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Apple Watch SE 2 vs. Apple Watch Series 8 Buyer's Guide

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Apr 12, 2001
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At its "Far out" event in 2022, Apple announced the second-generation Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 8. The Apple Watch SE is a low-cost option that still offers many of the Apple Watch features that have made the device so popular over the years, while the Apple Watch Series 8 offers a more feature-rich experience with additional health monitoring capabilities.

apple-watch-se-gen-2.jpg

Both the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 8 feature the S8 chip, Crash Detection, water resistance, an optical heart sensor, up to 18 hours of battery life, and more, but there are significant differences between the two devices.

The aluminum Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399, while the Apple Watch SE is much more competitively priced at just $249. So what exactly do you get by spending the additional $150 and is it worth it? Our comparison helps to answer the question of which of these two Apple Watch models is best for you.

Key Differences

Apple Watch SE (second-generation)Apple Watch Series 8
Aluminum casingAluminum or stainless steel casing
Ion-X glass front Ion-X glass (aluminum) or sapphire crystal (stainless steel) front
Color-matched nylon composite back caseCeramic back case
44mm or 40mm case size45mm or 41 mm case size with edge-to-edge display (nearly 20% more display area than Apple Watch SE)
Retina displayAlways-On Retina display
324 by 394 pixels with 759 sq mm display area (40mm) and 368 by 448 pixels with 977 sq mm display area (44mm)352 by 430 pixels with 904 sq mm display area (41mm) or 396 by 484 pixels with 1143 sq mm display area (45mm)
Second-generation optical heart sensorThird-generation optical heart sensor
–Blood oxygen sensor and Blood Oxygen app
–Electrical heart sensor and ECG app
–Temperature sensing
Cycle trackingCycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates
–U1 chip
–Fast charging
Available in Midnight, Starlight, and SilverAvailable in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and PRODUCT(RED) (aluminum) or Silver, Graphite, or Gold (stainless steel)
Starts at $249Starts at $399 (aluminum) or $699 (stainless steel)


The Apple Watch Series 8 is a minor improvement over the previous Series 7 model, offering Crash Detection and body temperature sensing. Yet compared to the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a considerably more feature-rich device with advanced capabilities.

With its larger display, advanced health monitoring features, and range of colors and finishes, the Apple Watch Series 8 will be the model of choice for those who want more out of their smartwatch. If you feel that the always-on display, additional health monitoring features, or fast charging would be particularly useful to you, or simply like a specific casing and color combination not available with the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch Series 8 will be the best model for you.

If you are on a budget and are not particularly attracted to the additional features of the Series 8, the Apple Watch SE is still a very compelling option. As it shares so many features with the Apple Watch Series 8, in most cases you should probably choose the more inexpensive model, unless you particularly value features such as the larger, always-on display or advanced health monitoring and can justify the added cost.

The Apple Watch SE is an ideal device for children and senior citizens who do not have an iPhone thanks to Family Setup, but it is also the go-to model for most customers who are new to the Apple Watch and those who are upgrading from a Series 3 or older due to its competitive pricing and generous feature set, allowing users to get an unconstrained Apple Watch experience at a low cost.

Article Link: Apple Watch SE 2 vs. Apple Watch Series 8 Buyer's Guide
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-watch-se-2-vs-apple-watch-series-8/
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Shortly, the new SE still misses almost all the most important features added from Series 4 onwards and has lost the ceramic case back.
 
Surprised the new SE doesn't have the U1 chip - I thought that Apple would be trying to get that chip into all their devices so accurate "Find My" and similar works across the whole range.
 
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The SE in my opinion makes more sense if you don't need the newest sensors - for the primary use as a watch to tell the time, the big difference is the AOD. And that's the one feature I want yet keep deactivated, because of the reduced battery runtime. It's feels like paying extra just so that I need to charge halfway through the day.

