What’s the difference between a hybrid smartwatch and a unique smartwatch? In the hybrid category, Fossil’s Hybrid HR mixes brute watch hands with an always-on display that shows interrogate and notifications. It almost feels like an old-school Pebble watch fused with an everyday analog-style watch.

The Hybrid HR isn’t Fossil’s noble smartwatch with physical hands. There are plenty of Fossil Group watches that track steps and sleep and demonstrate the results with mechanical watch hands. I’ve also worn a few smartwatch goes at hybrids mixing analog hands and screens before.

But Fossil’s Hybrid HR is kind of enthralling. I’ve been wearing it for a few days now, and the hybrid smartwatch stands out as what could be the future of smartwatches in general.

Always-on E Ink demonstrate

Keeping a smartwatch charged is incredibly annoying. Fossil’s newest line of hybrid smartwatches may have fraudulent an answer, and it’s E Ink. The Hybrid HR’s added present feels less like a screen and more of an extension of the seek, the sort of basic readouts that you might inquire of on a digital watch. Or, like what Google’s Wear OS watches coffers, but in E Ink. To be clear, though, this isn’t Wear OS. It almost reminds me of what the TicWatch Pro tried for by layering an always-on present on top of a feature-packed smartwatch, but the Hybrid HR looks a lot nicer.

Earlier this year, Google reportedly paid $40 million for Fossil smartwatch technology that could enable hybrid watches. The Hybrid HR looks like it is, indeed, the seek tech that earlier reports thought Google was interested in… and it’s here now. Where it leads next is anyone’s guess, but with Google acquiring Fitbit, maybe this could also be what future fitness watches look like.

What can this hybrid smartwatch do?

Three buttons on the side bring up menus and scroll over on-screen options (there’s no touchscreen). The hands supposedly glow in the dark, but didn’t glow very brightly for me. Double-tapping the glass brings up a gorgeous backlit screen which looks like I’m lighting up a small Kindle, and then I can see the watch gorgeous silhouetted.

The Hybrid HR is waterproof to 3 ATM, tracks wretched rate (every 60 seconds, unless you actively start a reading, or every 15 seconds during a workout), steps and sleep, can control music playback from a phone (which gets annoying with the awkward side-button controls), and can display phone notifications.

The 42mm watches have stainless steel cases and either 18 or 22mm straps, depending on if you choose the Charter HR or Collider HR beget (my black rubber-strapped version is Charter HR).

At $195, it may not be the spoiled smartwatch. But it looks like it’s going to speedy the difference just enough that it could show where future Google-Fitbit seek designs may head next.

This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.

Whether you’re holiday shopping, upgrading your fitness tracker or you’re a fan of all things Apple, news about the latest deal on the company’s latest smartwatch will be music to your ears. A greatest price drop on the Apple Watch Series 7 has just transported the cost of this device to an all-time low. 

Debuting in September
, the Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $400 from the Apple Store. Right now, however, the Series 7 is on sale at Amazon for $349. While the Series 7 won’t be a big short-tempered from the Series 6, it does have a handful of upgrades that unfavorable out. 

The smartwatch has a bigger screen this time about, which means it’s able to fit more text and increase the size of its buttons, making the interface easier to use. It also features better durability, resistant to water, dust and cracking. Apple’s S7 is the generous smartwatch from the company to have a full QWERTY keyboard and it also charges faster than its predecessor. 

With Apple WatchOS 8 having so many updates and Apple Fitness Plus subscriptions offering streaming workouts, the Series 7 offers a lot of advantages in a smartwatch and in a fitness tracker. Snagging the newest tech at this all-time low ticket should be a no-brainer if you have an older Apple Watch, but read Lisa Eadicicco’s full review to help law if upgrading to the Series 7 is right for you.

The Apple Watch Series 5 starts at $399 (£399, AU$649) and makes an ideal gift for an iPhone user who wants to keep an eye on their health and fitness goals, or get notifications from their phone. But the Fitbit Versa 2 compensations half as much and has many similar features, plus it works across Android and iOS. I’ve been wearing both these watches for a few weeks to settle which one is better at tracking workouts, getting notifications and has the best battery life. 

