Best Apple Watch to buy

Apple is arguably the biggest name in the smartwatches market. An Apple Watch puts your phone’s screen on your wrist, giving you notifications and apps without you needing to get your phone out, plus fitness features and cutting-edge health features. 

All the watches share the same design, but they aren't made equal. Processor, price and accuracy are just some of the differences, and features like LTE mean you can leave your iPhone at home if needed and still stay connected. We take a look at the ranges on offer, including the newest Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. 

You can also see how Apple Watches compare with other brands by heading to our list of the best smartwatches.

Logged-in Which? members can view the full Apple Watch results in the table below. If you’re not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access

The best Apple Watch overall

The best budget Apple Watch

The best Apple Watch for adventurers

Not found the product for you? Browse all of our Apple watch reviews or smartwatch reviews.

Is it worth buying an Apple Watch?

Amy Axworthy, Which? smartwatches expert, says:

Apple watches have a generous amount of high-end features beyond heart-rate monitoring and step tracking. The latest models can record your ECG to detect irregular heart rhythms, help detect sleep apnoea, and deliver comprehensive smart features you'd find on a smartphone. So only consider buying one if you're going to make use of a lot of the features.

Also, make sure you have an Apple iPhone before buying one since Apple watches are only compatible with iPhones. This means they won't work with Android phones at all. See our Android-compatible smartwatch reviews if you have an Android smartphone for alternatives.

How much will an Apple Watch cost?

Whichever watch you go for, you'll have a number of customisation options. So the price you pay will depend on factors like size of the screen, the material of the band and casing, whether you go for a designer version and whether you want LTE (also known as cellular connectivity).

The current range includes the second generation Apple Watch SE, Series 10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The 2023 series is still on sale too, featuring the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra.

The latest Apple Watch Series 10 starts at £399. The SE (pitched as a more affordable Apple Watch – and much cheaper than the others – but clearly still not exactly cheap) starts at around £242. The Apple Watch Ultra 2, built to survive more extreme sports, starts at a frightening £799.

Earlier Apple Watches are no longer available to buy direct from Apple, but some retailers are still selling them while stocks last and you can pick up second-hand versions from Apple's Refurbished store.

Do Apple watches only work with iPhones?

Yes, you will only be able to use an Apple Watch if you have an iPhone to connect it to. Android phones are not compatible.

Are Apple watches waterproof?

The now discontinued Series 2 was the first range of smartwatches from Apple to be made water-resistant, with a rating of 5ATM (so water resistant to up to 50 metres in depth for 10 minutes). Most recent Apple watches have followed suit. Apple says that the Series 9 and 10 are fine to wear whilst shallow swimming, but they won't be suitable for watersports or diving. However, this comes with the caveat that water-resistance levels can decrease over time. Check your strap is swimproof if you plan to take yours swimming, though.

It’s currently impossible to seal a speaker, because it needs air to produce sound, but Apple has got round this by creating a speaker that lets water in and then uses sound vibrations to eject it back out.

If you're want a device that has a higher level of water resistance, consider a watch in the Apple Watch Ultra range (pictured above). It is designed for extreme sports, including water sports. It's able to track scuba dives, for example, and will show you time spent underwater, current depth, water temperature and maximum depth reached. 

How long does an Apple Watch battery last?

Battery life – previously an Achilles heel for Apple Watches – is now much improved. It's still not the longest and each device can vary, but you won't be tied into daily charging anymore unless you keep the GPS on consistently, which is known to drain smartwatch batteries.

Our battery testing is based on 'typical use' and aims to replicate how long the smartwatch should last you based on how you use it each day. Of the Apple watches currently on the market, the worst battery life we tested lasted just over two days, and the best lasted more than four.

To find out more about how each watch varies, read our Apple smartwatch reviews.

How to choose the best Apple Watch

Find out more about the different features they offer and how they fared in our tests. 

• Apple Watch Series 10 review
• Apple Watch Series 9 review
• Apple Watch SE GPS review
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 review
• Apple Watch Ultra review

Exciting features that you'll find on the Series 9 and higher Apple smartwatches include specialised heart monitoring. These watches can:

• Notify you if your heart rate is too high or low
• Detect atrial fibrillation – irregular heart rhythms. Apple is being careful not to say that it definitely will detect this, but it could do 
• Take ECG (electrocardiogram) readings, which you can share with your doctor.

They can also detect if you've fallen over and call 999 on your behalf if you've been immobile for a minute. The cellular versions will do this even if you're not near your phone.

The Apple Watch Series 9, 10, Ultra and Ultra 2 have a blood-oxygen app, which the SE doesn't. The SE (pictured below) doesn't have the ability to take ECGs, either.  

watchOS

All the watches run off watchOS, Apple's operating system. This is designed to work exclusively with iOS devices and so can’t be used with Android or Windows. Check our smartwatches reviews for devices that are compatible with other operating systems. 

watchOS is a touch-based interface that offers the gamut of smart features beyond reading and responding to messaged and emails, making and receiving phone calls, and dealing with social media notifications. You can also use the watch to craft social media posts from scratch and make contactless payments via Apple Pay. You can use the voice-command feature courtesy of Siri. You can take screenshots, unlock your Mac from your watch instead of typing in the password and you can send your live location direct from your wrist. 

You can share your activity rings with friends if you want to show them your progress and you can comment on friends' activity rings. 

For a bit of fun, you can also hear the time spoken aloud by Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse. 

In September 2023, Apple released a new version of its operating system – watchOS 10. This comes pre-installed on the most recent Apple Watches and is available for the Series 4 onwards. If it's not pre-installed, you'll need to download iOs16 onto your iPhone.

If you own a Series 3, you won't have access to watchOS 10, as Apple has dropped support for the Series 3.

Design

All Apple Watches look similar, with a round-cornered rectangular face, touchscreen display and circular button on the side for scrolling through menus and notifications. As of the Series 4, the digital crown gives haptic feedback (small vibrations) for what Apple calls a more 'precise, mechanical feel'.

Apple has come a long way from the Series 1, which could only be bought with a rubber strap. For the Series 10, available straps include silicone, leather and designer versions. If you already own a band from a previous Apple Watch, you'll be able to use it for the Series 10.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10 have the biggest and brightest Apple Watch screens yet. The SE is slightly smaller.

Processor

All Apple Watches use an onboard processor.

The Series 9, second generation SE and Ultra are powered by a S8 SiP advanced dual-core processor. The latest Series 10 and Ultra 2 got another upgrade. This chip allows the watch to do more actions locally without relying on your iPhone.

Built-in GPS

Built-in GPS lets you track your routes without relying on your smartphone, so you can leave your mobile at home when heading out for a run for instance. It’s available on models from the Series 3 onwards.

Or, for a much cheaper alternative, head to our guide to buying one of the best cheap smartwatches.