Best Apple Watch 2024: from basics to brilliance

Welcome to my guide on all things Apple Watch! In this guide, I'm not just giving you a laundry list of Cupertino's best smartwatches. Instead, I'm here to break down the key points, compare features, and ensure you're armed with all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Grab a seat, take a deep breath, and let's embark on this journey through the world of Apple Watches. I promise to keep the jargon to a minimum and guide you through every step of the way. Let's find your perfect wrist companion, shall we?

Currently, the best Apple Watch you can buy is the Series 9, thanks to its fast processor, bright display and unique features (e.g. Double Tap). The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only misses out on the top spot due to its more premium pricing and large size, which limits its usefulness slightly (compared to the Series 9). If you want the latest and greatest, check out the Series 10 in third position.

Best Apple Watch to buy right now

Apple Watch Series 9

The Apple Watch Series 9 is the best Apple Watch right now. It has a brighter display, a faster microchip, gesture control, and offline Siri, making it a more competent wearable than the Series 8. Better still, it's even carbon-neutral certified in some strap and case material combinations.

From a physical appearance point of view, the Series 9 is very similar to the Series 8 and the Series 7 and comes in two case sizes, 41mm and 45mm. As usual, you can choose between LTE and non-LTE models, as well as aluminium and stainless steel case options. Straps are aplenty, both via Apple and third-party retailers.

What sets the Series 9 apart from the rest of the Apple Watches is the new processor, which makes the smartwatch perform tasks blisteringly fast. The Ultrawide Band microchip is also responsible for the Series 9's offline Siri and gesture control ability. It is truly a game-changer technology!

If you have a Series 6 or an even older model, we recommend getting the Series 9. It's a brilliant smartwatch.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 9 review.

How does the Series 9 compare to other top wearables? Find out here: Apple Watch Series 9 vs Google Pixel Watch 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 vs Garmin Venu 3.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

The second iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra is powered by the same Ultrawide Chip that makes the Series 9 our top choice. However, the Ultra 2 adds a rugged case, slaps a huge, extremely bright display on it, and crams in a ton of performance-ready features to make it the ultimate outdoor watch on Apple's stable.

The reason why it isn't our top choice for the best Apple Watch is that it hasn't got the mass appeal of the Series 9. Sure, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is better than the Series 9 in every conceivable way, but it only comes in one size, is more expensive, and offers features only outdoor types will appreciate.

That said, some of these features are seriously impressive. The Ultra 2 has a freediving mode (the Ultra could only track scuba diving), and the operating altitude has also increased significantly. Plus, the Ultra 2 has the brightest ever Apple Watch display with a 3,000-nit maximum brightness.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.

Apple Watch Series 10

The Apple Watch Series 10 introduces a slimmer design, a larger and more vibrant display, and faster charging compared to its predecessors. It also includes new features like sleep apnea detection and voice isolation for clearer calls.

While these enhancements add value, battery life remains unchanged, which may disappoint those seeking longer use between charges. Compared to the Series 9, the changes are mainly incremental, focusing on aesthetics and minor functionality updates rather than significant boosts in user experience.

Although the Series 10 has a new depth gauge and water temperature sensor, it can't quite reproduce the Ultra 2's diving capabilities. However, it certainly feels more at home in the water!

The return of titanium as a case option adds to the Series 10's premium feel, and the display's improved visibility from different angles is a welcome upgrade. However, for Series 9 users, the enhancements may not be compelling enough to warrant an immediate switch.

The Series 10 is ideal for new Apple Watch buyers looking for a stylish and feature-packed smartwatch, but for current Series 9 or Ultra 2 users, the improvements may feel too subtle to justify an upgrade.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 10 review.

Apple Watch SE (2022)

The Apple Watch SE (2022) is a fantastic little wearable. It might not change things up drastically from the original Apple Watch SE, but there are some upgrades, both hardware and software, which make the second iteration of Apple's affordable wearable all the more appealing.

And it is actually cheaper than its predecessor while providing more features – pretty good! If you crave that Apple Watch feeling but can't justify the price of the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8 or Series 9, the Apple Watch SE (2022) offers an excellent alternative for not a lot of money.