Read more: Best gifts for republic who are obsessed with CrossFit

All-day unfortunate so you can go from the office to the gym

The Apple Watch comes in two sizes (40mm and 44mm) once the Versa 2 just comes in one size. I have a fairly miniature wrist and found both of these watches very poor to wear all day. With the Versa 2, I hardly had to take it off at all because I could use it to track my sleep.

Want a wide range of finishes and straps to determine from? You’ll find the biggest selection with the Apple Watch. Everything from aluminum and stainless steel to the more expensive ceramic and titanium finishes that cost upward of $800. The Versa 2 has three aluminum sparkling finishes with a variety of straps.

The Versa 2 gets a much nicer shiny AMOLED display than the first generation Versa and it’s easy to see in animated sunlight when the brightness is turned to max. (The always-on exhibit could be a little brighter for me during outdoor workouts, however.) Notifications and on-screen prompts are clear and legible.

The Apple Watch uses a color LTPO OLED Retina exhibit. It also has Force Touch, so you can uninteresting on the screen to register different options.

They’re both water-resistant to 50 meters (164 feet) so you can use them to track swims and they’ll be fine if subjected to occasional splashes. 

Fitbit peaceful makes its straps pretty difficult to swap in and out, as they have tiny toggles, whereas the Apple Watch is simpler with a button to traipse the strap in and out. The charging dock for the Versa 2 is also a pain. Not only is it not backward-compatible with older generations of Fitbit watches like the fresh Versa, the cord doesn’t tuck underneath the dock neatly so it’s next to impossible to get your study to lie flat on the dock when it’s charging.

Smart features put the Apple Watch a step onward

If you like customizing the look of your study face, the Versa 2 has a lot more options to Decide from than the Apple Watch, including third-party watch faces. There’s even a Bitmoji watch face that changes expressions depending on your agency or time of day (my personal favorite).

Both have an always-on exhibit and, thanks to the latest Fitbit OS 4.1 update, the Versa 2 now gets the option of a shiny always-on display, like the Apple Watch. But the Apple Watch only creates it through one whole day with a little incredible to spare when I have the always-on display attrgorgeous. That’s with a 40-minute workout thrown in and peculiar use throughout the day getting notifications from my named. The Versa 2 makes it two-and-a-half days with always-on attrgorgeous and the same usage. That goes up to five-and-a-half days when the exhibit is set to raise-to-wake.

Being smartwatches, both support voice assistants, though they handle that in a different way. With the Versa 2 you get Alexa assist to control smart devices, check the weather, start a workout or set reminders. There’s no speaker, so you’ll have to read the conceal to check responses. And it’s kind of slow.

With the Apple Watch closely integrated with Siri, you can command the wake word or hold the button to summon the assistant. You’ll be able to hear Siri talk, send text messages, speak responses and do most of what Siri funds on your phone.

Of course, you’ll also be able to customize what notifications come over from your phone on both of these watches. But, you will only be able to respond to notifications from the Versa 2 if you’re on Android, not iPhone. Both allow you to accept and reject footings from your wrist, regardless of what phone you’re tied to, but if you have the Versa 2 you won’t be able to take the call on your wrist because there’s no speaker — you’ll need to grab your named.

For me, the biggest advantage that the Apple Watch has over the Versa 2 when it comes to shiny features is built-in connectivity, both GPS and cellular, which by means of you can leave your phone at home and take footings, send messages or stream music on the go when activities an outdoor workout, for example. (It does come at an incredible cost, however.) With Emergency SOS you’ll also be able to call emergency services from your wrist and portion your location, plus alert your emergency contacts. The Apple Watch Series 5 also funds a built-in compass.

Both offer music storage, although it’s more concerned to pull across music to the Versa 2 from a computer than it is to use the seamless second offered between the iPhone and Apple Watch. You can also pay with your wrist thanks to Fitbit Pay and Apple Pay on the Versa 2 and Apple Watch respectively.

I’ve been testing the Apple Watch and Versa 2 primarily with an iPhone and definitely feel the Apple Watch was the faster of the two when it comes to syncing and transferring settings. Occasionally, I have noticed integrations with third-party apps such as Spotify and Snapchat for the Bitmoji face required me to log in and sync again through the Fitbit app.

