Smartwatches have evolved since the first Apple Watch. More or less. They still look largely the same, battery life is still an issue, and software is often quite limited. Still, they’ve secured their place on many wrists as they offer more fitness and health tools over time. And it’s no surprise that Apple has quickly become a big seller in this area. Most people know what to expect from a good wearable, and while they are growing in popularity, smartwatches are still not mainstream.
The Apple Watch SE is a new, more affordable Apple Watch that comes loaded with features without requiring users to shell out the cash for one. It has the design of the Apple Watch Series 4 with the S5 processor of the Apple Watch Series 5. Conveniently, watchOS 7 is already pre-installed on the device.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]There are no major changes here: The design of the Apple Watch SE is basically the same as all previous Apple Watches. The Apple Watch SE will only be available with an aluminum case, but you can choose between silver, gold, and space gray finishes. Apple sent me the space gray finish, which has a nice, clean look.
The Apple Watch SE has the same display and S5 processor as the Apple Watch 5, which is 30% larger than the Apple Watch 3. However, there is no always-on display option on the SE, as there is on the Apple Watch 6 and Apple Watch 5. The Apple Watch has always been more focused on overall health than a pure fitness device, as Garmin and even Fitbit are to some degree. And that continues with this new, more affordable model.
The Apple Watch SE has the same accelerometer, gyroscope and always-on altimeter as the Series 6, as well as fall detection, noise monitoring, SOS emergency calling and international emergency calling – things the Apple Watch 3 doesn’t offer. With watchOS 7, the SE also gets sleep monitoring, a hand-washing app, and Apple’s new fitness app, which includes new workout presets like core training, functional strength training, cool down, and dancing.
What sets the Apple Watch SE and all other Apple Watches apart are the smartwatch features. Apple has by far the largest app library of any smartwatch, making the SE a true extension of the phone on your wrist. However, if you have a lot of apps installed on the Apple Watch, it takes longer than necessary to find the app you want on the main screen. You can move and group the app icons, but you cannot arrange them differently.