During its “Far Out” event, Apple announced the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, new AirPods Pro headphones, and a host of new Apple Watches. We’re used to seeing an annual update to the Apple Watch, where one Series flagship begets another flagship, but this year marks the introduction of three new models: the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and a new Apple Watch SE. These watches are designed to offer new options in the entry-level, flagship (for generalists), and specialty markets.
At the end of the new line, the new Apple Watch SE continues the formula of the 2020 SE. It’s the “bargain” model, sacrificing niceties like an always-on display for a much lower price. Apple’s SE brand of budget-tier products are rarely the most exciting, but at least the arrival of this Apple Watch SE helps end the decrepit reign of the Apple Watch Series 3.
Further up the spectrum, the Series 8 continues the usual progression of previous top-tier Apple Watches, now with a new built-in temperature sensor. And for the first time, there’s a third model to sit on top, one with a completely differentiated set of capabilities. Despite the new Samsung-sounding moniker, the new Apple Watch Ultra is designed to cater to the outdoor-loving crowd, who typically turn to brands like Garmin for their needs.
So that’s a lot of Apple Watch. But what do the features and specifications look like in this new line? And are there any big improvements here over the outgoing Series 7 if you’re contemplating buying one of the ones on sale before they’re gone? We’ve only had brief hands-on experience so far, but let’s take a look at the specs and see where we can find the biggest differences or look for major omissions in these new units.
Apple Watch SE
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At the budget end, the Apple Watch SE offers us a mostly familiar approach: taking some of the latest technology and putting it in an older chassis to sell for less. That’s what the original Apple Watch SE did, and that’s what this new SE is doing now. The new SE looks a lot like the old SE, but includes the S8 CPU and Series 8 and Ultra fault detection. Oh, and the back of the new SE is the same color as the rest of the case, which is a nice little treat.
What you lose is the always-on display, ECG, and blood oxygen monitoring, which were also missing from the previous SE. But what you get is more money in your pocket, as the new 2022 Apple Watch SE starts at just $249 for a 40mm model with GPS or $299 with cellular. That’s $30 cheaper than the starting prices of the first SE when it launched in 2020.
apple watch series 8
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In any other year, the new Apple Watch Series 8 would be the top offering. It continues Apple’s ongoing development of its watch formula, which looks a lot like the Series 7 but now adds a sensor to detect your body temperature, as well as improved period and ovulation tracking. You also get the car accident detection that’s prevalent throughout this entire generation of Apple Watches because apparently Apple is really into car accidents right now. (The main video had an alarming amount of doom and gloom.)
Unlike the SE, it’s not making any big concessions outside of the Ultra’s extra rugged features (more on that in a bit). The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at the usual $399 for the 41mm model with GPS or $499 with cellular, or add $30 to either for the larger 45mm version.
apple watch ultra
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Lastly, the new kid on the block is trying to tackle an entirely new segment for Apple. The Apple Watch Ultra is Apple’s answer to rugged smartwatches and wearables from brands like Garmin and Polar, designed to take you into very remote places for activities like hiking and rock climbing. The Apple Watch Pro is made of titanium and is water resistant to 100 meters. Its flat screen measures 49mm wide, making it by far the thickest Apple Watch. It also has a programmable action button on its side. On the connectivity side, it supports multi-band GPS with trackback to help you navigate in very remote locations and retrace your steps on the return journey. It is sold in a single model with a natural titanium finish and GPS and cellular for $799.
