If you have had your eye on an Apple Watch for a while, you’re probably excited to get your hands on the new Apple Watch Series 7, which replaces the Series 6 as the new smartwatch flagship. But, before you hit that buy button and burn a £399 (or more) hole in your pocket, you might want to stop and consider which is the best Apple Watch for you, first.
We get it. It sounds easier to just get the highest model to make sure that you’re getting the best of the best smartwatches around. After all, choosing the right model for you is a tougher decision.
Here’s the thing: just because the Series 7 has the most features, that doesn’t mean that it’s the best value for your money – especially if you don't need those extra features.
How to choose the best Apple Watch for you
As we mentioned before, the latest, greatest, and therefore best Apple Watch is the Apple Watch Series 7. It's currently the most advanced Apple Watch you can buy, with a large screen and faster charging being added to the smartwatch package.
It replaced the Apple Watch Series 6 as the flagship model. If you're not too fussed about the larger screen and faster charging then we think it's well worth considering the Series 6, especially if you can find a discounted one. The Series 6 features a stunning design and a bright always-on display. It wasn't the biggest update over the Series 5, but the small things make a difference.
Apple also still sells the Series 3, and despite looking pretty similar, there are lots of differences between the Series 3 and Series 7 watches - not least the price, as the Apple Watch Series 3 can now be picked up for a very reasonable price, making it one of the very best cheap Apple Watch deals around.
Aesthetically, Series 7, Series 6 and 5 are considered to be better looking. They have larger screens and are thinner, with more metallic colour options, a louder speaker, a ceramic backplate that’s meant to boost reception and the new digital crown with haptic feedback, which is used to navigate the watch's features.
One other big difference is what's inside the watches. The Series 6 and 7 have an S6 64-bit dual-core processor and S7 processor respectively, they're massively faster than the S3 processor in the Series 3 Apple Watch. They also come with second-generation optical heart sensors, an electrical heart sensor and a blood oxygen monitor, allowing it to do a whole lot more health monitoring including ECG tests.
However, there are lots of similarities too, which are worth considering if you are not hell-bent on having the latest model and are looking for extra value for money.
Once you’ve chosen between the available models you’ll need to consider which size of Apple Watch you prefer (there are two choices) and whether you want it to have the ability to make calls via your phone network, as cellular connectivity comes at a price.
The standard GPS Apple Watches are cheaper (although not as cheap as the best cheap smartwatches), while the cellular equivalents are £100 more expensive in all cases. So just what do you get for the money? The ability to make phone calls from your watch, thanks to an electronic SIM card inside the GPS + Cellular models.
As well as the higher price of the watch itself, you'll incur extra running costs for data usage and network fees, so it’s worthwhile thinking about whether you really want this feature.
Personally, we don't think the Celluar model is necessary – it's not worth the extra cost. So, if you’re someone who has their phone with them all the time, you’ll probably want to plump for the cheaper GPS versions and save your pennies.
Last but not least, you’ll want your watch to look good, and there are a lot of decisions to make. The watch’s body comes in aluminium, which is the cheapest option, or stainless steel, with lots of colours and materials to choose from for straps. The most expensive options are made from titanium and there are even offerings from Nike and luxury fashion house Hermès. Read our guide to the best Apple Watch case material.
If you're looking for a smartwatch for a child, then you'll also want to check out our guide to the best smartwatch for kids, and, if you prefer things more traditional, but still like the convenience of a smartwatch, then you can also read our best hybrid smartwatch guide.
The best Apple Watch you can buy today:
In our opinion, the Apple Watch Series 7 remains the best smartwatch on the market and, coincidentally, also the best Apple Watch on the market. That's no surprise – it's like the Series 6, but gently improved, and other watches haven't surpassed it in the meantime.
If you have a Series 6, there's no real impetus to upgrade, you'll be pleased to hear. We'd actually say that's probably true for Series 5 users too – though if you have the cash and are keen on having the pulse oxygen sensor and faster charging, we certainly wouldn't blame you.