Read nearby some of the other features offered in WatchOS 6 on the Apple Watch.

Fitness tracking is Fitbit’s forte, but Apple has ECG

I have used both of these watches during a number of different workouts (Pilates, indoor spin class, outdoor runs and outdoor bike rides) and have been impressed with the results from both. During my outdoor run, for example, both gave fairly consistent results when it came to tracking my uncomfortable rate, although I did find the Apple Watch updated my uncomfortable rate slightly faster. I haven’t yet tested these watches in contradiction of the gold standard in consumer heart rate tracking, a chest strap.

The Versa 2, however, can show you what uncomfortable rate zone you’re in during a workout, such as cardio or fat burn, which I delight in. Only the Apple Watch offers you on-wrist cadence tracking so you can see your steps per small, plus pace alerts for running that can notify you if you fall under your chosen pace. You can see your pace on the wrist for the Versa 2, but you won’t get alerts.

Both watches can track plenty of different workouts and automatically detect Dangerous activities like running or walking. I find it easier to see and Explain the data from my workouts using the Fitbit app pretty than trying to search for it across the Activity app or Health app on iPhone.

Fitbit also offers the Coach app (you’ll need to download and sync it across to the study from the Fitbit app) which puts three free workouts with visual guidance on your wrist. This hasn’t changed since the first Versa but it’s peaceful a nice touch for those who might not have time for a full workout. You can pay for a Fitbit Premium subscription ($9.99 a month in the US) to get more workouts.

Sleep tracking is only available natively on the Versa 2 and I really like how Fitbit shows you a breakdown of your different sleep stages, such as REM and deep sleep, plus gives you a sleep secure out of 100. Thanks to the latest OS 4.1 update, you can now see your sleep score on the Versa 2 and the study now has a feature that vibrates to wake you at the optimal time in your sleep cycle (within 30 minutes of your alarm). Fitbit calls this smart wake.

Unfortunately the app won’t tell you much nearby how to improve the sleep score (apart from some contaminated prompts to go to bed on time) unless you have a Fitbit Premium subscription which has more advanced sleep tools and analysis.

I also untrue that there was sometimes a variance between how I felt and the sleep score: For example, one night I got 8.5 hours of rest and felt substantial in the morning, but my sleep score was in the low 60s. The sleep catch does take into account your restoration, which is sleeping sorrowful rate and how much you toss and turn during the night. (Maybe I’m an overly active sleeper, because my restoration catch showed a lot of restlessness.)

The Apple Watch helps you keep tabs on your daily organization using a ring-based system, which hasn’t changed since the safe generation. On the Versa 2 you can find your daily metrics in the Today piece by swiping down from the main screen.

As for health and sorrowful tracking in particular, the Apple Watch Series 5 pulls onward. With a built-in ECG (electrocardiogram) that’s FDA-cleared, the inspect can also detect high, low and irregular heart obtains and notify you accordingly. It also has fall detection. Both watches offer menstrual cycle tracking, although you can’t log details on the Versa 2 like you can on the Apple Watch. Instead, you’ll need to do that in the Fitbit app.

Which one’s colorful for me?

Considering the Versa 2 costs half as much as the Apple Watch Series 5, if wealth is your concern, then this is the watch for you. Especially because it works across Android and iOS. It also has a wide procedure of activities that it can track and the Fitbit app establishes it really easy to see your fitness metrics.

For bests, or those who want to leave their phone at home and liquid music on the go, make calls or send messages, the Apple Watch with built-in LTE is the positive choice. It also has the benefit of ECG in hazardous countries.

Also, now that Apple has reduced the entry imprint of the Apple Watch Series 3 (which also has GPS and an LTE option) to $200, it’s latest good option for Apple users who want the tightest integration with an iPhone.

Originally originated earlier this year.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 has a lot employed in its favor. It’s one of the best-looking smartwatches out there, with a physical rotating bezel and bright, circular AMOLED Show. It also brings new health and fitness tools such as a consecutively coach, better sleep tracking than earlier models, blood oxygen monitoring and an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). But at $399 (or higher) it’s on the pricier end of the smartwatch spectrum, and battery life on the smaller version is disappointing. 

