Best Apple Smart Watches

We’ve been testing the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) for a few weeks now, and we’re impressed by how much it offers at its price point. This smartwatch packs in most of the key features you’d want, without the premium price tag of higher-end models.

The watch feels light and comfortable on our wrists. We love how easy it is to swap out bands to match our outfits or activities. The screen is bright and responsive, though we do miss having an always-on display sometimes.

For fitness tracking, the SE does a great job. We found the workout detection to be quick and accurate. The heart rate monitor seems spot-on when we compared it to other devices. While it lacks some advanced health sensors, we think most users won’t miss them.

We really appreciate the safety features like Fall Detection and Emergency SOS. They give us peace of mind, especially for older family members. The new Crash Detection is a welcome addition too, though we (thankfully) haven’t had to test it in real-world conditions.

Battery life is decent but not amazing. We typically get about a day and a half of use before needing to charge. It’s enough for sleep tracking if you top up the battery before bed.

The integration with iPhone is seamless. We love being able to respond to texts, take calls, and control our music right from our wrists. The ability to use Apple Pay is super handy too.

We’ve been testing the Apple Watch Series 9 for a few weeks now, and we’re impressed with its performance. The new S9 chip makes everything feel snappy and responsive. The display is super bright, making it easy to read outdoors. We really like the new double-tap gesture for quick actions without touching the screen.

The health features on this watch are top-notch. We found the heart rate monitoring to be accurate during workouts. The ECG app is a nice addition for those concerned about heart health. Sleep tracking has improved, giving more detailed info about sleep stages. The watch even tracks temperature changes, which can be useful for cycle tracking.

Fitness enthusiasts will love the Workout app. It offers a wide range of activities and provides detailed metrics. We enjoyed using it for runs and strength training. The three months of free Apple Fitness+ is a nice bonus to explore different workout types.

The watch’s safety features give us peace of mind. Fall Detection and Crash Detection could be lifesavers in emergencies. We tested the Emergency SOS feature (without actually calling emergency services), and it’s easy to use if needed.

One downside we noticed is battery life. With heavy use, we sometimes needed to charge before the end of the day. It’s also worth noting that the blood oxygen app isn’t available due to legal reasons in the US.

Despite a few minor drawbacks, we think the Apple Watch Series 9 is an excellent choice for iPhone users looking for a powerful, feature-rich smartwatch. Its health tracking, fitness capabilities, and seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem make it a standout option in the smartwatch market.

The Apple Watch Series 5 impressed us with its big, bright screen that stays on all the time. We loved being able to glance at the time without having to raise our wrist or tap the display. The watch face is easy to read in all lighting conditions.

We found the heart rate monitoring to be accurate during our workouts. The ECG feature gave us peace of mind, though we suggest talking to a doctor for real health concerns. Fall detection is a nice safety net, especially for older users or those with medical conditions.

The cellular feature let us leave our phone behind on runs and still stay connected. We could make calls, send texts, and stream music right from our wrist. The speaker is loud and clear, making it easy to take quick calls. Battery life lasted us about a day with normal use, but heavy cellular use drained it faster. We had to charge it nightly, which might be a pain for some users.

The Apple Watch Series 4 impressed us with its redesigned look and bigger screen. We found the larger display made it much easier to read notifications and navigate apps. The digital crown now has haptic feedback, which gave us a nice tactile response when scrolling.

We really liked the new health features. The electrical heart sensor let us take ECG readings right from our wrist. It felt like having a mini doctor on call. The fall detection was also reassuring, especially for older users or those with health concerns.

During our tests, the watch tracked our workouts accurately. We enjoyed the new yoga and hiking workouts. The speaker is noticeably louder than previous models, which came in handy for phone calls and using Siri. While the battery life wasn’t amazing, it usually got us through a full day of normal use.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a beast of a smartwatch. We took it on a week-long hiking trip and were blown away by its toughness and battery life. The titanium case shrugged off bumps and scrapes, and we only had to charge it twice during the entire trip.

The big, bright display is easy to read in direct sunlight. We loved using the new custom workouts feature for our trail runs. It let us set up intervals with warm-ups and cool-downs, which really helped with our training. The compass and backtrack features came in handy when we went off-trail.

For swimmers and divers, this watch is a game-changer. We tested it in the pool and ocean, and it tracked our laps and strokes accurately. The depth gauge and water temperature sensors are cool features for snorkeling or diving. While it’s pricey, we think the Ultra 2 is worth it for athletes and adventurers who will use its advanced features.