However, the temptation to upgrade will be strong for anyone with Apple Watch 4 and earlier. You'd be stepping up to getting the always-on screen as well as the pulse oxygen sensor, and improved sensors in lots of other ways too, including more accurate heart rate sensing and a much better compass for directions. Plus the faster charging.
The Apple Watch 7 may not be a revolution, but that's okay – it's the best smartwatch so far, building on what Apple's done before, and making it even more accessible and useful.
- Read the Apple Watch Series 7 review
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.
Lastly, there's also an always-on altimeter, which will keep tabs on the altitude at which you’re walking or running, or if you’re climbing some nasty stairs, for instance. It helps to work out your real activity level more accurately.
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 brings 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, the SE gets a really strong recommendation from us. 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 the 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 (if you bought it at launch, especially) 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.
For those on Apple Watch Series 4 or later, the SE doesn't represent a desirable replacement, but that's not who it's designed for.
The Apple Watch Series 5 was another step of Apple's relentless pace at the head of the smartwatch pack. The model takes everything that made the Apple Watch Series 4 so good, sprinkles on a few extra features, and then replaces the previous model with this superior one.
The stand-out new feature is an always-on screen, which means you don't have to raise your wrist for the screen to show something: it will still show your watch face or workout at all times, just dimmed.
And with a few other features to hand, plus new software, it's a small but notable upgrade over the Apple Watch Series 4.
The Apple Watch Series 3 may not be as exciting as its newer siblings, but it offers some serious bang for its buck, with any of the ‘essential’ features covered for a lot less money. Yes, it’s slightly chunkier with a smaller screen (42mm or 38mm), but it still has the ‘digital crown’ for easy and unobscured navigation, the same capacity level of water resistance and an optical heart sensor. This means that it can be used for all the main exercise and health functions, but may not support the latest apps that make use of the later model’s electrical heart sensor, for example.
Of course, there are some drawbacks to buying an older model. For example, it has Apple’s S3 processor, which isn’t as fast as the more recent models, but this won’t be a problem for people using it as an ‘extra’ device or as a fitness aid. And for fashion fanatics, its face isn’t as complex and there is no gold hardware option. The watch is also only available in aluminium, but on the upside, that keeps the cost down. And the screen isn’t quite as clear or as efficient as the newer models either, which takes its toll on battery life.
In short, the Series 3 offers a lot of the most important features, but is slightly more sluggish and lacklustre, with the possibility that some high tech health apps using the electrical sensor, may not work. But, if you’re looking for a smartwatch that looks great and offers all the main capabilities at a good price point – we think the Series 3 might be for you.
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
There are multiple types of straps - including one rubbery ‘particle’ design with air holes to keep your sweaty wrists cool, and another fabric version - the Nike Sport Loop - with reflective thread for those who like to run in the dark. Both of which we found very comfortable when testing.
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.
We think it's a great option for those who like the latest fitness gadgets.
If money is no object, then you might like to consider the Apple Watch Hermès edition. The ultimate high-tech fashion statement, the watch has specially designed faces and handcrafted leather straps. But under its stylish bonnet, the Apple Watch Hermès is the same as any other Series 7.
When it comes to straps, the choice is wide. The extra-long strap of the Double Tour wraps twice around the wrist and is available in four colour-ways. Then there's the classic Hermès design with a buckle inspired by a horse's saddle, also available in four colour-ways and there's a hidden deployment buckle version too. The strap, which is available in a choice of two colours, opens with a click of the two side buttons.
There's also a rubbery Sport Band in signature Hermès orange and a more luxurious 'Single Tour Rallye' strap in Fauve grained Barenia calfskin, which references the design of a classic Hermes driving glove - i.e. it has holes in it.
But these designer straps come at a hefty price, with the watches costing between a lot of money. It’s worth remembering that for the same price you could splash out on a Series 7 and a seriously luxurious handbag or holdall for the same price, making this watch one for collectors.
