Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch SE 2: Which is better?

Editor’s note: Black Friday is one of the best times to buy Apple products. There typically aren’t a lot of big sales on Apple products, but that changes with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Right now, there are some great Black Friday deals on both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch SE 2.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the newest model, but it’s getting some nice discounts already. If you want the smaller 42mm Series 10 model, it’s currently at its lowest price yet at $329 — 18% off the standard $399 price. If you don’t need all the fancy bells and whistles of the Series 10, you can save even more money by going with the Apple Watch SE 2, which now starts at just $169 for Black Friday. The lower price of the Apple Watch Series 10 is tempting, and if you have the cash to spare, it’s the best Apple Watch you can buy today. However, at well under $200, the Apple Watch SE 2 is a fantastic value. It’s not the most technically impressive Apple Watch, but it still has a lot of great features, and it’s a true steal at $169 right now.

The Apple Watch has hit its first big birthday. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the 10th generation of Apple’s wearable, and it brings a host of new changes while keeping the same DNA that makes the Apple Watch special.

However, it’s still not the most affordable smartwatch, but Apple does offer the two-year-old entry-level Apple Watch SE 2. If you are on a limited budget and want to experience an Apple Watch, should you buy the Apple Watch SE2 or is it worth stretching your budget for the Apple Watch Series 10? Let’s find out.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch SE 2: specs

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: design and display

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The Apple Watch Series 10 was announced at Apple’s Glowtime event  and has undergone a major redesign, while the SE 2 follows the same design language as earlier versions of the Apple Watch. The result is a stark contrast between the two.

The Series 10 is 1mm thinner, slightly heavier, and slightly bigger than the Apple Watch SE 2, but it has a much larger display. Despite the bigger display, it feels better on the wrist thanks to a thinner design that makes it feel far more premium.

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The Apple Watch Series 10 gets a glass front, a titanium or aluminum frame, and a ceramic and sapphire crystal back. In contrast, the Apple Watch SE 2 is far less premium as it replaces the ceramic with plastic and only comes with an aluminum frame.

The display on the Apple Watch Series 10 is also far better. It’s bigger, slightly higher in density, and features a higher peak brightness at 2,000 nits. The Apple Watch SE 2 display is no slouch as it’s still a Retina OLED with 1,000 nits peak brightness, but there’s a noticeable difference between the two. The Series 10 also features a Sapphire crystal glass front that should render it far more durable than the Ion-X strengthened glass on the Apple Watch SE 2.

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Despite both displays using LTPO technology, only the Apple Watch Series 10 features an always-on display. It also has a much wider viewing angle, allowing you to see what’s on the display at a broader angle.

There’s little doubt that the Apple Watch Series 10 is just the nicer-looking watch. It is thinner, bigger, and has a much nicer display, as well as the display characteristics you’d want from a smartwatch such as an always-on display and sapphire crystal protection. This is where the differences between the two watches are most noticeable.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: health and fitness tracking

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Apple Watch Series 10 runs WatchOS 11 out of the box, while the Apple Watch SE 2 can be updated to the same platform. Although they share the same operating system version, there are a few health features that are not available on the more affordable Apple Watch.

The lack of ECG and temperature sensors means you’ll miss features like ECG recordings, advanced heart rate monitoring, and temperature sensing. Both watches offer sleep tracking, but the Apple Watch Series 10 captures more data and is also able to detect Sleep Apnea.

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Both watches gain access to the Training Load and Vitals apps, with the latter offering a visual representation of stats such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep duration. The Apple Watch Series 10 will also detect your wrist temperature overnight, providing a first indicator of whether you may be falling ill. The Apple Watch Series 10 can also track periods with retrospective ovulation estimates, while the Apple Watch SE 2 offers basic cycle tracking.

If you like to swim or dive, the Apple Watch SE 2 is more limited as well. It is water resistant and swi-proof to just 50 meters, while the Apple Watch Series 10 adds a water temperature sensor and a depth gauge up to six meters to provide more detailed statistics about your workout.

It’s a close call, but the Apple Watch Series 10 offers just a few more features. However, the Apple Watch SE 2 offers all the core health features at a lower price, so you won’t be missing out on too much. If you aren’t too worried about any of the Apple Watch Series 10’s exclusive features, you can change this to a tie.

Verdict: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: software and performance

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the S10 SiP and comes with the double tap gesture that launched with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 last year. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch SE 2 uses the two-year-old S8 SiP, which prevents it from offering certain features such as precision finding for the iPhone and faster charging.

There is also a noticeable difference in performance when using Siri. The S10 SiP offers a much faster Siri assistant that is on-device and can access your health data, while the S8 SiP is more limited and offers a more basic version of Siri.

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However, while the S10 SiP is better, there’s little reason to upgrade solely for the processor. The Apple Watch SE 2 offers most of the same experience, doesn’t lag, and is more than capable of being updated in the future.

How many updates is the other unknown: most Apple Watches are supported for around five years, so if you buy an Apple Watch SE 2, it may only receive three more updates. The Apple Watch Series 10 is guaranteed to receive updates longer than any other current Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is faster, but the difference isn’t marked enough and shouldn’t be used as the sole reason to upgrade your pick.

Verdict: Tie

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: battery and charging

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE 2 are both rated as offering up to 18 hours of battery life, but there are still big differences. The Apple Watch SE 2 is likely to last slightly less than the Series 10, which we’ve found lasts at least 24 hours.

This year saw Apple revamp the charging experience, with the Apple Watch Series 10 now charging much faster than any other Apple Watch. In our testing, it can charge to full in less than an hour, and a 15-minute charge gets you enough battery life for 12 hours of use. There’s no contest.

The Series 10 has the best charging experience on an Apple Watch, being almost twice as fast as the Apple Watch SE 2. Trust us, the upgraded charging makes a huge difference in day-to-day usage.

Verdict: Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: price and availability

Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

The biggest allure of the Apple Watch SE 2 is its price. A starting price of $249 makes it much less expensive than the Apple Watch Series 10, which starts at $399 and has a maximum price of $799 for the Titanium model in the biggest size with the titanium band.

If you want the Apple Watch SE 2, the 40mm GPS model costs $249, while the bigger 44mm costs an extra $30. Opting for the GPS and Cellular model will cost you an additional $50, and choosing a stainless steel Milanese loop — featuring the original design — costs an additional $50 as well. The maximum you can pay for an Apple Watch SE 2 is $379.

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If you want the Apple Watch Series 10, it starts at $399 for the 42mm aluminum build and $699 for the titanium build. The former comes in either GPS or GPS and Cellular variants — the latter costs $100 extra — while the titanium build is only available with GPS and Cellular. If you want the bigger 46mm model, it costs $30 extra for the aluminum build and $50 extra with titanium.

For the lower price, you get a pared-back feature set with the Apple Watch SE 2. It’s designed to offer a first step into the Apple Watch experience, while the Apple Watch Series 10 represents the pinnacle of the non-Ultra product line. The Apple Watch Series 10 does a lot more, but it comes at a price that may be too high for some people.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch SE 2: verdict

Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best Apple Watch you can buy right now, but a starting price of $399 will make it far too expensive for some people. If you are one of those people and want to experience the magic of the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch SE 2 delivers 75% of the experience at less than 75% of the price.

However, if you can upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 10, the extra money is worth it. It’s the biggest display ever on an Apple Watch, the faster charging makes a big difference, and the thinner body means it’s far more comfortable on the wrist.

It costs a premium over the Apple Watch SE 2, but the Apple Watch Series 10 is worth the premium, especially if you snag one of the best Apple Watch deals.