 32.9g (44mm) / Battery life: Up to 18 hours/ Display Type: Always On LTP OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, Plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou/ contact: 5G (Optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music Storage: 64 GB
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is an incredible value. So much so, there isn’t that much difference between this entry-level watch and the more advanced Series 11. There’s now 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 additional health features thanks to a new wrist temperature sensor. For people who are in relatively good health, you don’t necessarily need advanced health features like blood oxygen or EKGs to detect AFIB. The SE 3 still gets you the basics like heart rate abnormality notifications, a new sleep score, and sleep apnea notifications.
Aside from health, you’ve only really given up on aesthetics. The SE 3 has a thicker bezel, and I wish the battery life was a little longer. Still, I had zero fomo while testing this watch alongside 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
Apple’s best watch for health monitoring
$339
good
- Slightly better battery life
- 5G connectivity
- FDA-cleared high blood pressure reports
bad
- It’s not “bad”, but the most interesting updates are in WatchOS 26 and older watches are coming 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 LTP OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, Plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou/ contact: 5G (Optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water Resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music Storage: 64 GB
While I maintain it’s the best for most people, if health monitoring is your primary focus, the Series 11 has a slight edge. It’s got all the advanced sensors that enable AFIB monitoring, and the large battery is a bonus if the sleep tracking and sleep deprivation features appeal to you. Apple has also added FDA-cleared high blood pressure notifications, which the SE 3 doesn’t have. Its slim profile and large display are other reasons I recommend the Series 11 to anyone buying an Apple Watch for parents.
But if you’re looking to save some moolah, I recommend hunting down a Series 10 while it’s still in stock. The Series 10 and 11 are almost identical watches, with the latter’s major hardware upgrade being 5G connectivity and minor bumps in battery life.
Read my Apple Watch Series 11 review
That said, the blood oxygen feature is not such an important feature anyone Wearable right now. Many either have spot check features or passively track your Spo2 overnight and give you an average in the morning. They cannot and do not replace finger pulse oximeters.
Apple’s best watch for athletes
$780
good
- Even longer battery life
- Big display, thin bezels
- Satellite and 5G connectivity
bad
- Most people likely won’t notice an improvement over 5G or satellite
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 LTP OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, Plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou/ contact: 5G (Optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi/ Water Resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music Storage: 64 GB
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is more than enough for everyday life. Its extra durability, bright screen, siren, and action buttons are perfect for people with active lifestyles. I’m talking frequent hikes, outdoor runs, recreational diving, and all that jazz. you don’t is To be a gamer to enjoy the Ultra—I know a lot of tech dads in particular who love this watch for its extra-long battery life and larger display. (For both reasons Also The Ultra has been used as my daily driver for the past two years.) The black model also looks sick.
As with the series watches, I’ll be looking for the Ultra 2 models on sale 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 think you’ll find value in the satellite’s new connectivity feature. I’ve been on more than one hike in New Jersey and haven’t found an area without coverage — but if you’re in a rural area where that’s an issue, that’s a good 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 LTP OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, Plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou/ contact: 5G (Optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music Storage: 64 GB
Unless there are obvious health issues, your kids don’t need the advanced health tracking of the Series 11, nor do they need the larger design of the Ultra 3. An SE3 is more than enough for keeping tabs and staying in touch. Plus, if you’re buying for a small, fussy child, the SE 3 comes in the smallest size. And It won’t burn such a big hole in your wallet if it breaks. But if you’re not yet keen on giving your child their own iPhone, make sure you get a cellular model so you can take advantage of it. Apple Watch for your kids Setup feature.
Read my review of the Apple Watch SE 3
Now that the fall iPhone event is over, it’s time to hunt down those Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales deals. This is the time of year where you can usually find great deals on last year’s inventory if you’re looking to save some money.
Otherwise, Apple refreshes its smartwatches once a year. The next big update to look forward to might be what’s in store for the next iteration of Watches at WWDC in June.
Update, November 26: The latest picks, availability, and pricing, as well as the format of this article. Updated the Blood Oxygen Monitoring sidebar as well as what’s coming next.