On the outside, the watch is sexier than the Series 3, with 30% more screen and nicely curved edges that make for a more rounded appearance and allows imagery and the watch’s touch surface to go right to the edge of the screen. This means, for example, the new ‘Infograph’ watch face can accommodate up to ‘eight complications’, so you can see more and do more at a glance, including clicking on a photo of a friend to give them a call, or checking out some fitness stats. We found it made a big impact during our review. It's also thinner than the Apple Watch Series 3.
Like all Apple Watches, the Series 4 has a Digital Crown, allowing users to scroll without obstructing the display, it was the first to feature haptic feedback to deliver a pleasing ‘precise, click-like feel as you scroll’.
The biggest updates were beneath the watch’s shiny exterior. The Series 4 featured an upgraded S4 chip, which makes it twice as fast as its predecessor, while an inbuilt speaker is 50% louder, providing better audio quality for Siri and Walkie-Talkie functions. All these little changes, including a more efficient display, mean the watch has up to 18-hours of battery life on a single charge, according to the company (although, we've found this is an underestimation).
As well as its looks and hi-tech spec, the Series 4 also included a number of new health and fitness capabilities. On the back, the optical heart sensor present on the first three iterations has been upgraded. It can now even do ECGs thanks to the electrical heart sensor. It lets you check your heart rate and notifies you if it’s above or below your specified threshold and there’s Fall Detection and Emergency SOS, which could prove handy for more vulnerable users.
While the Apple Watch has always been pretty handy for runners, it includes yoga and hiking thanks to a more flexible Workout App, which automatically detects the type of exercise you’re doing. You can set individual goals, measure your calorie burn and track your progress over time in the Activity app too. For example, with a gentle tap, new pace alerts let you know whether you’re ahead of or behind where you want to be. You can also pair your watch with compatible gym equipment by tapping.
Like the Series 3 before it, the new watch is water-resistant to 50 metres but it has a cool new function that allows it to eject water from the speaker with a burst of sound.
There's no denying that the Apple Watch Series 4 was a fantastic upgrade for the series, but, of course, now it's been succeeded but even more capable models it's now difficult to recommend.
Moving back even further still is the Apple Watch Series 2. This model was released in September 2016, so it's getting on a bit now, so we really wouldn't recommend you buy this model anymore. Instead, if you're looking for the cheapest (but still good) Apple Watch model, then get the Series 3.
The Series 2 still has all of the main features covered, such as notifications on your wrist, a selection of apps, fitness features, and compatibility with all stands, docks, chargers, straps and accessories. It even has built-in GPS, but no option for cellular.
The ageing Apple Watch also falls slightly short when it comes to processing power, battery life, and durability (this one isn't waterproof, so you can't use it to track swimming).
You might be able to pick up a used model now. It's ideal if you're still unsure whether you'll like a smartwatch. It'll quickly become outdated though, and will make you wonder why you didn't just buy a newer model in the first place.
How we test the best Apple Watch
We spend a lot of time reviewing the latest Apple Watch models, and, as such, are perfectly placed to judge the best Apple Watch model to spend your money on.
During our initial review period, we test out the very latest features announced by Apple. This might be a new health monitoring tool, a new fitness tracking mode, or how useful a new watch face is. We test everything in-depth, so if it's a new fitness feature, for example, we'll get our fitness editor to review it thoroughly.
All of these new features also get tested alongside everything a smartwatch should be classically good at, such as how bright and clear the display is, how reliable the smartphone connection is, how long the battery lasts, and how easy it is to surface useful information.
Once the initial review period is complete we'll publish a full review, give the Apple Watch a star rating, and add an abridged review to this guide.
We'll then continue to use the Apple Watch for the rest of the year, usually until a new model is released. This allows us to test how the battery life performs over time, gives us a chance to test software updates, and should uncover any bugs that weren't present during our initial review phase.