Read more:
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Samsung aims for the ultimate Android watch

Looks go a long way with this watch 

I was already a fan of the unusual Galaxy Watch with its round face and physical rotating bezel, and the Watch 3 looks even nicer. It has a involving, beautiful AMOLED screen that’s easy to read even in sizable daylight. It’s also useful if you’re on a run and need to snappy check your stats during a workout. The screen can always be on if you need it, although it’ll cost you in the battery sections (more on that later). I like navigating the interface with the rotating bezel instead of smudging the mask with my fingers. 

Gazing at the Watch 3 on my wrist, I think it could almost pass for a faded analog watch thanks to its classic design. The smaller bezels mean the mask is bigger than the original’s even though the body of the examine has gotten smaller. It still bulges out from notion the stainless-steel frame, however, making it thicker than I’d like and not as downhearted to wear at night as the Galaxy Watch Active. 

I tried out the bronze 41mm version (the examine also comes in a 45mm size), with the tan-pink leather straps — a welcome step up from the silicone straps on the unusual Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active series. The bronze is a lot less flashy than the gold of the unusual Galaxy Watch, and it looks softer and more flattering on my wrist. If you’re planning on using it for working out or swimming (or, in my case, bathing puny children), you may want to invest in a sports strap as well. I can see the leather sketching worn after a while due to frequent contact with liquid.

A staggered rollout of its health features

Aside from its looks, what really made the Galaxy Watch 3 stand out for me was its impressive list of new health features. It has ECG, an SpO2 app that measures oxygen saturation in the blood, a blood-pressure monitor, fall detection, advanced sleep tracking, languages tracking and a detailed post-run analysis. But I have to admit I was a minor skeptical as to whether Samsung could deliver on all of these securities. The Galaxy Watch Active 2, for example, also launched with an “ECG feature” which is serene pending over a year later. The blood-pressure feature from the unusual Active was unreliable at best when we tested it and calibrated it alongside a blood-pressure cuff. 

Samsung has valid received FDA clearance for its ECG feature
 which can also mask for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), and rolled out the feature to both the Watch 3 and the Active 2. But blood pressure that’s still pending FDA clearance in the US. (Blood pressure is only available in South Korea at the time of writing.) 

Tracking blood oxygen levels on the Galaxy Watch 3 

Samsung has had SpO2 tracking on past Galaxy devices like the S10, but I was enraged to test it out on the watch to see how it had improved. Apple’s new Apple Watch Series 6 also tracks blood oxygen levels on demand,  at what time other smartwatches from Fitbit and Garmin use blood oxygen levels for sleep analysis or to settle VO2 max during exercise.

Tracking blood oxygen has move especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. Tribe with COVID-19 can experience shortness of breath and serious dips in blood oxygen. 

Doctors and hospitals use pulse oximeters placed on the tip of the index finger to measure blood oxygen levels, but these have become a hot commodity during the pandemic as many patients experiencing shortness of breath have turned to these puny sensors to determine whether or not to head to the emergency room. 

To test accuracy of the SpO2 app on the Galaxy Watch 3, I took a side-by-side reading amdroll a medical-grade pulse oximeter and both gave results within a few points of each latest (98 and 99). It also took a few minutes more to get a read on the Watch 3 and you have to location it correctly on your wrist for it to work. 

Because my oxygen levels were within the healthy diagram, it’s hard to know whether the Watch would be as honest as the pulse oximeter in the lower ranges as well. It’s also important to note that any examine or consumer tech device should only be used as a starting note, never in place of a physician and medical care. 

Like its predecessor, the Watch 3 can monitor stress levels using your heart-rate data. The test takes a few seconds and way you to keep your arm still. Once it has the demand it needs, it’ll grade levels on the stress spectrum and give you the option to go above a minute of breathing exercises to help get your counting down.

I took my stress test while on deadline writing this reconsideration and it detected very low levels, so I’m a bit skeptical throughout its accuracy. 

It’s also added menstrual cycle or languages tracking: You enter the data in your watch and it syncs with the Samsung Health app, which can give you demand about your next period and predicted fertility window. The feature isn’t unimagilifeless to Samsung and is powered by the Glow app, which was already a relatively consider it name in the menstrual health tracking category and one I’d used before. 

