If you find the $399 Series 6 too expensive and the $199 Series 3 too dated, the $279 Apple Watch SE should be just right. With the exception of an always-on display and sensors for blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and electrocardiogram (ECG), it offers almost everything else you get in the Series 6, including a vast selection of downloadable apps, excellent calling and texting capabilities, and potentially lifesaving health features like fall detection, irregular heart rate and rhythm notifications, Emergency SOS, and international emergency calling. It also boasts a larger display, a faster processor, and more safety features than the Series 3. That makes the Watch SE an excellent, cost-effective option for kids, the elderly, or anyone who wants the apps, fitness, and safety features of the Series 6 without paying a premium for its always-on display and advanced health metrics. Price and Design  The Apple Watch SE starts at $279 for the GPS-only model or $329 for the GPS and cellu...

The Apple Watch SE drops the always-on display and a couple of advanced health sensors from the Series 6, but otherwise delivers the same winning app, fitness, and safety features for $120 less.

Same screen size and resolution as the Series 6; Supports fall detection, heart health notifications, and Emergency SOS; Always-on altimeter for real-time elevation tracking; WatchOS 7 adds a handwashing countdown timer and sleep tracking; Best third-party smartwatch app selection

No always-on display mode; Lacks ECG and SpO2 sensors

How exactly do you go about making the Apple Watch better? It’s already a feature-packed, superbly made, easy-to-use wearable that’s the smartwatch to buy if you own an iPhone. The answer is, you make it cheaper, and that’s what Apple has done with the Apple Watch SE. Of course, a reduction in price comes with a reduction in functionality, but just how much does this impact the SE, and should it put you off? The answer is no, it definitely shouldn’t put you off. In fact, it’s shaping up to be the Apple Watch model to buy this year. The Apple Watch SE looks exactly the same as the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6. It has a 1.78-inch Retina screen under Ion-X strengthened glass with a 326 pixel-per-inch density. The Digital Crown is on the side with a single button below it, and the aluminum case comes in either 44mm (seen in our photos) or 40mm sizes, with a choice of silver, space gray, or gold finishes. If you like the look of the Series 5 or Series 6, you’ll like the SE. I chose a g...

Stylish design; Highly customizable; Comprehensive health tracking; Responsive, fluid performance; Reliable, easy-to-use software;

No always-on display;

If you know you want a new Apple Watch, the Watch SE is the one to go for: it’s got all the useful features of the Watch 6, but it’s much cheaper, and thus one of the best smartwatches around. The always-on display is sorely missing, but the fitness tracking – including motivating nudges to keep you active – is as good as ever, and will improve when Fitness Plus lands. However, the Watch SE comes with the same issues as the rest of the Apple Watch line: some features and apps are too lightweight, and the battery life is just too short to get the best out of the watch.

Premium design; Excellent phone companion; Great range of features;

Lacks always-on display; Battery life lacking

Better-than-expected battery life; More affordable price; Very customisable (especially for Apple); Fully waterproof;

No always-on display; Only available in three finishes; Still fairly pricey;

Apple’s smartwatch lineup has gone from straightforward to surprisingly complex seemingly overnight. Where we used to have this year’s model or last year’s model at a lower price to choose from, now Apple is selling three distinct Apple Watch models at varying price tiers and with varying options.

Fast performance; Great smartwatch software; Reliable battery life

No always-on display; No third-party watch faces; No ECG or blood oxygen monitoring

The Apple Watch SE packs plenty of modern smartwatch features into a compact, low-profile package. It’s not the prettiest watch, and its sleep-tracking reports aren’t as insightful as the competition. But for the price the Watch SE is an excellent starter smartwatch for newcomers.

Powerful OS; Responsive performance; Comfortable design; Comprehensive features for the price

Sleep tracking lags the competition; No always-on display

By pulling together many of the best bits from the now-discontinued Series 4 and Series 5, the SE is an affordable entry into the Apple Watch experience that will suit a majority of users.

Affordable price; Ease of use; Apple Pay; Heart-rate sensor; Interchangeable straps

No always-on display; Missing some of the sensors found in Series 6 model

“The Apple Watch SE misses out on some of the flashier features on the Series 6, but keeps nearly all the important ones, along with the same design, at a lower price.”

Stylish design; Highly customizable; Comprehensive health tracking; Responsive; fluid performance; Reliable; easy-to-use software

No always-on display

While the new "SE" moniker attached to the Apple Watch SE has no official designation, I'd like to think it stands for "surprise edition" because that's what the Apple Watch SE is — a pleasant surprise.

It might not be the best Apple Watch in terms of features, but for most people the Apple Watch SE is the one you should buy. It retains all the vital tech (IP rating, GPS, sharp OLED) and ditches the ones that make the most sense.

Excellent value; Huge range of tracking features; The best smartwatch OS around; Wide variety of straps available

No always-on display; Battery life still only really a day