Which Apple Watch should you buy? – Cult of Mac

Confused about which Apple Watch to buy? With Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE currently vying for your wallet’s attention, it all depends on what you want out of a smartwatch — and how much you’re willing to pay.

This buying guide breaks down what each Apple Watch does best, helping you match your needs (and budget) with the right device, whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, an outdoor adventurer or simply looking for a reliable, everyday smartwatch.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Which Apple Watch to buy: Series 10 vs. Ultra 2 vs. SE 2

Apple released the original Apple Watch in 2015, calling it an “incredibly accurate timepiece, an intimate and immediate communication device and a groundbreaking health and fitness companion.” Apple also focused on the smartwatch’s fashion potential, releasing numerous customizable watch faces and selling a variety of colorful Apple Watch bands.

Since then, Apple added new health-oriented sensors and added new features via upgrades to the Apple Watch’s operating system: watchOS. The current Apple Watch lineup consists of three models: the high-end Apple Watch Ultra 2, aimed at endurance athletes; the midrange Apple Watch Series 10; and the second-gen Apple Watch SE, an entry-level model with stripped-down features.

Any of these Apple Watches can serve as your workout companion or even save your life in an emergency. But they all have their pros and cons. Rest assured, you don’t need to buy the best or most expensive Apple Watch available to take advantage of the wearable’s revolutionary health and fitness features.

Buy the Apple Watch Series 10 if…

For most everyday users, the Apple Watch Series 10 hits the sweet spot. With a slimmer design and bigger display, it packs almost all the features you want. This includes 50m water resistance, so you can wear the watch while diving in the ocean. The temperature sensor and depth gauge will help you keep track of your depth while snorkeling.

In our Apple Watch Series 10 review, we called it “larger, thinner, lighter and more lushly curvaceous than predecessors.”

As for health tracking, Series 10 supports ECG, low/high heart rate notifications, irregular heartbeat rhythm notifications, automatic sleep tracking with sleep apnea detection and menstrual cycle tracking.

The only missing feature? Blood oxygen monitoring, which appeared in some previous models. That’s because of Apple’s ongoing patent dispute with Masimo. A 2023 ruling by the International Trade Commission found Apple infringed upon a Masimo patent — and banned U.S. sales of Apple Watches with the feature.

Safety features that could save your skin

Like the iPhone, the Apple Watch packs several safety features: Emergency SOS, Crash Detection, Fall Detection, Noise monitoring and Backtrack, a feature that lets you retrace your steps if you become lost. You can even use it to unlock certain cars and smart home accessories.

The Apple Watch Series 10 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes. Both variants house a display that can hit a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. Plus, it will appear 40% brighter than its predecessors when viewed at an angle. You will need to charge the Apple Watch Series 10 daily, as it delivers just 18 hours of runtime with normal use.

However, thanks to fast charge support, you can top up the Apple Watch Series 10 battery enough to get eight hours of use in just 15 minutes. And a 30-minute charge will juice up the battery to 80%.

The S10 SiP and 4-core Neural Engine enable on-device processing of selected Siri commands and smooth system performance.

Pricing for the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for the smaller size with GPS. The cellular model costs an extra $100. It comes in three finishes: rose gold, silver and jet black. Those willing to spend more can opt for a more expensive titanium casing with a durable sapphire crystal cover glass for $699. Thanks to frequent discounts, the Apple Watch Series 10 usually sells for less than its MSRP.

Apple Watch Series 10 [GPS, 42mm]

The Apple Watch Series 10 sports a sleek new design with a slimmer chassis, a bigger display and a faster chip. The build quality is also better than before.

Pros:

• Sleek, stunning design
• Bright display
• Fast charging

Cons:

• Battery life does not last 24 hours.

Buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2 if …

Want an Apple Watch that handles rough environments and offers multiday battery life? A companion to help you on your hikes and trails? Or one that can act as a scuba diving computer? Maybe you prefer a watch with a beefier design that looks more like an expensive timepiece than a tech accessory. Or perhaps you just want the maximum battery life from your smartwatch.

If any or all of those ring true, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the right fit for you.

It features a more durable 49mm titanium chassis with a sapphire crystal display that can better withstand rough terrain, dings and scuffs. Plus, its display can hit a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. This ensures you can see everything on-screen even in direct sunlight.

The watch’s customizable Action button comes in handy for quickly starting a workout (and for marking a segment or jumping to the next interval).

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also shines when it comes to battery life, which proves great for endurance athletes and desk jockeys alike. It lasts twice as long as the Apple Watch Series 10, with up to 36 hours of battery life in normal use. You can extend that to 72 hours using Low Power mode. Plus, endurance athletes can use Low Power mode to track outdoor workouts for up to 17 hours continuously.

