Back in 2020, Apple launched the first-generation Apple Watch SE. A type of Frankenstein’s monster in the easiest way that took elements from the then model new Series 6 together with the earlier generations, to create a extra inexpensive wearable that also had all the weather of an Apple Watch.
And for 2022, Apple’s (AAPL) conserving that working components, upping the specs, and chopping the worth. For $249 you get an Apple Watch with a Retina show that’s not always-on, the flexibility to trace actions, coronary heart fee, and sleep, longer battery life and improved efficiency.
And right here’s the news — the Apple Watch SE is greatest for if you happen to’re new to Apple Watch, do not want all of the well being options of a show that’s always-on, or in case you have an older mannequin like a Series 1, 2, or 3.
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS in Starlight, Midnight, or Silver ($249; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS in Starlight, Midnight, or Silver ($279; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS + Cellular in Starlight, Midnight, or Silver ($299; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS + Cellular in Starlight, Midnight, or Silver ($329; Amazon.com)
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A Nearly Identical Build With a New Back
Much just like the iPhone 14, the second-generation Apple Watch SE seems loads like the primary one. You can nonetheless decide from two sizes, both a 40mm or 44mm, to greatest suit your wrist. And it’s all housed in a now largely aluminum case in three colours: Midnight, Silver, or Starlight. The huge design change is that the rear, principally the again of the Apple Watch SE, is now a composite materials. Apple says that as an entire the carbon footprint has been decreased by 80%.
You received’t essentially discover that in on a regular basis use, what you’ll discover is that the colours look extra uniform throughout and that it’s noticeably lighter in your wrist. It’s between 9% to 13% lighter relying on the display dimension. And as I observed from my first band swap, the press in buttons are nonetheless aluminum to make sure the band is securely locked in.
Most critically, the Apple Watch SE nonetheless seems like an Apple Watch. The Digital Crown and Side Button nonetheless stay on the best, each are nonetheless fairly aware of enter as properly. The Midnight variant that I’ve been utilizing for every week seems fairly good and nonetheless stands as a darkish blue. Though it could possibly generally look black relying on how the sunshine hits it.
You can simply personalize the look although by swapping for a distinct band, and the second-generation SE nonetheless works with all earlier bands. And that’s superior.
The solely different change I observed is the rear glass, above the second technology heart-rate sensor, has a brand new round line design within the glass. It doesn’t impression, positively or negatively, any of the perform, nevertheless it’s a neat design change.
The Apple Watch SE has been tremendous snug to put on for the previous few days as properly. It will nonetheless come within the field with a band, in addition to a typical magnetic charging puck. Fast charging remains to be reserved for the Series 8 and Ultra.
Swift Performance and Longer Battery Life
Powering the second-generation Apple Watch SE is the SE SiP Apple-made processor. And in my testing, every thing runs swiftly right here. watchOS 9 is ready to navigate round with no stutters or utility crashes, purposes open shortly and reply quick to inputs, and most significantly there’s no huge dive into the battery.
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In reality, Apple says that is as much as 20% sooner than the first-generation SE and in additional intense use-cases, like beginning a exercise or taking a heart-rate studying, this does beat out the primary technology by at most a second. You’ll see a bigger efficiency bounce if you happen to’re coming from a Series 3 which at occasions was downright gradual in my comparability testing, particularly with wrapping or beginning a exercise.
The key benefit right here although is that efficiency isn’t actually a query, the Apple Watch SE has sufficient energy to do what one is able to doing on this mannequin wearable. You additionally get entry to a bunch of recent watchOS 9 software program options. Including a number of new watch faces like Modular, PlayTime, and Portrait that are all responsive right here. You can even observe completely different exercise sorts and make the most of a brand new Compass app.
I made a decision to go for a stroll in Wave Hill, in NY, to check out the backtracking performance. Essentially inside the Compass app you can begin this mode and it’ll observe your route. You may even mark waypoints— like an exceptionally good wanting tree, a spot to arrange a camp, or perhaps a nice vantage level— and if in the long run you want some assist getting again, it could possibly allow you to retrace your steps. Showing you which of them normal path to maneuver in in addition to the quantity of ft away.
I’ve additionally been utilizing the bigger, 44mm model of Apple Watch SE and as somebody who was beforehand rocking a Series 7 on a regular basis, the bounce again to a non always-on show is a bit difficult. But for most people, you probably received’t be leaping from an Apple Watch with that show sort to the SE.
And it’s loads merely to get the display to activate right here — you may both faucet it or simply increase your wrist. The Retina LTPO OLED show will shortly gentle up and in particularly vivid eventualities it could possibly get vivid sufficient as a way to learn it. To be particular, it has as much as 1,000 nits of brightness which is identical spec because the Series 8.
I think about a variety of people will go for this as the primary Apple Watch or from a earlier mannequin, perhaps the Series 3 which is now not getting new software program updates. And compared to that mannequin, you’re getting a display that’s 30% bigger. Which means it’s simpler to learn textual content, browse pictures, and management music playback proper out of your wrist.
