The Apple Watch 7 is an incremental update to the Apple Watch 6, with a nearly identical set of core features paired with a slightly larger screen.
So where does that leave Apple's value-focused alternative, the Apple Watch SE? Unlike the Apple Watch 6, it's still available for purchase from Apple.
Here's how these two smartwatches compare. Our conclusion may surprise you.
Apple Watch 7 vs. Apple Watch SE: price and availability
The Apple Watch 7 went on sale on October 15, 2021. Prices start at €399 / £369 / AU$599 for the 41mm non-cellular model, rising to €429 / £399 / AU$649 for the 45mm model.
As for the 41mm cellular version, that'll cost you €499 / €469 / €749 AU, while the 45mm cellular model costs €529 / €499 / €799 AU – not including the price of a data plan, clear.
The Apple Watch SE went on sale on September 18, 2020. However, unlike the Apple Watch 6, it is still on sale. Prices remained largely the same, except for a drop for UK users due to currency adjustments.
iPhone SE prices start from $279 / £249 / AU$429 for the 40mm GPS model. Adding LTE to this equation will set you back $329 / £319 / AU$429.
The larger 44mm GPS model costs €309 / £279 / AU$499, while the 44mm LTE model costs €359 / £329 / AU$549.
Essentially, each Apple Watch 7 will set you back more than $100/$100 premium over its equivalent Apple Watch SE. Is this price increase worth it?
Today's best Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch SE deals
Apple Watch 7 vs. Apple Watch SE: design and screen
Despite the price disparity, the design of the Apple Watch 7 and the Apple Watch SE are similar. After all, Apple's "rounded square" approach applies to all Apple wearables.
There are two key differences here. The Apple Watch 7 has a stronger body and a larger screen.
The former comes in the form of an IP6X rating, which makes it resistant to dust, as well as a tempered sapphire glass display that's more resistant to scuffs and scratches than the Watch SE's Ion-X reinforced glass. However, both devices are waterproof to 50 meters.
In the latter case, the screen of the Apple Watch 7 is 1,9 inches, 20% larger than the equivalent of the Apple Watch SE of 1,78 inches. This provides a significantly clearer view of content and also allows Apple to add things like a full keyboard and more information-rich watch faces.
The Watch 7's screen curves more than the SE's. Apple's new Contour Watch takes advantage of this, making the numbers visible from the side.
What you don't get with the Apple Watch SE that you get with the Watch 7 is an always-on display, which instantly brings a huge usability advantage to the newer, more expensive device. It's still frustrating that Apple hasn't implemented this in the Watch SE, as it still has the Low Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO) technology that would make it possible.
Despite that larger screen, the Apple Watch 7 as a whole is only slightly larger than the Apple Watch SE. It is just as wide, 1mm taller and a fraction of a millimeter thicker. The smaller Apple Watch 7 weighs 6g more.
A millimeter was also added to the two base strap sizes, but overall there isn't much.
More fundamentally, the Apple Watch 7 is available in aluminum or stainless steel, while the Apple Watch SE is only available in aluminum.
Apple introduced five new colors with the Apple Watch 7: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Green, and Product Red. They're not the flashiest or most exciting colors, but they certainly beat the Apple Watch SE's meager gold, silver, and space gray options. .
Apple Watch 7 vs Apple Watch SE: Fitness and Features
The core feature sets of these two smartwatches are similar, with both watches running WatchOS 8.
They also have a similar range of health tracking sensors. Both watches support GPS and heart rate monitoring, making them broadly competitive with most dedicated fitness trackers. However, they are not as accurate or complete as the best ones.
Another shared feature is sleep tracking, although it's relatively basic in both cases.
Where they really differ in this regard is that the Apple Watch SE lacks the electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood oxygen (SPO2) facilities of the Apple Watch 7. These were introduced in 2020 with the Watch 6, but haven't found their match. way on the cheaper Apple Watch SE.
ECG gives the Watch 7 the ability to read heartbeat data and detect irregular heartbeats that could prevent more serious heart problems, if you're concerned.
Of course, one of Apple's biggest health and fitness features of late is the Apple Fitness+ service, which gives you a comprehensive platform of guided video content for your Apple TV, iPad, or iPhone. And this is available no matter what device you use.
Apple Watch 7 vs Apple Watch 6: operating system, power and battery
The Apple Watch 7 is powered by Apple's latest S7 wearable chip, though it's essentially the same as the earlier S6. That means it's only one generation ahead of the Apple Watch SE's S5 chip.
Ultimately, you're unlikely to notice much of a difference in performance between these two smartwatches. Both are among the smoothest and smoothest runners in smartwatches, thanks to Apple's expertise in custom processors and expert optimization.
You also get a generous 32GB of internal storage with both devices.
Both now run on WatchOS 8, so there's no difference between the two beyond a few unique watch faces (like the Modular Duo face) that accentuate the Watch 7's larger screen. Features like the new watch face with portrait mode photos, hand washing notifications and Assistive Touch is available to users of both wearable devices.
Apple claims that both watches can reach 18 hours of battery life. In our experience, the Apple Watch can go beyond that to around 24 hours, and the Apple Watch SE can go even longer.
We were able to get up to 36 hours on a single charge with the Watch SE. You can probably thank the lack of an always-on display and those advanced tracking features for that extended stamina.
Apple Watch 7 returns with faster charging. Thanks to the use of faster coils and a faster USB-C charging cable, Apple Watch 7 can charge from 0% to 100% in 64 minutes, almost twice as fast as Apple Watch SE.
Wear
The Apple Watch 7 is undoubtedly a superior smartwatch to the Apple Watch SE. It has a larger screen that stays on at all times, a wider range of finishes and colors, seemingly faster performance, and the ability to test with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and track blood oxygen (SPO2).
However, we suspect these additional features won't be important to most potential buyers. Or at least not enough to warrant a price premium of more than €100/€100.
If you want the best wearable device money can buy and a device that can be used for many years, then the Apple Watch 7 is the best smartwatch for no money.
If you're just looking for a compact, multifunctional smartwatch that provides access to basic fitness tracking and exclusive Apple apps and services, including Apple Fitness+, then the Apple Watch SE will be a better fit for most people.
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