The best Apple Watch for you depends on what you’re looking for out of a smartwatch. Do you want an Apple Watch for fitness tracking? A watch that can mirror notifications from your iPhone? Or do you want a device that can save your life in certain emergencies?
Many Apple Watch models can do all of those things, but some do it better than others. Despite the limited visible differences between Apple’s annual refreshes, each Apple Watch generation has distinct perks that make it the best smartwatch every year. In short: The best Apple Watch always gets better.
That's the case with the latest Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 2022's year's Apple Watch SE. This lineup of smartwatches has something for everyone. But which is the best Apple Watch for you? Read below to find out.
Editors' Note: For now the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Series 2 remain on sale following a pause on patent-related ban. We will update this guide as we learn more.
The quick list
Here's a quick overview of the best Apple Watch you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews. In-depth analysis on each of the three smartwatches can be found further down this page.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is the best smartwatch yet thanks to significant performance upgrades and the addition of a handy new double-tap gesture, making it the best Apple smartwatch for most people.
The Apple Watch SE (2022) offers an excellent smartwatch value, with many of the top Apple Watch features for a fraction of the price. It even comes in an LTE option, making it a low-cost watch for safety and connectivity.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the most premium Apple Watch yet, offering the largest display and longest-lasting battery life. It's a rugged choice for athletes and people looking for a powerful smartwatch experience.
My name is Kate and I oversee our guides to the best smartwatches, best Android smartwatches, best Apple Watches, best Samsung watches and more. This means I usually walk around like a cyborg with multiple devices on my wrists. I've been testing wearable tech for Tom's Guide for more than 5 years, documenting my experience on the site, on our YouTube channel and on my Instagram.
The best Apple Watch you can buy today
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The best Apple Watch overall
With the exception of a subtle pink finish, there's nothing noteworthy looks-wise with the Apple Watch Series 9. Instead, its S9 processor introduces the watch's most significant performance boost in years, powering a brighter display and faster Siri interactions. An improved ultra-wideband chip enables new ecosystem functions, too. What’s more, the new double tap gesture makes it possible to carry out a slew of Apple Watch Series 9 controls one-handed.
Due to a patent dispute between Apple and Masimo, the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are no longer for sale from Apple.com. You can still get these watches from other retailers while supplies last.
While not much has changed from a design perspective, during testing, we found the Apple Watch 9 faster. When switching between apps and navigating menus, the Series 9 certainly felt more responsive next to the Series 8. Using the new Smart Stack UI in watchOS 10 felt effortless as well.
The display is also brighter on the Apple Watch 9, at 2,000 nits. That's double the brightness rating of the Apple Watch Series 8, making it easier to see your stats on the move. Thanks to all the performance upgrades, this is the best Apple Watch you can buy right now.
- Read our full Apple Watch Series 9 review
The best value Apple Watch
The Apple Watch SE is kind of a hybrid device, pairing an older Apple Watch design with the Apple Watch Series 8's chipset. The $249 (AU$399) smartwatch doesn't have all the Series 8's features, but still stands out for its great fitness tracking and safety features. It also offers an LTE option, making it a good choice for those interested in trying out Family Setup.
When choosing between the Series 8 and SE your ultimate decision will be if you want to spend an extra $150 (AU$230) for a brighter display with an always-on option, an ECG monitor and skin temperature, and a bigger display. If those tools aren't deal-breakers for you, the SE is a highly capable option for iPhone users. It even gets watchOS 9, the most up-to-date Apple Watch software with low power mode, fresh new watch faces, an upgraded workout interface, a redesigned compass tool and the new Medications app.
So for now, your decision comes down to the Apple Watch Series 8 vs. Apple Watch SE (2022). Take a closer look at how they compare below.
- Read our full Apple Watch SE (2022) review
The best Apple Watch for athletes
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best Apple Watch to buy if you're doing any serious training. Like the original Ultra, the second version also has a third button — the Action Button, which makes pausing the watch, or lapping the watch on the move, that little bit easier with sweaty fingers, or when wearing gloves.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, Apple has added features that have been available on most of the best running watches for years, but the Ultra 2 does feel like an upgrade from the Apple Watch Series 9 from a running perspective. Its 49mm screen is huge, but it's built for adventure — plus, the screen is brighter than before, up to 3,000 nits from 2,000 nits. In direct sunlight the improvement is subtle, but during testing, we could see it more clearly than the Apple Watch Series 9.
While there's not a lot of physical difference between the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, under the screen, there's a big one. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 packs the S9 processor, which promises the first true power upgrade since the Apple Watch Series 6. Apple claims it's 25% more efficient, built on 5.6 billion transistors with 30% faster GPU animations and 4-core neural engines that enable machine learning twice as fast.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the best battery life of any Apple Watch. Even with a brighter display, the watch gets 36 hours of battery life with normal use. With low power mode, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets up to 72 hours of battery, increased from 60 hours offered through the original.
In workout modes, the bigger screen allows for seven data fields, rather than six. That said, if you're looking for longer battery life, recovery metrics, or the ability to upload maps onto the watch, you're better off shopping for one of the Garmins on this list.
- Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review
How to choose the best Apple Watch for you
Choosing the best Apple Watch for you doesn’t need to be a hard decision. In most cases, it will come down to the newest Apple Watch 9 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Apple Watch SE might be a better option for first-time users, though.
No matter which you choose, you’ll benefit from the watchOS 10 software update, meaning all three watches will have several features in common. Just be sure to review our Apple Watch guide so you know how to make the most of your smartwatch.
And, if you’re still questioning which Apple Watch is best, or whether the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for you, take a look at our smartwatch buying guide. It includes our face-offs, which may help you determine whether a fitness tracker from Fitbit better suits your needs.
If your band has seen better days, be sure to also check out how to clean an Apple Watch band.
Should you get an Apple Watch with Cellular?
Select models of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch SE (2022) support LTE service. LTE-capable models come at a $50 (AU$80) or $100 premium. The Apple Watch Ultra comes with LTE by default.
It’s important to know that the cost of liberating your Apple Watch from your iPhone won’t end there. You’ll need to pay a monthly fee to your cellular provider to support your watch’s phone-free features.
We still bring our iPhones everywhere, so we haven’t felt like LTE is a must for Apple Watch users yet. That said, as the Apple Watch becomes more autonomous, there could be more scenarios in which leaving your phone behind makes sense. There’s a safety benefit to having LTE, too — if your phone dies or gets lost, your Apple Watch is able to keep you in touch. It's also helpful if you know how to use Apple Pay on Apple Watch.
