Apple Watch SE (2024) Review: The Smart Budget Pick

Apple sells three watches. Two of them are for people who want bragging rights. The Apple Watch SE is for people who want a great smartwatch. At $249, it delivers 80% of the Series 10 experience at 60% of the price, and the 20% you lose is almost entirely stuff you won’t miss.

That’s a bold claim for a site that reviews premium Apple hardware. We spent six weeks testing this thesis on wrists across our team, from fitness enthusiasts to desk-bound writers. Here’s what we found.

What You Actually Get

The Apple Watch SE (2024 model) includes:

• S9 SiP chip (same as Series 9, one generation behind Series 10’s S10)
• Heart rate monitoring with irregular rhythm notifications
• Fall detection and Crash Detection
• Emergency SOS
• GPS and compass
• Swim-proof (WR50)
• watchOS 11 with all core features
• 44mm or 40mm case options

The S9 chip ensures everything runs smoothly — app launches are quick, animations are fluid, and Siri responds without noticeable delay. It’s fast enough that you’d need the Series 10 side-by-side to notice any performance difference.

What You Don’t Get (And Why It Mostly Doesn’t Matter)

The features exclusive to the Series 10 and Ultra 2:

• Always-On Display: The SE’s screen turns off when you lower your wrist. You raise your wrist or tap to check the time. After a week, this becomes automatic muscle memory. It’s a convenience, not a necessity.
• Blood oxygen monitoring: Removed from all current US Apple Watch models due to patent disputes with Masimo. You’re not missing this regardless of which model you buy.
• ECG: The SE lacks the electrical heart rate sensor for electrocardiogram readings. Unless your doctor has specifically recommended ECG monitoring, this is a feature most people never use after the initial novelty.
• Temperature sensing: Used primarily for cycle tracking retrospective ovulation estimates. Important for some users, irrelevant for others.
• Thinner design: The Series 10 is noticeably thinner and lighter. The SE is slightly chunkier but not uncomfortable.

We asked each team member which missing feature they’d actually pay $150 more for. The unanimous answer: Always-On Display. Everything else was either unavailable (blood oxygen), unused (ECG after week one), or niche (temperature sensing).

If Always-On Display alone is worth $150 to you, buy the Series 10. For everyone else, keep reading.

Fitness Tracking: The Core Competency

The Apple Watch SE tracks workouts with the same accuracy as the more expensive models. GPS tracking on outdoor runs and walks is precise. Heart rate monitoring during exercise is reliable. The workout app supports every activity type available on Series 10.

We ran the same 5K routes wearing both the SE and Series 10 simultaneously. GPS distance measurements were within 0.01 miles of each other. Heart rate readings aligned within 1-2 BPM throughout. Calorie burn estimates were functionally identical.

Activity rings, Move goals, Exercise minutes, Stand hours — the core health motivation features that keep millions of people more active work identically on the SE. This is the Watch feature that matters most to most people, and it’s fully present. For context on how the SE stacks up in the broader Apple Watch lineup, our Apple Watch Series 10 Review covers the premium tier.

Sleep Tracking

Sleep tracking on the SE works well. It captures sleep stages (REM, Core, Deep), tracks respiratory rate, and provides a sleep score. The lack of temperature sensing means you won’t get the overnight temperature baseline that the Series 10 provides, but the actual sleep quality metrics are comparable.

We found the sleep tracking accurate when compared against dedicated sleep tracking devices. The SE correctly identified our sleep stages within reasonable margins, and the sleep focus automations (Do Not Disturb, alarm integration) work seamlessly.

The one sleep-related frustration: without Always-On Display, checking the time in the middle of the night requires raising your wrist, which can fully wake you up. A minor but genuine annoyance.

Smart Features and Ecosystem

This is where the Apple Watch SE earns its place. Notifications on your wrist, Apple Pay, Find My phone, remote camera shutter, music control, Siri, Maps navigation with haptic turns — all present and fully functional. The tight integration with iPhone makes the Apple Watch ecosystem the best in the smartwatch market, and the SE participates fully.

The SE also supports the latest watchOS 11 features including Smart Stack widgets, the revamped Fitness app, and expanded health sharing. Apple’s software teams don’t gate core features behind the premium hardware — they want every Watch user on the latest software.

Battery Life and Charging

Apple rates the SE at 18 hours, same as the Series 10. In practice, we got through a full day (7 AM to 11 PM) with 30-40% remaining, including a 45-minute tracked workout. Overnight sleep tracking means you need to find a charging window during the day — 30 minutes while showering and getting ready in the morning worked perfectly.

The SE uses the same magnetic charger as all current Apple Watches and supports fast charging. Zero to 80% takes about 45 minutes.

Build Quality

The aluminum case with Ion-X glass is durable for daily wear. We accumulated minor scratches over six weeks of unprotected use, which is expected for this material. If scratch resistance matters, the Series 10’s sapphire crystal is tougher, or you can add a screen protector to the SE for a few dollars.

The recycled aluminum back case is smooth and comfortable against skin. Band compatibility is the same as every modern Apple Watch — your existing bands will work. For those considering the rugged option, our Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Series 10 comparison explores the durability tier.

Who Should Buy the Apple Watch SE?

Almost everyone buying their first Apple Watch. Seriously. Unless you have a specific medical need for ECG or temperature sensing, the SE delivers the essential Apple Watch experience at the right price.

It’s particularly well-suited for:

• First-time smartwatch buyers
• Parents buying for teenagers (Family Setup supported)
• Fitness-focused users who want accurate tracking without premium pricing
• Anyone who views a watch as a notification and fitness device rather than a health monitoring station

Skip the SE only if: Always-On Display is a must-have, you need ECG monitoring on medical advice, or you want the thinnest possible design.

The Verdict

The Apple Watch SE is the most sensible purchase in Apple’s watch lineup. It runs the same software, tracks fitness with the same accuracy, and integrates with your iPhone identically to models that cost $150-550 more. The missing features are real but contextual — they matter to specific users, not to most users.

At $249, it’s the Apple Watch we’d recommend to friends and family without hesitation.

Rating: 9/10 — The best value in wearables, period.

Apple Watch SE on Amazon (paid link) (paid link)