Its bigger battery comes at the expense of slower charging speeds. It takes an hour to top up the battery to 80% — twice as long as the Series 10.

Works for scuba diving and other adventure sports

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers water resistance up to 100 meters and meets the EN13319 standard — an internationally recognized certification for diving accessories.

With the Oceanic+ app, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can act as a dive computer. It can display No Dec (no-decompression) time, dive conditions, and more. It can even provide haptic feedback underwater through a thick wetsuit.

For runners, the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s automatic track detection improves the accuracy of your pace, route, map and distance Dual-frequency GPS provides greater precision in challenging terrains for improved accuracy.

Apple did not give the Ultra 2 any meaningful upgrades in 2024 — it only launched a new titanium black color. Due to this, the Ultra smartwatch uses an older S9 system-in-package (SiP). There’s not much of a performance gap between the S9 and the Apple Watch Series 10’s S10 SiP, though.

Everything in Apple Watch Series 10 and more

From a health-tracking perspective, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 packs all the features you get with its non-Ultra sibling. It also houses dual speakers, which can emit a siren sound at up to 86 dB. A three-microphone array supports beamforming and reduces wind noise.

Available in natural or black titanium, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799. It ships in only one size and connectivity option: a 49mm casing with LTE capability.

You can go through our Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 comparison for a more in-depth comparison on which would be a better buy.

“Satin black”

Apple Watch Ultra 2 [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Smartwatch

Apple’s rugged wearable features a Black Titanium Case with Black Trail Loop in size M/L. Includes fitness tracker, Precision GPS and Action button.

Pros:

• Sleek black titanium finish
• Up to 3,000 nits of brightness
• Precision GPS

Cons:

• Expensive
• Large case might not suit all wrists

Buy the Apple Watch SE 2 if …

The Apple Watch SE is a great pick for people on a tight budget who want a smartwatch with basic health-tracking features. It also works great if you want to give an Apple Watch to your kid. It can track your heart rate and sleep cycle, and nudge you to move around to close your activity goal for the day.

To reach its lower price, the second-gen Apple Watch SE skips advanced health and safety features of more expensive models, such as ECG and sleep apnea notifications. However, it covers the basics with irregular heart rate notifications, crash and fall detection, and Emergency SOS.

Cutting some corners for a lower price

Unlike its more expensive siblings, the Apple Watch SE packs a smaller display with chunkier bezels and a maximum peak brightness of only 1,000 nits. It also uses an older S8 SiP with a two-core Neural engine. On the bright side, Apple rates the watch’s aluminum body as water resistant up to 50 meters, making it suitable for tracking swimming sessions.

Apple says the Apple Watch SE can provide up to 18 hours of runtime in normal use — the same as the Apple Watch Series 10. However, expect a few hours less in daily use. More importantly, there’s no fast charging, so the watch takes about 1.5 hours to charge from zero to 80%.

The Apple Watch SE comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with prices starting at $249. An extra $50 will get you the cellular variant.

Affordable smartwatch

Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS 44mm]

Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) is an amazing value, with features to help you keep motivated and active, keep connected and track your health with enhanced workout metrics. Plus, stay safe with Fall Detection and Crash Detection.

Pros:

• Good budget smartwatch
• All basic health features provided

Pro tip: Consider buying used or refurbished

Don’t frown on the idea of buying a used (or renewed) Apple Watch. The main advantage of this approach: You can find an older Apple Watch Series 8 or 9 with full blood oxygen tracking support intact.

Older models look practically the same as the Apple Watch Series 10. As long as you buy at least an Apple Watch Series 5, you will benefit from an always-on display (a definite upgrade over older models). Another bonus: You can find a wider variety of colors in older versions, including blue, green and red.

As you would expect, second-hand or refurbished Apple Watch models typically prove significantly cheaper than buying a new one. You often can find an Apple Watch Series 9 — with more sensors and an always-on display — for the price of a new Apple Watch SE. And you can find older ones at even better prices.

Apple Watch comparison chart

Apple Watch and iPhone: A fantastic combo

If you’re still wondering which Apple Watch to buy, rest assured that there’s really no terrible choice. No matter which Apple Watch you choose, you’re guaranteed a great experience.

Aside from health tracking and safety features, the Apple Watch will mirror your iPhone‘s notifications and act as a companion device, helping reduce your unwanted screen time. Wearing an Apple Watch proves surprisingly useful for many common tasks, including many you might not have considered.