Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) Review: The Perfect Amount of Smart Watch

The second generation Apple Watch SE is Apple’s latest budget smartwatch that probably has everything you need if you’re not a SCUBA diver or a mountain climber. But is it worth the upgrade if you already have an Apple Watch? I used the SE alongside my Series 5 for several months to find out.

Design: Familiar, and That’s Fine

The first thing that struck me about the Apple Watch SE is its nearly identical look and feel to my Series 5 Apple Watch. The aluminum chassis, Ion-X-glass-covered display, and nylon composite glass feel indistinguishable on my wrist from the Series 5. This isn’t a shock; SE-styled devices like the iPhone SE often take cues from older Apple devices they’re emulating. The only meaningful difference, looks-wise, between this SE and my Series 5 model is the size. The SE is about 20% bigger than the Series 5.

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But familiarity is a plus for this device. Within just a few minutes of opening it, it became an integral part of my Apple eco-system. Once I had it synced with my iPhone, I could instantly do everything I was doing with my Series 5 model as though it were the same device. The Watch app on my phone already had my customized faces ready to go, so getting everything the way I wanted took almost no effort.

Just because it looks like my Series Five model doesn’t mean the SE is stuck in 2019. This watch features several upgrades over past iterations, including the same 64-bit dual-core processor found in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. However, being the budget model, it lacks some of the features found in higher-priced Apple Watches, such as an always-on display mode, ultra-wideband U1 chip, and ECG and blood oxygen sensors.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Apple Watch SE can do the majority of things that its older sibling, the Apple Watch Series 8, can do. Most of which are integrated as part of WatchOS 9. New features such as crash detection, the Compass app, and improved sleep tracking are all available in the SE. Only when you want to get to features such as fast charging, the above-mentioned sensors, or extremely rugged durability would you need to consider the Series 8 or the Ultra.

Performance: A Budget Watch That Delivers Premium Quality

I’m not what some may consider a “power user” of my Apple Watch. Sure, I wear it every day, all day long. Still, I mostly use it for mundane things like controlling the streaming media from my iPhone to my AirPods, unlocking my Mac mini, checking the time (obviously), using Siri, the stopwatch, and all the other little, less impressive tasks the Apple Watch is capable of doing. I’m not the type to use it to scale a mountain, navigate desert terrain, or go SCUBA diving. So, the Apple Watch SE is probably the ideal amount of smartwatch for my needs. And in the few months I’ve been using the SE, it’s done everything I need it to, when I need it to, exactly as expected every time. There’s literally nothing to complain about, which is rare in the world of tech.

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One of the main things I use the Apple Watch for is to read and send text messages, and the SE performed admirably in this regard. When it was synced to my phone, I received text messages and iMessages as soon as my iPhone did. The text was perfectly readable at a glance, and responding was as easy as tapping one of the pre-programmed responses using the text-to-speech function or even using the touchpad to spell out my responses with my finger. I will say that the latter option has never been amazing on Apple Watch, but with this SE’s more prominent display, it was much more manageable than with my smaller-display Series 5 model.

Making and receiving calls on the Apple Watch SE was a similarly good experience. The speakers are nice and loud, and the microphones ensure you can be heard clearly on the other end. Calls taken through AirPods are also quite clear, and the wireless connection never failed during a call while I was testing the SE.

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Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Justin Duino / Review Geek

Regarding exercise tracking, the Apple Watch SE does as well or better than the Series 5. Admittedly, I’m not the target user when it comes to this feature, as I’ve never been inclined toward fitness. However, I do go for long outdoor walks when the weather permits. And the SE knows when I’m out doing that. After about 14 minutes of walking, it will send me an alert that detects that I’m out for a walk and asks if I want to track it. I always say yes, even though I never intend to do anything with the information it gathers. It does a great job of tracking how far I’ve walked, for how long, and how many calories I’ve burned. As far as I can determine, it delivers accurate, reliable data that you can use to track all your workouts.

Probably the most significant improvements that the Apple Watch SE has over my Series 5 model is that the battery life is much longer. On a full charge, my Series 5 will last from when I wake up to when I go to bed, usually with a few percentages of battery life to spare. But it would never make it overnight or into a second day without recharging. The SE has an advertised 18-hour battery life, which is an underestimate based on my experience. I generally got two or three full days of use from the SE before needing to recharge.

Final Thoughts: Everything a Casual Smart Watch User Needs

All that said, I think the Apple Watch SE is an excellent choice for iPhone users. For those looking to buy an Apple Watch for the first time, the SE likely delivers everything they need for casual, everyday use. It fits snugly in your world of iPhones, AirPods, Macs, and whatever other Apple product you happen to use. And if you’re a casual user like me, there’s not too much point in shelling out the extra dollars for a Series 8 or an Ultra.

But I’m not sure if I would personally shell out the $200+ to buy it, considering my Series 5 still works well. The extended battery life, faster processor, and bigger screen make it attractive. But I never had an issue with charging my Apple Watch nightly, and the extra snappiness and big display don’t get me over to the “upgrade now” point. The calculation to buy would be different if I had a Series 3 (or earlier) model or regularly wore my Apple Watch to use the Sleep Tracking feature overnight. But I know that when my current watch gives up the ghost, I’m upgrading to the SE.