We’ve been testing the Apple Watch Series 8, and it’s impressed us with its range of features. The bright, always-on display is a standout, making it easy to check the time or your notifications at a glance. We found the health tracking features to be top-notch, with the ability to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and even take an ECG.

The new temperature sensing feature is a nice addition, especially for women’s health tracking. We also liked the workout app, which gave us detailed metrics about our exercise performance. The watch feels durable too – we wore it while swimming and it held up great.

One thing to note is the battery life. While it usually lasted us a full day, heavy users might need to charge it more often. We loved how it seamlessly connected with our other Apple devices, making it easy to unlock our Macs or find our misplaced iPhones. The wide range of bands and watch faces let us customize it to our style. If you’re an iPhone user looking for a feature-packed smartwatch, we think the Series 8 is a great choice.

We’ve been testing the Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) for a few weeks now, and we’re impressed by its performance. It’s a great option for anyone who wants core smartwatch features without breaking the bank.

The watch feels smooth and responsive in daily use. We found the fitness tracking to be accurate, and the workout app offers a wide range of activities to choose from. The sleep tracking feature has been helpful in understanding our sleep patterns.

We love how easily it connects with our iPhones. Getting notifications, answering calls, and using Siri right from our wrist is super handy. The Fall Detection and Emergency SOS features add an extra layer of safety that we appreciate.

While it lacks some advanced health sensors found in pricier models, we don’t think most users will miss them. The battery typically lasts us about a day and a half, which is okay but not great. We wish it had an always-on display, but this isn’t a deal-breaker given its price point.

The Apple Watch Series 10 impressed us with its larger display. We found it easier to read notifications and track our workouts at a glance. The watch felt lighter on our wrist compared to older models, making it comfy for all-day wear.

We really liked the health features. Taking an ECG was simple, and the watch alerted us to unusual heart rhythms. The sleep tracking was spot-on, matching how we felt each morning. We even got a heads up about possible sleep apnea, which prompted a chat with our doctor.

Fitness buffs will love this watch. It tracked our runs, swims, and gym sessions with great accuracy. The new training load feature helped us avoid overdoing it. We also enjoyed the three free months of Apple Fitness+, which added variety to our home workouts.

The Series 10 kept us connected without needing to pull out our phone. Texts, calls, and Siri worked smoothly. We felt safer knowing about the fall and crash detection features, though luckily we didn’t need to use them.

Battery life was okay, lasting about a day with normal use. The fast charging was a lifesaver, getting us back up to 80% in just half an hour. While it’s not cheap, we think the Apple Watch Series 10 is worth it for iPhone users who want a top-notch smartwatch with great health and fitness features.

The Apple Watch SE packs a lot of features into an affordable package. We loved the big, bright screen that was easy to read even in sunlight. Swiping and tapping felt smooth and responsive as we navigated apps and notifications.

Phone-free cellular connectivity came in handy on our runs. We could stream music, make calls, and send texts without lugging our phone along. The fitness tracking impressed us too. It accurately logged our workouts and activity levels throughout the day.

While it lacks some premium health features, we didn’t miss them much in daily use. The SE still tracks sleep, heart rate, and can detect falls. Battery life was decent but not amazing – we had to charge it nightly with heavy use. For the price though, this watch offers tremendous value and core Apple Watch functionality.

The Apple Watch Series 7 caught our eye with its bigger screen. We found the extra space made a real difference when reading messages or checking our workout stats. The brighter display was a plus too – it was easy to see even in bright sunlight.

We put the watch through its paces during our tests. The crack-resistant crystal held up well against bumps and scrapes. We also appreciated the dust and water resistance. We swam laps and took it on a dusty hike without any issues.

The fitness tracking features impressed us. We tried out the new tai chi and pilates workouts, which were fun additions to the usual options. The auto-detect for bike rides worked well too. It started tracking as soon as we began pedaling.

We liked the health features, especially the ECG and blood oxygen sensors. They gave us useful insights into our overall health. The sleep tracking was helpful, though we wished the battery lasted longer than 18 hours.

The fast charging was a nice surprise. We got a full charge in about an hour, which was handy on busy days. While it’s not cheap, we think the Apple Watch Series 7 offers good value for its features and build quality.