Which Apple Watch should you buy in 2020?
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The Flagship
Apple Watch Series 6
Pros
- Always-on display
- Blood oxygen app
- Stainless steel and titanium options
Cons
- Not much different than Series 5
- Can get very expensive quickly
The latest Apple Watch flagship offers the most advanced features to date on the wearable device.
Fresh alternative
Apple Watch SE
Pros
- Still packs a punch
- Great mid-priced alternative
Cons
- No support for always-on display
- No blood oxygen app
Cupertino's first-ever mid-priced Apple Watch comes with lots of bells and whistles for less.
For 2020/21, Apple has decided to release not one, but two new Apple Watches. If you're looking for everything Apple Watch has to offer, you'll want to invest in the Series 6. If you want to save some money, but still want most of the cutting edge features found on that model, go with the all-new SE.
Apple Watch Series 6 vs Apple Watch SE
It's difficult to see the differences between these two Apple Watch models, at least on the outside. Dig deeper, however, and you can see where the less expensive SE lacks, as the following chart shows.
| Series 6 | SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $399 | $279 |
| Case materials | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium |
Aluminum |
| Case sizes | 40mm 44mm |
40mm 44mm |
| Battery performance | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Screen material | Sapphire Crystal (Stainless Steel, Titanium) Ion X glass (Aluminum) |
Ion X glass (Aluminum) |
| Display quality | Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display (1000 nits) | Retina LTPO OLED display (1000 nits) |
| Processor | S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor | S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor |
| Wireless chipset | W3 | W3 |
| Ultra Wideband | U1 | None |
| Water resistance | 50 meters | 50 meters |
| Features | Compass Always-on altimeter Second-generation optical heart sensor Accelerometer up to 32 g-forces Ambient light sensor Fall detection Blood oxygen sensor Electrical heart sensor |
Compass Always-on altimeter Second-generation optical heart sensor Accelerometer up to 32 g-forces Ambient light sensor Fall detection |
| Storage capacity | 32GB | 32GB |
Apple Watch Series 6: Better health and more
The Apple Watch Series 6 is the first to offer a blood oxygen sensor. Like the Series 5 before it, the model also has an electrical heart sensor and always-on display. The latter has been "enhanced" for this year. The Series 6 also includes a fresh dual-core S6 SiP.
As the current flagship, the Series 6 is also the only Apple Watch to come in stainless steel, titanium, and Hermès. There are also Series 6 aluminum model exclusives, blue and (PRODUCT)RED. Finally, Series 6 is the only Apple Watch to include a U1 chip. First introduced on the iPhone 11 series, the chip offers improved spatial awareness and accuracy than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi.
Who should buy the Apple Watch Series 6
If you're looking for the latest and greatest Apple Watch, the Series 6 is the choice for you. It's the one with the most features and styles. It's two biggest features, the blood oxygen monitor and electrical heart sensor, take wellness to new levels.
Apple Watch SE: Much is the same
With the Apple Watch SE, you still get many of the same features found on the Series 6 but lack the entry-level Series 3. These include 32GB storage, a bigger display, fall detection, international emergency calling, noise monitoring, support for Family Setup, compass, always-on altimeter, Digital Crown with haptic feedback, second-generation speaker, and mic, a ceramic and sapphire crystal back.
Regardless of the model you select, be sure to check out some of our favorite Watch bands!
Who should buy the Apple Watch SE
For those new to Apple Watch, the SE could be the model for you. Offering many of the same features as the Series 6, the SE is aggressively priced and a much better solution than the Series 3.
Our pick
Apple Watch Series 6
From $399 at Apple From $399 at Amazon From $399 at Best Buy
Health and wellness tools continue to get added to Apple Watch, as the latest flagship shows.
Budget pick
Apple Watch Series SE
From $279 at Apple From $279 at AmazonFrom $279 at Best Buy
Skip the Apple Watch Series 3 and get this one instead. It's more like the Series 6 and still has many of the same features.