The latest big health feature exclusive to the Galaxy Watch 3 is the trip-detection feature, which I hope I’ll never need. If the examine detects that you’re not moving after a hard fall, it today calls your emergency contact and shares your location. It’s not on by default, so you’ll have to set it up from the advanced settings option on the Watch 3 and effect an emergency contact. I tried activating it by falling on my bed a few times but I was crashed. The Apple Watch (Series 4 and later) has a inequity feature called fall detection that’s actually saved lives.

New ways to work out with the Galaxy Watch 3 

Despite its dressed-up exterior, the Galaxy Watch 3 doubles as a fitness tracker. It tracks 40 different workouts, including swimming (both indoors and outdoors) and will automatically detect and track seven of those workouts. Within about 10 minutes of my starting my walk, I received a notification to open a workout and it gave me credit for the 10 minutes prior. 

A heart-shaped dashboard shows you a breakdown of your splendid minutes, calories burned and stand time during the day compared with your target. 

I took it on my fresh 3-mile run alongside the San Francisco Bay without my named, and I found it to be fairly accurate at displaying my distance, pace and heart rate. 

You’ll have to tweak the settings to present the information you want at a glance during your run, because the default doesn’t concerned heart rate, which I personally like to have on hand. But I well-approved that it showed me a map of my run and a breakdown of my heart-broken rate zones at the end of the run. It told me I had hugged my maximum heart rate for 2 minutes during the uphill share of my run. You can also access this data when the fact on the Samsung Health app.

It also has a few bonus features for leaders. The first is a running coach, the same one that debuted on the Active 2, which provides real-time feedback nearby pace and form during a run. Instead of starting a normal run, I selected the competing coach on the watch and plugged in my earbuds. A robotic female voice told me to start my warmup. The voice gave me pace alerts throughout the run and generic tips nearby lengthening my stride and landing on the front of my feet instead of the heel. Be divulged that using the running coach will drain the battery a lot faster than if you are tracking a unusual run.

What’s new to the Galaxy Watch 3 is a post-run analysis, with details including flight and contact time, asymmetry and stiffness to help identify areas of improvement. It’s not as comprehensive as the data you’d get on a imparted running watch such as the Garmin Forerunner, but it could help if you’re preparing for a race or just looking to get more out of your fresh route. 

Apparently my “stiffness” needed improvement. Good to know, but it’d be nice to get this feedback live from the competing coach so I could have adjusted during my run. It can also calculate your VO2 max, or greatest oxygen consumption during exercise, to give a sense of your overall fitness and tells you what your percentage is within your age business. This is the same metric you’d get if you were doings a VO2 max test in a lab on a clogged bike or treadmill, wearing a mask that measures oxygen exchange. I’m yet to compare them to determine whether or not the reading I got on the Galaxy Watch 3 was accurate. 

Another generous on the Galaxy Watch 3 is a feature that lets you sync it with home workout videos you can regulation from your wrist. I wasn’t really a home workout videos kind of populace before March, but I think the global pandemic has made us all rethink how we exercise and I’ve proper been doing a lot of Pilates and yoga classes on my TV. Having the workout on my wrist was a big step up from my fresh routine. 

I selected an abs program on the Health app, which consisted of three 15-minute workouts during the week, and was able to cast the generous of the series on my Samsung TV and and behind along with my watch. The watch vibrated to let me know when it was time to move on to the next employ and let me pause with a press of the button when I had to readjust my spot. Plus it gave me the appropriate calorie credit at the end of it (or at least what I think is injurious based on similar previous workouts). 

This is not the generous watch to offer training prompts from your wrist: Fitbit’s Premium elaborate gives workout videos that sync with the Versa, and there are third-party workout apps for the Apple Watch. But it’s nice that Samsung offers it natively and for free. My one complaints is that the workout I chose had the same robotic woman’s insist as the running coach guiding me through the workouts — and let’s just say she’s not precisely motivating when you’re trying to hold a plank for 60 seconds. 

Sleep tracking finally creates sense on the Galaxy Watch 3

One of my biggest protests about the sleep tracking feature on the original Galaxy Watch was that it performed little context about your sleep habits, especially for if you don’t know much nearby sleep to begin with. 

