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During its "Far Out" event, Apple announced a bunch of new products. We are used to seeing an annual refresh of the Apple Watch, where a Series flagship begets another flagship, but this year marks the introduction of three new models. New options at the entry level, flagship, and specialized markets are offered by these watches.
At the bottom of the new lineup is the new Apple watch. It's the "bargain" model, sacrificing niceties like an always on display for the sake of a lower price. The arrival of the Apple Watch SE will help end the reign of the Apple Watch Series 3.
The Series 8 continues the progression of previous top-tier Apple Watches with a new temperature sensor. This is the first time that there is a third model at the top. The new Apple Watch Ultra is designed to cater to the hardcore outdoorsy crowd that usually turns to brands like Garmin.
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That's a lot of Apple Watches. How do features and specifications change across this lineup? Is there any improvement over the outgoing Series 7 if you want to pick up one of those on sale before they go away? We have only had a brief look at the new units, but we want to see if there are any differences between them and the old units.
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At the budget end, the Apple Watch SE brings us a mostly familiar approach: take some of the latest tech and put it in an older device to sell it for less. The original Apple Watch SE did that, and that is what the new one is doing. The new SE has the same features as the previous one, but it has the S8 processor and crash detection from the Series 8 and Ultra. The back of the new SE is color matched to the rest of the case, which is a treat.
You don't get to see the always-on display, the blood oxygen monitoring, and the other things that were missing from the previous SE. The new Apple Watch SE starts at just $249 for a 40mm model with gps or $299 for a cellular one, which is more money in your pocket. The starting prices of the first SE were more expensive.
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The Apple Watch Series 8 would be the flagship product. It continues Apple's development of its watch formula, looking a lot like the Series 7 but now adding a sensor to detect your body temperature as well as improved period and ovulation tracking The car crash detection that is prevalent on this entire crop of Apple Watches is because Apple is into car crashes right now. There was a lot of doom and gloom in the keynote video.
You are not making any tradeoffs other than the extra rugged features of the Ultra. The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at the usual price of $399 for the 41mm model with gps or $499 with cellular, or add $30 for the 45mm version.
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The new kid on the block is working on a new segment for Apple. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to be taken to very remote places for activities such as hiking and rock climbing, which is why it is called the Apple Watch Ultra. The Apple watch pro is waterproof to 100 meters. It's 49mm across and is the chunkiest Apple Watch. There is a button on its side. It is being sold in a single model for $799.
| Categories | Apple Watch Series 8 | Apple Watch Ultra | Apple Watch SE (2022) | Apple Watch Series 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Apple Watch Series 8 | Apple Watch Ultra | Apple Watch SE (2022) | Apple Watch Series 7 |
| Starting price | $399 | $799 | $249 | $399 |
| Processor | S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor | S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor | S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor | S7 with 64-bit dual-core processor |
| watchOS version | watchOS 9 | watchOS 9 | watchOS 9 | watchOS 8 (update to watchOS 9 on September 12th) |
| Water resistance | Water resistant up to 50 meters | Water resistant up to 100 meters | Water resistant up to 50 meters | Water resistant up to 50 meters |
| Dust resistance | IP6X-rated | IP6X-rated | Not rated | IP6X-rated |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Case material | Aluminum, stainless steel | Titanium | Aluminum | Aluminum, stainless steel |
| LTE | Yes, starting at $499 | Yes | Yes, starting at $299 | Yes, starting at $499 |
| GPS | L1 GPS | Precision dual-frequency (L1 and L5) GPS | L1 GPS | L1 GPS |
| Built-in mic and speaker | Yes | Yes, triple-mic array | Yes | Yes |
| W-series Wireless chip | W3 | W3 | W3 | W3 |
| U1 Ultra Wideband support | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Always-on altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Crown haptic feedback | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heart sensor | Third-generation optical heart sensor | Third-generation optical heart sensor | Second-generation optical heart sensor | Third-generation optical heart sensor |
| Temperature sensor | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Case sizes | 41mm, 45mm | 49mm | 40mm, 44mm | 41mm, 45mm |
| Display | Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display | Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display | Retina LTPO OLED display | Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display (1000 nits brightness) |
| Display size (approx.) | 41mm: 1.61-inch, 45mm: 1.77-inch | 1.93-inch | 40mm: 1.57-inch, 44mm: 1.73-inch | 41mm: 1.61-inch, 45mm: 1.77-inch |
| Screen brightness | Up to 1000 nits brightness | Up to 2000 nits brightness | Up to 1000 nits brightness | |
| Screen resolution | 41mm: 352 by 430, 45mm: 396 by 484 | 410 by 502 | 40mm: 324 by 394, 44mm: 368 by 448 | 41mm: 352 by 430, 45mm: 396 by 484 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Estimated Battery Life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 36 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Family Setup support | Yes, with cellular version | Yes | Yes, with cellular version | Yes, with cellular version |
| Fall detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency SOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG app | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen app | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Noise monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High, low, or irregular heart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Optical heart sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crash detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Low-power mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | After a future software update |
| Night mode | No | Yes | No | No |
| Additional sensors | Depth gauge and water temperature sensor, Dive computer app | |||
| Colors | Aluminum: midnight, starlight, silver, and red; Steel: graphite, silver, and gold; Hermes: silver and space black | Natural titanium | midnight, starlight, and silver | Aluminum: midnight, starlight, blue, green, and red; Steel: graphite, silver, and gold; Titanium: space black and titanium |
The Apple Watch has been a mainstay in Apple's garden for a long time. In the past, the question for Apple users was mostly just whether or not to get an Apple Watch at all. It might take a bit more thought and consideration to find the right one. If one of these feels like the right choice for you, please let us know in the comments.
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