Thanks to its manageable size and comprehensive feature set, the Apple Watch SE is one of my favorite smartwatches. Even at full price, it’s the best affordable smartwatch on the market today.
But, you don’t have to pay full price. Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon has the smaller 40mm Apple Watch SE on sale for 24% off, knocking the cost down from $249 to just $189.
While the 2nd-generation SE doesn’t offer as many holistic features as the newer and pricier Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, nor does it sport as bright a screen as either of those devices, it does run on the same watchOS 11 operating system as its siblings, which translates to compatibility with many of Apple’s best smart features.
These include Apple’s handy Check In safety feature, which keeps loved ones appraised of your location when you're out and about, whether on a run, commuting to work or headed to a social engagement. You also get access to on-wrist translations, the ability to pause your Activity Rings on days you need a break from physical excursion, improved women’s health tracking, a handy new tide monitoring app for ocean lovers and more.
Plus, like the Apple Watch Series 10, the SE boasts 18 hours of battery life, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, useful sleep insights, fall and crash detection, and a comfortable, lightweight and sleek design. It’s also a competent fitness tracker, beating the pricier Pixel Watch 3 in our accuracy test.