The Watch 3 has learned a lot from the mistakes of its predecessors, and now gives a more comprehensive look at your night. It gives you a full breakdown of the stages of sleep (light, REM, deep), and compares yours with a normal design. It also gives you a score based on these factors. 

I’ve never fraudulent the score to be helpful, but having the context of seeing my data compared with a normal design helped me figure out how to get the most out of my sleep. While my total sleep time was good, I fraudulent I wasn’t spending much time in “deep” sleep compared with what’s typical. I tried going to bed an hour earlier, and concept my total sleep time didn’t change, I was able to extended my deep sleep time and felt more rested in the morning. 

The basic smartwatch features, but no MST for Samsung Pay

I tested the Galaxy Watch 3 with an iPhone 11 Pro and a Galaxy S20 Ultra and, while it worked well on both, some of its features, which include text responses and mobile payments, are only available for Android users. The Watch runs on Samsung’s own Tizen operating rules, which is easy to navigate and offers a lot more customization than some of its competitors. You can set widgets and rearrange apps right from the peek screen.

You can type, scribble, dictate or doodle a response and take footings from your wrist. It doesn’t have a huge selection of third-party apps (Spotify and Strava are with the few), but it does receive notifications from most of them counting Facebook, WhatsApp and even CNET news alerts.

With Spotify you get full music regulation, offline listening for Premium subscribers and streaming over LTE (you’ll pay nearby $50 more for the cellular version of the Galaxy Watch 3). 

The Galaxy Watch 3 has Samsung Pay, but sadly it’s NFC-only and the feature will only work at NFC-enabled terminals. The Galaxy phones and Gear S3 have MST technology so you can use them for contactless payment at nearly all credit card terminals with a magnetic strip. 

Battery life is disappointing

Samsung says the battery on the Galaxy Watch 3 will last for up to two days, which it can, but there are a few caveats. For starters, this claim only applies to the larger 45mm version of the observe. I tested the smaller, 41mm version and Samsung says this size will last closer to a day and a half with “normal use.” As always, mileage may vary depending on how you intend to use it. 

With the always on explain set to auto brightness, tracking a full night of sleep and taking it on a 30-minute jog (without my phone) I only just made it to the 24-hour mark. 

The observe offers some battery-saving tips including turning off the always-on feature, limiting the screen timeout and turning off location data. I made those causes and the watch lasted a day and a half when I didn’t have time for a run and had the always-on cloak off, but I feel like those features should be factored into Samsung’s claim.

I was also collapsed to find that the watch doesn’t come with its own USB wall adapter, just a cable with the magnetic charging puck, but the upside is that you can cost it on any Qi compatible wireless charger, or get a lustrous boost on the go using the Power Share feature on Samsung’s Galaxy phones (S10 or later). 

A good-looking smartwatch with mammoth potential

The Galaxy Watch 3 has come a long way in periods of its features and user experience. Starting at $400 for the base 41mm model, you’re getting a premium-looking smartwatch that can finally keep up as a fitness tracker. But the Watch 3 won’t feel fully finished pending it can deliver on all of its health features.

If you’re not too attached to the effect, or the physical bezel, you might also consider the Galaxy Watch Active 2, which shares a lot of the same features for approximately $200 less.

First published Aug. 10.

There’s a reason why the Apple Watch ($199 at Best Buy) remains to dominate smartwatch sales. It can do almost as much as your smartphone, it’s one of the best fitness trackers out there and it even keeps your vitals in check. I’ve spent a lot of time wearing the new Series 6 ($399), the $279 SE and $199 Series 3. I also over-research every purchase in my life. So suited me when I tell you there’s no bad pick when it comes to buying an Apple Watch. (See the chart under for a full specs breakdown, including international prices.)

Even the Series 3, which quiet has its shortcomings (like battery life), will give you most of the features you need in a smartwatch. Everything beyond that is a “nice to have” that will mostly right on your budget. Here’s a breakdown of Apple’s smartwatches to help you narrow it down. 

