The Best Apple Watch for 2025
Though deciding between versions has become more difficult, Apple Watch still the best wearable device for iPhone owners. Buyers have fresh thoughts following the 2023 U.S. import prohibition on Series 9 and Ultra 2 (because of Masimo's blood oxygen patent claims) and with the brand new Series 10 launch. Though legal disputes still exist over its health technology, as a qualified tech reviewer who tests each device for 2+ weeks, I can say Apple Watch still beats Samsung and Xiaomi for iOS integration. Wondering which one is good for you? Let‘s check out our guides.
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Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)
Phone OS Compatibility: iOS (iPhone Xs or later with iOS 18+)
Watch OS: watchOS 11
Processor: S8 SiP (64-bit dual-core)
Display Size: 40mm / 44mm
Display Type: Retina LTPO OLED (1000 nits)
Fitness Features: Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Gyroscope, Pedometer (No Blood Oxygen/ECG)
Battery Life: 18 hours (36h in Low Power Mode)
Separate App Store: ✔
Phone Call Capacity: ✔ (cellular model required)
Still, among Apple's carbon-neutral offerings, it is the most affordable product. Compatible with watchOS 11, you'll be able to benefit from the new Vitals app, which will eventually allow you to monitor your heart rate and breathing in a dashboard without searching through the Health or Fitness apps. Features like Crash Detection to notify your emergency contact and emergency services if you've been in a car accident and are unresponsive for 10 seconds help it last S8 chip, which is what the Series 8 possesses. It works with Family Setup and features support for international roaming, fall detection, and the newly redesigned Compass app. The nylon back makes it even lighter, and it comes in a tiny 40-mm case size. Should you own an Apple Watch, every member of your family desires one as well. The SE will work just well for you, your granny, and your nine-year-old.
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The Best Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 10
Phone OS Compatibility: iOS (iPhone Xs or later with iOS 18+)
Watch OS: watchOS 11
Processor: S10 SiP (64-bit dual-core + 4-core Neural Engine)
Display Size: 42mm / 46mm (30% larger screen area than Series 9)
Display Type: LTPO3 OLED (2000 nits, 40% brighter at angles)
Fitness Features:
- All Series 9 features + Sleep Apnea Detection, Water Temperature Sensor, Depth Gauge (6m)
- New "Life Signs" app (nocturnal health metrics)
- Battery Life: 18 hours (36h in Low Power Mode), 30-min fast charge to 80%
Separate App Store: ✔
Phone Call Capacity: ✔ (cellular model included)
Given that nearly every other fitness tracker on the planet has it, the Watch Series 10's lack of blood oxygen monitoring is very absurd and this evaluation carries a major caveat. That apart, the Breathing Disturbances of this year, which alerts you to sleep apnea using the Series 10's accelerometer, is its exceptional health feature. Sleep apnea usually calls for a disruptive sleep test to identify. A wearable you wear continuously is the ideal health aspect to track.
There are also some software and hardware improvements. It's faster charging, so it can monitor more of your daytime activities; it's thinner and lighter, so it's more comfortable to wear when sleeping. While I was in the shower every morning, I discovered that 20 to 30 minutes on a fast charger allowed me to top it up really easily. Given that many individuals become debilitated when they leap into water that's too cold, it also contains a lot of new water sports-related features, like water temperature, which is really important where I live. WatchOS 11 is most important since it has several new algorithms—including new comprehensive ones like Vitals—that will benefit from the sensors and larger screen, allowing you to determine whether you're off your baseline every morning and Training Load, so you can monitor how your exercises are affecting your fitness over time. Though lacking blood oxygen sensing, it's the greatest Apple Watch.
Best for Outdoor Sports
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2025 Model)
Phone OS Compatibility: iOS (iPhone Xs or later with iOS 18+)
Watch OS: watchOS 11
Processor: S9 SiP (64-bit dual-core + 4-core Neural Engine)
Display Size: 49mm
Display Type: LTPO OLED (3000 nits, flat sapphire crystal)
Fitness Features:
- Accelerometer, GPS (dual-frequency L1/L5), Heart Rate Monitor, Gyroscope, Pedometer
- Blood Oxygen, ECG, Temperature Sensor, Depth Gauge (40m), Water Temperature Sensor
- New: Sleep Apnea Detection, "Life Signs" nocturnal metrics
Battery Life: 36 hours (72h in Low Power Mode)
Separate App Store: ✔
Phone Call Capacity: ✔ (cellular included)
Would you like an Apple Watch to take the role of your running watch, cycle computer, and satellite messenger? Then, my friend, the Watch Ultra 2 is for you. Like the Series 10, it can track your nighttime breathing anomalies to alert you if you could have sleep apnea. The ultra-wideband chip for precise phone locati0n and S9 chipset from Series 9 let speedier processing and Double Tap. Its new, incredibly bright 3,000-nit screen also helps. On a sunny day on the lake, I saw no difference; nevertheless, if you are on a glacier somewhere...