Apple Watch Series 8 vs Ultra vs SE (2022) vs Series 7
| Categories | apple watch series 8 | apple watch ultra | Apple Watch SE (2022) | apple watch series 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | apple watch series 8 | apple watch ultra | Apple Watch SE (2022) | apple watch series 7 |
| starting price | $399 | $799 | $249 | $399 |
| Processor | S8 with dual core 64 bit processor | S8 with dual core 64 bit processor | S8 with dual core 64 bit processor | S7 with dual core 64 bit processor |
| watchOS version | os 9 clock | os 9 clock | os 9 clock | watchOS 8 (update to watchOS 9 on September 12) |
| Waterproof | Water resistant to 50 meters | Water resistant to 100 meters | Water resistant to 50 meters | Water resistant to 50 meters |
| dust resistance | IP6X rating | IP6X rating | Not Rated | IP6X rating |
| connectivity | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Case Material | Aluminum Stainless Steel | Titanium | Aluminum | Aluminum Stainless Steel |
| Weight (grams) | 41mm: 32g (aluminum) 42.3g (steel); 45mm: 38.8g (aluminum) 51.5g (steel) | 61.3g | 40mm: 26.4g (GPS) 27.8g (cellular); 44mm: 32.9g (GPS) 33g (Cellular) | 41mm: 32g (aluminum) 42.3g (steel) 37g (titanium); 45mm: 38.8g (aluminum) 51.5g (steel) 45.1g (titanium) |
| LTE | Yes, from $499 | Yes | Yes, from $299 | Yes, from $499 |
| gps | GPS-L1 | Dual frequency precision GPS (L1 and L5) | GPS-L1 | GPS-L1 |
| Integrated microphone and speaker | Yes | Yes, triple microphone array | Yes | Yes |
| W series wireless chip | W3 | W3 | W3 | W3 |
| U1 ultra-wideband support | Yes | Yes | Nope | Yes |
| Always active altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Crown Haptic Feedback | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| cardiac sensor | Third generation optical heart sensor | Third generation optical heart sensor | Second generation optical heart sensor | Third generation optical heart sensor |
| Temperature sensor | Yes | Yes | Nope | Nope |
| box sizes | 41mm, 45mm | 49mm | 40mm, 44mm | 41mm, 45mm |
| Display | OLED Retina LTPO Always On Display | OLED Retina LTPO Always On Display | Retina LTPO OLED display | Always-on Retina LTPO OLED display (1000 nits brightness) |
| Screen size (approx.) | 41mm: 1.61 inches, 45mm: 1.77 inches | 1.93 inches | 40mm: 1.57 inches, 44mm: 1.73 inches | 41mm: 1.61 inches, 45mm: 1.77 inches |
| Brightness of the screen | Up to 1000 nits of brightness | Up to 2000 nits of brightness | Up to 1000 nits of brightness | |
| screen resolution | 41mm: 352 by 430, 45mm: 396 by 484 | 410 by 502 | 40mm: 324 by 394, 44mm: 368 by 448 | 41mm: 352 by 430, 45mm: 396 by 484 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Estimated battery life | up to 18 hours | up to 36 hours | up to 18 hours | up to 18 hours |
| Family setup support | Yes, with mobile version | Yes | Yes, with mobile version | Yes, with mobile version |
| Fall detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SOS emergency | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| electrocardiogram app | Yes | Yes | Nope | Yes |
| blood oxygen app | Yes | Yes | Nope | Yes |
| noise monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High, low or irregular heart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| optical heart sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accident detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nope |
| low power mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | After a future software update |
| night mode | Nope | Yes | Nope | Nope |
| Additional sensors | Depth gauge and water temperature sensor, dive computer app | |||
| Colors | Aluminum: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Red; Steel: graphite, silver and gold; Hermes: silver and space black | natural titanium | midnight, starlight and silver | Aluminum: midnight, starlight, blue, green and red; Steel: graphite, silver and gold; Titanium: space black and titanium |
Which Apple Watch is right for you?
The Apple Watch has been a mainstay in Apple’s garden for years, but we’ve never had so many options at once. In the past, the question for Apple users was mostly whether or not to get an Apple Watch, as it’s the only game in town that has this level of integration with iOS. Now finding the right one for you may be something that requires a little more thought and consideration. Be sure to check out our spec comparison table and let us know in the comments if any of these sound like the right choice for you.
Correction September 8, 1:49 pm ET: The Apple Watch Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.3, not 5.0, as noted earlier in this article. We are sorry for the mistake.
Update September 8, 2:48 pm ET: Added the weights of all listed Apple Watch models to the comparison table.