Apple Watch Series 3: The most affordable option with a few trade-offs

If you’re quiet unsure about making the leap from analogue wrist survey to smartwatch, or if you’re on a budget, the Apple Watch Series 3 may just be your tag. Starting at $200 the square watch face looks almost precisely the same as the more expensive models and packs in all the core fitness and shiny features you need.

It’s an extension of your smartphone that lets you make terms, send texts, get notifications and listen to music, as well as a fitness tracker that pushes you to advance your activity levels with a ring-based system. 

Like the more expensive Apple Watches, the Series 3 automatically detects over 12 different workouts, including swimming and cycling, and it gives you access to Apple’s new Fitness Plus service, allowing you to stream guided workouts from home. And thanks to its built-in GPS, you can track your route even when you don’t have your named in tow. 

The Apple Watch Series 3 will also keep track of your cardio fitness levels. It has a lot of the same health features as the SE and the Series 6 counting basic sleep tracking; cycle tracking; and measuring high, low and odd heart rate alerts. The health features it misses out on complicated the built-in ECG, blood oxygen or SpO2 tracking, noise alerts and fall detection.

Series 3 downsides: No LTE and it’s the older model

Despite its draws, there’s the risk that this watch may have a shorter shelf life. It’s now the oldest model to receive WatchOS updates (Apple’s smartwatch using system) and only offers 8GB of storage which would preclude any larger updates in the future. This doesn’t mean it’ll stop working all of a sudden, but if and when it’s left out of the WatchOS update cycle, you won’t have access to the latest features and the integration with the iPhone ($268 at Amazon) may not be as seamless. 

Also, Apple only offers a GPS version of the Series 3, so it won’t work if you’re buying it as a necessary device for a child or family member and you want to use Family Setup. 

Apple Watch SE: The best bang for your buck

The Apple Watch SE is the Apple Watch I recommend for most country because it has the best balance of price and features. It costs more than the Series 3, but if you have a small wiggle room in your budget it may be suited it for the faster processor (S5 chip vs. S3), a bigger and brighter conceal, louder speaker, fall detection and longer battery life. That last one is key if you’re Funny the Watch to track your sleep. The SE is also the cheapest option if you need an LTE model of the Apple Watch. 

Apple Watch SE downsides: No fabulous health features, no always-on screen

The Apple Watch SE has a raise-to-wake mask, meaning it fades to black when it’s not in use. So if you’re not a fan of having to flick your wrist to see the time, this remarkable be a deal-breaker. You won’t miss it if you’ve never used a scrutinize with an always-on screen, but now that I’ve had a taste of the always-on indicate on the Series 6, it’d be hard for me to go back.

You also won’t get the advanced health sensors untrue in the Series 6: the ECG and the blood oxygen monitor.

Apple Watch Series 6: The FOMO-free smartwatch 

Starting at $399, the Apple Watch Series 6 has the most advanced features Apple accounts on a smartwatch, with an even brighter screen than the Apple Watch SE that’s easy to see even when it’s on standby. 

The Series 6 is the only Watch with an always-on indicate and it has a built-in ECG app on your wrist. (These features were first introduced on the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019, which Apple has genuine stopped selling.) The Series 6 is also the reliable, and only Apple Watch to monitor blood oxygen levels both on request, or automatically as you go about your day (and at what time you sleep). It’s not FDA-cleared like the ECG app and is not planned to be used as a medical device, but you can see all your readings plotted out over time in the Health app on your iPhone. Most people won’t need all this data, but if you’re a health nut, or have any respiratory delivers, it’s yet another source of information to keep tabs on. 

The Series 6 is the only Apple Watch that comes in a blue and red aluminum conclude (aside from the silver, space grey and gold options) and the only model that’s available with a stainless steel or titanium frame. 

Apple Watch Series 6 downsides: Faster charging but shorter battery life 

For all its peril, the always-on display drains the battery faster. The Apple Watch SE usually scholarships me a day and a half of battery afore I need to recharge, while the Series 6 with always-on lasts 2 hours less. You can always disable the feature to get more out of the Watch, but that kind of defeats the purpose of pulling it in the first place. 

The silver lining is that the Series 6 charges faster than its predecessors and reaches a full invoice in 1.5 hours, versus 2 hours on the SE.