Apple added two new smartwatches to its product lineup: the flagship Apple Watch Series 6 and the more affordable Apple Watch SE. The Series 6 starts at $399 for the GPS-only model, while the SE starts at $279. The GPS-only Series 3 remains on sale for just $199 as another budget-friendly option, but let's take a closer look at the new Series 6 and SE to see how they stack up and help you decide which one best meets your needs and budget.
Display
The Apple Watch SE boasts many of the same design elements as the Series 6, including 40mm and 44mm case sizes and a 368-by-448 display. Apple says the display offers 30 percent more real estate than the Series 3.
That said, the Series 6 offers a major advantage in the form of an always-on display. Apple first added this feature in the Series 5, and it allows you to see the time, workout stats, and other information at a glance, without having to constantly flick your wrist to activate the screen.
In testing the Series 5, we found that the always-on display makes a tremendous difference in terms of user experience, but it drains battery faster. Still, it's a nice feature to have and makes the Apple Watch feel like more of, well, a watch.
Health and Safety
The Apple Watch SE offers key healthy and safety features like fall detection, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm alerts, Emergency SOS so you can easily call for help, international emergency calling, and the Noise app, which can send you an alert when the decibel level of the surrounding area can cause hearing damage. It also features a compass and the same always-on altimeter as the Series 6. With it, you're able to see the elevation change in real time on your watch face when hiking.
The Series 6 takes things a step further, with the ability to take an electrocardiogram ECG from your wrist, as well as a new sensor that can measure the oxygen saturation of your blood, also known as SpO2. The SpO2 sensor essentially shines light into your skin and measures the color of your blood, which indicates the amount of oxygen present. The watch can calculate your SpO2 level in 15 seconds, any time you want. The sensor also captures periodic background measurements when you're sleeping and inactive.
Battery Life
Both watches feature built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries offering up to 18 hours of juice on a charge, the same battery life as the Series 5.
When Apple announced watchOS 7 with sleep tracking, we hoped it was an indication that it would beef up the battery life on its latest wearable. After all, you need more than 18 hours of battery life if you're going to wear the watch all day before tracking your sleep at night. On the plus side, Apple says the Series 6 should drain less battery compared with the Series 5 when tracking certain workouts like indoor and outdoor runs.
Also keep in mind that neither the Series 6 nor the SE come with a USB power adapter. Apple says it made that decision to help the environment, and it will have the same impact as eliminating 50,000 cars from the roads per year. It also means you'll have to supply your own USB power source.
Colors and Finishes
While the SE model is only available in aluminum, the Series 6 also comes in stainless steel and titanium. As for colors, the SE comes in three: gold, silver, and space gray.
The aluminum Series 6 is available in blue, gold, red, silver, and space gray; the stainless steel model comes in gold, a new grayish-black color called graphite, and silver; and the titanium model comes in natural titanium and space black.
Apple also introduced new band styles, including a lightweight, stretchy Solo Loop that doesn't feature a clasp or buckle, and a Leather Link band that attaches with magnets.
Which Apple Watch Should You Buy?
The Apple Watch Series 6 is the model to get if money is no object and you're looking for an always-on display and advanced health tracking. But for $120 less, the Apple Watch SE looks like a strong competitor. We're looking forward to getting them in for testing and seeing how they stack up against each other, as well as the Series 3, so check back soon.