Better still, the SE range is on a by-yearly release cadence, meaning your watch won't go out of date quite as quickly as other Apple Watches, so to speak, slower. Plus, Apple tends to support their wearables with software updates years after their release, which should give people more peace of mind.

Read our full Apple Watch SE 2 review.

Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 boasts a 20% larger screen compared to its predecessor, achieved by shrinking the bezels to 1.7mm, enhancing its edge-to-edge display. This larger screen includes a QWERTY keyboard, improving message responses directly from the watch. The Always-On display is 70% brighter, making it more readable in various lighting conditions.

The new USB-C connector makes charging 33% faster, and the watch is dust-proof with an IP6X rating. It features the S7 chip with minimal performance improvements over the Apple Watch Series 6. The health features include heart rate monitoring, ECG, and blood oxygen sensors, useful for tracking fitness and detecting health issues.

The watchOS software remains highly capable, delivering notifications selectively and allowing for quick responses. Siri integration provides hands-free control. Health and fitness tracking is robust, though hardcore fitness enthusiasts may find it basic. Sleep tracking is present but limited in analysis.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 7 review.

Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 is a decent iteration of the Series 7 and adds some new features to the ever-expanding function portfolio of the mainline Apple Watch series. Thes include crash detection, medication logging, and Afib history – most of them are niche and doesn't really impact the everyday user experience.

The best thing about the Series 8 is the improved health and fitness features. It can be used for tracking sleep just as well as dedicated sleep trackers, and the new-and-improved workout metrics and views bring the watch ever so close to being used for running training. It has Track Running and Triathlon workout modes!

Should you buy the Apple Watch Series 8? If you have the Series 7, the answer is no. If you have any other Apple Watch or any other wearable in general, we'd recommend at least entertaining the idea of investing in Apple's latest non-rugged wearable. It's a premium smartwatch experience like no other.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 8 review.

Find out what the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 8 are here: Apple Watch Series 9 vs Apple Watch Series 8.

Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch Ultra was a landmark wearable for Apple. It was the largest Apple Watch to date and also the one with the longest battery life. Granted, the latter is only 36 hours, but that's twice as long as the battery life of mainline Apple Watches.

The Ultra features a titanium case, a large AMOLED screen with a 2,000-nit maximum brightness, a dedicated scuba diving mode, and unique training options (e.g., Precision Start). The smartwatch also has a superb GPS and offers some outdoor-ready features.

Like its successor, the Apple Watch Ultra caters for a niche market than the Series 8; the watch launched alongside it. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but those who like the look and feel of rugged wearables such as the Garmin Fenix or Epix watches might want to check out the Ultra.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra review.

Apple Watch Series 6

The Apple Watch Series 6 takes everything that was great about the Series 5 – stylish looks, great fitness features, potentially life-saving health tools, slick notifications and apps – and manages to improve on it. If you already have the Apple Watch Series 5, however, you can feel free to skip this model and go straight for the Series 7.

So what do you get in the Apple Watch Series 6? For a start, four colourways: graphite stainless steel, (PRODUCT) RED aluminium, gold stainless steel, and the blue aluminium that we reviewed. Then, in terms of features, you’ve got a blood oxygen monitoring option – otherwise known as SpO2 tech. This makes use of a new red light sensor that monitors the colour of the blood being reflected back and, thus, the level of oxygen in it.

The Series 6 also boasts Apple’s sixth-generation S6 chip, which unlocks a bunch of performance features. It's 20% faster than that in the Series 5 watch, bringing a 2.5x boost in always-on display brightness in daylight and an 18-hour battery, even with the demands of nightly SpO2 readings.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 6 review.

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is a truly excellent smartwatch; there's no doubt about it. Where Apple has cut back for the more budget price, you won't notice it significantly in general use. It feels like a full Apple Watch experience, with all the advantages that bring in convenience, fitness tracking, and health and safety features… for iPhone users. As ever, Android users need not apply.

If you're looking at your first Apple Watch, we recommend the SE. For those who can spend the extra over the cost of the Apple Watch Series 3, you'll be very glad you did—it's better in every way, from screen to design to sensors to being more future-proofed thanks to its faster processor.