Many of the Watch Ultra 2's greatest new outdoor functions, therefore, are only really clear when you are also within reach of your iPhone. The claimed offline maps are displayed on the watch only when you download them on your iPhone and have it charged and within Bluetooth range of the watch. Starting a cycling activity on your watch causes it to appear as a Live Activity on your iPhone. Many of these features—along with the useful Action button and the three-mic array—are also present on last year's first Watch Ultra. Once more, I would likely wait to update if you had previously purchased a Watch Ultra. But if this is your first, you will really love the Watch Ultra 2—this year it arrives with a satin-black titanium finish that looks even better than the previous iteration. If you enjoy outdoor activities but also desire the whole capability of a smartwatch, this is the watch to acquire—provided you don't accidently close the tab informing you how to return home. Unlike the Series 10, it lacks the blood oxygen sensor.
The Series 9 Checks for Sleep Apnea
Apple Watch Series 9
Phone OS Compatibility: iOS (iPhone only)
Watch OS: watchOS 10 (upgradable)
Processor: S9 SiP (Dual-Core + 4-core GPU)
Display Size: 41mm / 45mm
Display Type: LTPO OLED (Brighter: 2000 nits)
Fitness Features: All Series 8 features + Double Tap gesture, Precision Finding (U2 chip)
Battery Life: 18 hours (36h in Low Power Mode)
Separate App Store: ✔
Phone Call Capacity: ✔ (cellular model)
Do you think you might have sleep apnea? The Breathing Disturbances function works exclusively with the Series 10, the Watch Ultra 2, and the Series 9. You don't have to upgrade if you own a Series 9 from last year and are interested in this functionality. Its S9 chipset speeds up onboard processing of Siri commands, which significantly enhances battery life and supposedly offers better privacy for your sensitive medical data. It also features Double Tap, which draws on Apple's accessibility knowledge. As you touch your index finger and thumb on your watch hand twice to activate the main button on your watch screen, the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical sensor will pick up the tiny movements; this is great for starting and stopping timers or music around the kitchen.
Unlike the SE, the Series 9 features health sensors including skin temperature monitoring, blood oxygen sensing, and ECG tracking. It also works with watchOS 11. Finding it, though, could be difficult. Though you can still locate it on sale at other stores, Apple no longer offers the Series 9 on Apple.com.
If It’s on Sale for Under $300
Apple Watch Series 8
Phone OS Compatibility: iOS (iPhone only)
Watch OS: watchOS 9 (upgradable)
Processor: S8 SiP (Dual-Core)
Display Size: 41mm / 45mm
Display Type: LTPO OLED (Always-On)
Fitness Features: Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Gyroscope, Pedometer, Blood Oxygen, ECG, Temperature Sensor (women’s health)
Battery Life: 18 hours (36h in Low Power Mode)
Separate App Store: ✔ (App Store on watchOS)
Phone Call Capacity: ✔ (cellular model required for standalone calls)
Surprisingly, watchOS 11 only works with the second-gen Apple Watch SE and newer. Watches Series 4, 5, and first-gen SE rest in peace. But that means every watch from the Series 6 on is good to go. The Series 6 was the first Apple Watch to include blood oxygen monitoring; the ITC's prohibition has no impact on it or the Series 7 or 8.
The Series 8 is a quite capable watch if you can locate it discounted. Most of the enjoyable changes, after all, arrive in watchOS 11, which it supports. Unlike the Watch SE, it features all the health and safety technology, including the enhanced accelerometer for Crash Detection to notify your loved ones if you're in a car accident, sensors for tracking your skin temperature, and ECG and blood oxygen monitoring. You can always ping your iPhone, though!
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