The best Apple Watch of 2025

If you know you want an Apple Watch but aren't sure which one to get, this guide explains the differences between the three models here. The company's flagship Apple Watch Series 10 features powerful fitness tracking and health monitoring as well as useful iPhone integration. We named it the best smartwatch overall. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 includes some extra features and is suitable for serious athletes and outdoor adventurers – which is also the most expensive. The oldest model is the 2022 budget Apple Watch SE, which you usually sell for $200. It offers you an amazing price. Check out the purchase suggestions below for a complete story about chips, sensors, features, battery life and price to help you choose the best Apple Watch.

Table of contents

• The best Apple Watch of 2025

• What to look for in Apple Watch

• How we test Apple watches

The best Apple Watch of 2025

What to look for in Apple Watch

Chips and sensors

The new Apple Watch Series 10 has an S10 SIP (system in package) chip with a quad-core neural engine. Ultra 2 updated Apple's S9 SIP last September. Both chips allow device processing for Siri requests as well as commands, translations, automatic workout detection and double-double-head gestures that allow you to answer calls or stop alerts with two taps on your thumb and index finger. It can also enable faster machine learning performance to interpret sensor data, voice recognition, and perform other “thinking” tasks. The Apple Watch SE still relies on the S8 SIP, which is also used in the Series 8 and the original Ultra.

Both Series 10 and Ultra 2 measure certain vital signs, such as heart rate, and take ECG. Temperature sensors can help track ovulation, while underwater temperature sensors may come in handy when swimming and snorkeling. Both also support fall detection and crash detection as security features. All three models have compass and altimeters. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has an on-board SOS sirens, as well as submersible functions such as a depth meter. The water feature was added to the Apple Watch Series 10, but the depth rating is shallow (only six meters, while the Ultra is 40 meters). Ultra includes a blood oxygen sensor, but patent disputes have forced Apple to disable health features on new models sold in the U.S., with hardware not present in the new flagship model.

All three models support near-range communication (NFC), which is the chip that makes Apple pay for. After setting up using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, you can pay in any store that accepts Apple Pay even if you don't have a phone.

Display and case size

The wide-angle OLED display on the Apple Watch 10 allows you to see the always-on display from more angles. The Ultra 2 also has an always-on display, but you have to lift your wrist to tell the time or read notifications on the SE. The SE can reach a maximum brightness of 1,000 columns, the Series 10 can reach a maximum brightness of 2,000, while the Ultra 2 hits 3,000 columns. Both high-end screens can be dimmed to a single NIT, allowing them to reduce attention in the darkness.

Apple Watch Series 10 comes with new finishes and case materials – glossy anodized jet black finish on aluminum models and options for titanium boxes. Ultra 2 also gets a new finish, Satin Black, which uses the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process to apply color.

As for case sizes, the SE offers 40 or 44mm. The tandem 10 is larger than the previous generation, and now you can choose a 42 or 46mm case. The Ultra 2 measures only 49mm. You also have the opportunity to choose lengths and styles for the watch band. SE and Series 10 are available in 2 types: Small and Medium/Large/Large/Large, Ultra 2 allows you to choose Small and Medium, Medium or Large.

Battery life

Since it is the largest wearable device, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the largest battery battery and can last for 36 hours. If Low Power Mode is turned on, the number will skip to 72 hours. Both the Apple Watch 10 and SE are rated 18 hours by Apple before accessing the charger and are longer in use with the battery saving mode. This means that if you want to use these models regularly for sleep tracking, you may need to charge them before going to bed.

Fitness and health characteristics

Believe it or not, these three Apple watches all have similar fitness tracker ribs. The activity app uses three “rings” to retain the amount you move every day: the mobile ring tracks your active calories; the exercise ring monitors you for a few minutes you took to walk, run, do yoga, and more. The stands ring tells you how many hours you stand up for at least a minute in a day.

Different internal sensors detect these activities, such as the feeling of the accelerometer when you move and sit, and the optical heart rate sensor judging your efforts and how many calories you burn. You can set goals for each ring and when you hit them you will get badges and animations.

The workout app lets you start and track practice lessons. When you exercise, the sensor can even automatically detect, tapping your wrist to suggest you track activity. The Apple Watch will integrate with Apple's Fitness+ subscription to display live heart rate and calorie burn data on your iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV 4K while you're in class. Fitness+ also includes audio-guided walking and running, just use your watch and Bluetooth earbuds. These three models support activities and workout applications for free. The Fitness+ App also works with all Apple watches, but costs $10 a month.

New features enabled by WatchOS 11 include training loads that can measure the body’s response to exercise over time, which can help athletes better prepare for marathons. Now users can also skip a day (or more) from fitness tracking metrics when they need to take a break, or be unhappy with the challenge of closing the ring. The new operating system also supports offline graphs, which can be useful when hiking away from cellular coverage.

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You can get the weather by asking Siri, start a workout, identify songs and indicate text. All Apple Watch models support pay raises to bypass the demands of “Hey Siri” and listen to the requests when lifting your wrist near your mouth.

Both Series 10 and Ultra 2 use Siri requested onboard processing. This means performing simple requests, such as starting a workout, timers are faster because they do not require access to external networks. However, requests such as sending text or getting a weather forecast still require communication with Wi-Fi or Cellular, so if you have a GPS-only model, you need to carry your phone nearby.

Carbon neutral selection

The Apple Watch Series 9 with an aluminum housing is the company's first carbon neutral product. Apple defines its carbon neutral products as the use of “100% clean electricity used for manufacturing and product use, 30% weight of renewable or renewable materials, and 50% weight of shipping without the need for air transportation.” Apple The changes have reduced emissions by about 75%, and the company will use credit so it can make up for the rest of the emissions, said the company.

Currently, the Apple Watch Series 10 is in aluminum or titanium, with a sports loop band, a braided solo ring or a Milan loop, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a trail ring or an alpine loop are designated as a carbon neutral product.

price

There is a $550 difference between the cheapest and most expensive Apple watches. For $250 (usually sold for less), you get 40mm Apple Watch SE with only GPS connections; adding cellular connections will increase by $50. The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, with 42mm aluminum, non-cell model, and a 46mm titanium shell (for GPS and Cellular only) priced at $749. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only costs 1: $799 in the titanium 49mm box with GPS and cellular power.

How we test Apple watches

Engadget has been reviewing the Apple Watch since its first launch in 2015. Since then, we have tested all the models Apple has released, including Ultra and SE models, and it took at least a few days or even weeks to our wrist. During this time we run, go to the gym, hike and wear it while sleeping, while measuring how it tracks various metrics, integrates with the iPhone and performs all other tips Apple claims its smartwatch can do it.

Since we also reviewed smartwatches from other companies like Samsung and Google, our editors can compare not only Apple watches to previous generations, but also other wearable devices on the market. Our buying guides and advice rely on first-hand testing from Engadget employees.

This article originally appeared on Engadget