Watch SE family

[nomey]

So I am going to get my son the Watch SE for christmas to run off my line with the family place. I assume it needs to be Cellular and not just GPS or does it matter?

 

[mpavilion]

Bumping this – we're getting our kid an SE (GPS + Cellular) for use with Family Setup (to answer the question above, my understanding is it does need to be GPS + Cellular). The SE 1 is on sale for $199 at Walmart; or we could get the SE 2 from Apple, which is $299 (I have a $50 Apple gift card, so we'd end up paying $250).

Is there any advantage to the SE 2... apparently the chip is ~20% faster, but that's it(?) The only other wild card – can we still get AppleCare if we buy the SE 1 from Walmart? Thx

 

[scotsmandc]

Bumping this – we're getting our kid an SE (GPS + Cellular) for use with Family Setup (to answer the question above, my understanding is it does need to be GPS + Cellular). The SE 1 is on sale for $199 at Walmart; or we could get the SE 2 from Apple, which is $299 (I have a $50 Apple gift card, so we'd end up paying $250).

Is there any advantage to the SE 2... apparently the chip is ~20% faster, but that's it(?) The only other wild card – can we still get AppleCare if we buy the SE 1 from Walmart? Thx

you can still get Apple care so long as it’s brand new. The chip being faster to me is a noticeable difference but not by much. I went from the 1st gen SE to series 7. The series 7 and SE 2 have the same chip. its way more buttery smooth 100% of the time vs the old chip stutters here and there but not by much.

 

[mlody]

If the kids already have iPhones, get a wifi only watch, but if they don't and you want them to have connectivity outside of the wifi range, then, yeah, they would need a cellular model to get most benefits out of it.

 

[russell_314]

The question I would have is, how is battery life when it’s away from an iPhone and on cellular?

I don’t know the answer but I know cellular takes a toll on battery.

 

[mk313]

I am pretty sure the family setup option requires a cellular watch.

 

[mlody]

I am pretty sure the family setup option requires a cellular watch.

It doesn’t

Set up Apple Watch for a family member - Apple Support

Family Setup lets family members who don't have their own iPhone enjoy the features and benefits of an Apple Watch.

support.apple.com