G46&Fbnth5 said:
Shortly, the new SE still misses almost all the most important features
Click to expand...
What do you deem important? I for one don't need ovulation tracking, the automated ECG warning has according to studies a considerable amount of false-positives and for sports I and all of my colleagues use an ANT+ chest strap... and to mention the battery again, if you use these features the watch won't make it through just one day. The proclaimed all-day battery life doesn't consider that Summers can be extremely bright, requiring a matching high display brightness - and the display is the single most power hungry component.

(To add insult to injury, Apple refuses to replace the battery even at your own cost if it's close to 80% but not under 80% health (health meaning remaining maximum charge capacity). At that point the runtime claims go out the window entirely and all you can do is hope that when you make another appointment a couple weeks later the health has fallen a percent or two).

randolorian said:
What's the advantage of the ceramic back case?
Click to expand...
Does it even have a ceramic back case at all? From what I was able to figure out it's merely the sensor part that has ceramic added to make it more scratch resistant, but none of the other parts of the casing have it anyways. Okay I can see the back of my watch is roughed up, but then why would I care since I can't possibly look at it when I'm wearing it.
 
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I just upgraded from a Nike series 4 (44mm) to the series 7 (45mm). I was originally looking at the new SE, but decided the 7 was the better value at only $50 more. Using it primarily to track workouts I think the upgraded sensors in the 7 made it worth it.
 
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G46&Fbnth5 said:
Shortly, the new SE still misses almost all the most important features added from Series 4 onwards and has lost the ceramic case back.
Click to expand...


i wanted to want the S8, but there isnt one single feature on the S8 that made me want it over the SE. so i kept €200 in my pocket. if there was just one single thing i might have.
 
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Articles like these also fail to mention that the Series 7 was a minor bump over Series 6. 7 got an extra millimeter display and fast charging. Same processor. Really, when you think about it that way, the 8 has two new features: body temp (not the most helpful for a male, at least how it was marketed) and crash detection. Besides that, and the two small 7 upgrades, Series 8 is essentially a Series 6.

I think if you’re a female interested in addition cycle tracking detail, then the 8 is a better value over the SE. If not, and you have Series 6, the 8 is not enough of an upgrade.
 
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In my opinion the only major difference is the always-on display, which is basically the only really important feature added since the Series 4. [Though of course the other features can be important in individual usage cases.]
 
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madeirabhoy said:
i wanted to want the S8, but there isnt one single feature on the S8 that made me want it over the SE. so i kept €200 in my pocket. if there was just one single thing i might have.
Click to expand...
Always on Display?? That’s the reason I upgraded my Series 3 to the 8 and not the SE.
 
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CARIB_APPLE said:
Always on Display?? That’s the reason I upgraded my Series 3 to the 8 and not the SE.
Click to expand...

I’ve never once looked at my
Watch and it’s off. The minute I flick it up so I can see it it comes in so basically when it’s off it’s facing away from me.
 
G46&Fbnth5 said:
Shortly, the new SE still misses almost all the most important features added from Series 4 onwards and has lost the ceramic case back.
Click to expand...
Important features? Like what, specifically? The only reason I would buy a Series 8 is the availability of the Gold SS case. I bought a Series 6 for the U1 chip hoping Apple would use it for precision tracking, but they didn't. This is the third series with the U1 chip, with no apparent use yet.
 
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The AW8 is a great upgrade for anyone with an AW4 or earlier, that exercises heavily. For anyone who is a light user, or is looking for their first Apple Watch, the SE is a decent choice.

Everyone else? Wait an extra year.
 
Spock1234 said:
Important features? Like what, specifically?
Click to expand...
The features Apple talked about during their September keynotes in the last 5 years: ECG, always On display, O2 sensor, bigger and edge to edge display, fast charge, IP6X dust resistance, thicker crystal, WiFi 5 GHz, temperature sensor…
 
IMO the biggest question for anybody with an Watch less than 7 (and probably male) is why you should buy an 8 instead of an an end-of-series 7 ??

Even more, given that the 8 Pro is monstrously large, and therefore not so great with e.g. Mountain Biking
I think that the nicest bet is a 7 in TI for "Real Extreme" sport (rather than just running or scuba, no pun intended)
 
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