Apple Watch SE Review: Don’t Sleep on it

The upgrades to the new Apple Watch SE are subtle rather than revolutionary, but they will keep the watch feeling quick and modern for many years to come. The cheapest smartwatch in Apple's portfolio as of right now is the 2022 Apple Watch SE replacing both the Series 3 and the original Apple Watch SE model.

Apple Watch SE Review: Design

The new Apple Watch SE may be mistaken for the 2020 model at first appearance. Similar to its predecessor, the new SE is offered in 40- and 44-millimeter sizes with an aluminium finish. The SE's colour schemes, however, have changed. While the 2020 model comes in silver, space grey, and gold, you can pick from midnight, starlight, or silver for the newer model.

Apple redesigned the back of the new SE, with all new materials and finish. The back is perfectly colour matched with the watch case. The case is made from 100% recycled aluminium.

Apple Watch SE Review: Display

The larger screen available on the Series 8 and Series 7 is absent from the Apple Watch SE, but in most cases, this didn't make much of a difference. Throughout this review, I've alternated between using the Series 8 and the new SE and never felt that the screen was small on the SE. You might be better off with the larger sized Apple Watches if you prefer larger text size.

The two major features missing from the Watch SE are the lack of full size keyboard and the Always on Display, which I have become accustomed to. Similarly priced Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has both these features. I hope Apple will introduce them with a software update.

It seems to make sense that the SE lacks some functionality present on the Series 8 and other flagship smartwatches. But after making its debut three years ago, it seems like an always-on display ought to be a standard feature across the whole Apple Watch series at this time.

Apple Watch SE Review: Performance

One area where Apple has not made any compromise is with the internals of the SE. The S8 processor, which also powers the Series 8, is found within the Apple Watch SE. Overall, the SE feels speedy and fluid as a result; programmes ran swiftly, and Siri immediately understood what I said.

The new SE is 20% faster than the old one, according to Apple, and the improvement is apparent. On the new SE, apps opened immediately, which occasionally paused on the 2020 Apple Watch SE.

Apple Watch SE Review: Safety Features

Car-Crash Detection

The ability to identify Car accidents is one of the significant new features coming to the Apple Watch SE, Series 8, and Ultra. To make this possible, Apple improved the accelerometer and gyroscope in its new watch series. The business also claims that the data used to create its crash detection system comes from expert crash test facilities that replicate head-on, rear-end, side-impact, and rollover collisions.

Health Tracking

Both the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE comes with a variety of exercise modes, sleep tracking and a swim proof design. On both watches, you'll receive alerts for high and low heart rates as well as irregular heart rhythms. I didn't notice much of a difference when I switched to Watch SE 2 after over a year of using the Series 7.

Apple Watch SE Review: Battery Life

The battery life on the Apple Watch SE is a mixed bag. The bad news is that Apple hasn’t improved the battery life at all. The new SE as well as Series 8 have the same 18 hours battery life. On the other hand, with this generation, Apple introduced a new low power mode.

When on, low power mode limits several features and sensors, like the background Heart Rate monitor, automatic Workout detection and more. With low power mode, Apple claims that the Watch SE can last for 36 hrs. The difference should be more apparent in Series 8 and Watch Ultra because they contain additional features that will be restricted in low-power mode, like an always-on display and measures of blood oxygen saturation.

Verdict

If you want a new Apple Watch but don't want to spend Rs 45900 or more, the Apple Watch SE 2 is an excellent option at Rs 29900. The new device costs around Rs 6000 more than the previous-generation Apple Watch Series 3, which was previously the least priced watch in the company's collection. For Rs 6000 more, you'll get a significantly speedier CPU, a larger screen, fall detection, and compatibility for Apple's WatchOS 9 software, among other things.

Overall, if you're moving from an earlier watch like the Series 3 or purchasing an Apple Watch for the first time, the SE is the best option. However, the majority of those who purchased a new Apple Watch during the last three years may probably ignore this.