It's also important to note that these translate into better health features, including more accurate heart sensing (important for detecting irregularities) and fall detection, which the Series 3 doesn't have.

If you're looking at upgrading an older Watch, the SE makes a great replacement for anything from the Series 3 (especially if you bought it at launch) or earlier. Though the core of the experience is the same, we think it will still feel like a worthy upgrade, thanks to all the things we mentioned above.

Read our full Apple Watch SE review.

Apple Watch Series 7 Nike+ Edition

The Nike edition of the Apple Watch Series 7 has all the standard Series 7 software features, including the sports and health ones, but is a sporty iteration designed for gym enthusiasts and athletes. The big differences are the straps, exclusive Nike branding and watch faces

The Watch is described as 'the perfect running partner' for the Nike Run Club app, and the Nike Training Club app is optimised for the watch, too. They include all the usual tracking features as well as a new audio-guided run every week with a curated soundtrack and 'custom cheers', while the training app has over 180 free workouts and notifications to provide workout recommendations to close your 'Exercise ring' (the colourful tracker) for the day. There are also special Nike watch face designs

The Nike Bounce watch face is new for this Series 7 Nike watch and can't be used on any other Apple Watch model. This makes it a little bit special, and it's actually pretty cool – the numbers wobble as you move your wrist or touch the screen. The Other Nike faces are great, too, if you plan to exercise regularly while wearing the watch.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 7 Nike+ Edition review.

How we test the best Apple Watch

At the Apple Watch review lab (a.k.a. T3), we're like the timekeepers of tech, meticulously examining each new model to help you make the most bang for your buck decision. Picture us in our lab coats, wielding our Apple Watches like scientific instruments of precision.

During our rigorous testing phase, we're not just swiping left and right on the latest features. Oh no, we're diving deep into everything Apple throws at us – from new health gizmos to fitness modes that make you sweat just thinking about them. And trust me, if it's a fitness feature, we've got our fitness editor breaking a sweat to give it the full workout treatment.

But wait, there's more! We're not just here for the shiny new stuff; we're also putting these watches through the classic smartwatch paces. We're talking display clarity, smartphone connectivity reliability, battery life endurance, and how easy it is to find that crucial piece of info when you're on the go.

Once we've put the watches through their paces, we'll whip up a full review complete with a star rating – because who doesn't love a bit of gold stars, right? And for those who prefer their information short and sweet, we'll toss in a bite-sized review in this guide too.

But our work doesn't stop there. Oh no, we're in it for the long haul. We'll keep wearing these watches day in and day out, putting them through the wringer until the next shiny thing comes along. It's a tough job, but hey, someone's gotta do it.

How to choose the best Apple Watch for you?

When selecting the ideal Apple Watch, it's crucial to assess various aspects tailored to your lifestyle and preferences.

Take a moment to identify your primary requirements. Are you primarily interested in fitness tracking, communication features, or perhaps the overall style and aesthetics of the device? Understanding your needs will help narrow down the options available.

Compatibility is another key consideration. Ensure that the Apple Watch you're eyeing is compatible with your iPhone model. Not all Apple Watches work with every iPhone, so it's essential to verify compatibility to avoid any compatibility issues down the line.

Next, delve into the features offered by different Apple Watch models. Evaluate factors such as display size, materials used in construction (such as aluminium, stainless steel, or titanium), water resistance capabilities, battery life, and additional functionalities like ECG monitoring or blood oxygen monitoring. Assessing these features will help you determine which model best suits your requirements.

Budget is another crucial factor to consider. Determine a budget range that aligns with your financial constraints and expectations. Apple Watch prices can vary significantly depending on the model, materials used, and included features. Establishing a budget beforehand will help you narrow down your options and make a more informed decision.

If possible, try on different Apple Watch models in person. Visit an Apple Store or authorised retailer to assess factors such as comfort, fit, and overall aesthetics. Trying on the device will provide valuable insights into its wearability and help you determine which model feels most comfortable on your wrist.

By considering these factors and conducting thorough research, you can confidently choose the best Apple Watch that meets your needs and preferences.

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