The different new function packaged inside watchOS 9 is a repair for an age-old request in regards to the Apple Watch. It’s all the time been stated to have “all-day battery life,” which may range from each day or consumer to consumer. Someone who tracks a variety of exercises or takes a bevy of calls on their wrists, would wish to cost extra continuously. However, in my testing to date the Apple Watch SE simply lasts a full day, from about 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. with out the brand new cost throughout the day, except I wished to make use of it for sleep monitoring. In which case I’d toss it on the charger for about half-hour to an hour earlier than mattress or proper after I awakened. It takes just a little bit longer to cost than a Series 7 or Series 8 which help quick charging, nevertheless it’s not the tip of the world.
However with watchOS 9, there may be now a low-power mode which might severely stretch the battery life. You nonetheless get exercise monitoring and fall detection, in addition to different core options. What you are lacking is background well being checks, just like the Watch taking heart-rate measurements. And with this engaged I bought to a couple of day and half of use, with me nonetheless periodically elevating my wrist to examine one thing. I’ll report again on this as I exploit it a bit longer as properly.
Activity and Sleep Tracking, Plus a New Safety Feature
The different half of the Apple Watch is utilizing it for well being and exercise monitoring. And to be clear, if you’d like the Apple Watch that may take an ECG (electrocardiogram), blood oxygen, or pores and skin temperature readings, this isn’t the mannequin for you. You’ll need to go for the Series 8, or rating a reduction on the Series 7 which is barely lacking pores and skin temperature measurements.
For all else, the Apple Watch SE is only a nice entry into wearable well being and exercise monitoring, nevertheless it’s downright improbable. Via the Workout App you may observe a plethora of exercises like yoga, indoor or out of doors biking, power coaching, dance, walks, meditation, and swimming, amongst many others. When you begin monitoring a exercise, it tracks key metrics like exercise time, coronary heart fee, and energy burned. And in my testing on varied exercises like walks, power, mediation, and biking, the Apple Watch SE is as correct and in-line because the Series 7 and Series 8.
- Apple Watch Series 7 41mm GPS + Cellular in (PRODUCT) RED ($379, initially $499; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch Series 8 41mm GPS in Midnight ($399; amazon.com)
Similarly, the primary well being monitoring chops on right here is heart-rate monitoring from a second-generation sensor — the truth is, the identical one as on the primary technology Apple Watch. It’s been simply as correct and pretty fast with getting a studying. You can view present, resting, and strolling common coronary heart fee on the watch itself. Of course historic well being information from steps to coronary heart fee to how a lot you train is obtainable inside the Health app on the iPhone.
You can even use the Apple Watch SE for sleep monitoring and it bought an enormous replace inside watchOS 9. Essentially permitting you to see complete sleep, in addition to complete time in mattress, but additionally extra in-depth metrics like how lengthy you slept in REM, core, and deep phases. And after a number of nights it should additionally share if you happen to’ve been constant or not. Like Sleep Tracking on some other Apple Watch, you’ll must work charging in between your schedule earlier than you go to mattress or after you get up.
Lastly, the Apple Watch SE can even now detect if you happen to’re in a automotive crash. And if that sounds acquainted, it’s additionally out there on the iPhone 14 in addition to the Pros. Essentially, it’s measuring pressure via a variety of sensors in addition to velocity and sound to detect if you happen to’re in a crash. I haven’t examined this, however within the occasion the Apple Watch detects one, it offers you a number of seconds earlier than alerting the authorities and your emergency contacts. As I stated within the iPhone overview, it’s a function you’ll hopefully by no means have to make use of.
Is the Apple Watch SE second-generation Worth it?
At $249.99 for the 40mm GPS or $279.99 for the 44mm GPS, there isn’t any higher worth within the smartwatch market and no higher worth within the Apple Watch lineup, than the second-generation Apple Watch SE.
It’s nice as an entry-level Apple Watch but additionally if you happen to’ve been hanging on to a Series 0, 1, 2, or 3 it is a wonderful improve. One that improves on almost every thing, from efficiency to show dimension and exercise monitoring. If you have already got an Apple Watch with an Always-On show, I’d advocate wanting on the Series 8, Ultra, in addition to a Series 6 or Series 7 if you happen to can nonetheless get one.
In its second-generation Apple reduce the worth, up to date the design, and tossed in a brand new processor. Not a nasty improve in any respect, however critically it nonetheless makes the Apple Watch SE an unbeatable worth.
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS in Starlight ($249; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS in Midnight ($249; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS in Silver ($249; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS in Starlight ($279; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS in Midnight ($279; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS in Silver ($279; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS + Cellular in Starlight ($299; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight ($299; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 40mm GPS + Cellular in Silver ($299; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS + Cellular in Starlight ($329; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS + Cellular in Midnight ($329; Amazon.com)
- Apple Watch SE second-gen 44mm GPS + Cellular in Silver ($329; Amazon.com)
Prices are correct and gadgets in inventory at time of publishing.
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