Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch SE: Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

The Apple Watch Series 10 is here, and it brings with it a host of subtle changes, from a larger screen to a thinner case (that still packs in more features than previous generations). But it also costs $150 more than Apple’s entry-level Apple Watch SE, so what do you get for that extra dough?

The Series 10 Is Bigger, but Thinner (With More Materials)

Although many people expected a grand redesign for the tenth-generation Apple Watch, Apple opted for smaller changes. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the same rounded-rectangular shape you get with the Apple Watch SE (and every other Apple Watch for that matter). But the case dimensions are somewhat changed.

The big banner change is that the Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest watch yet. It may be only about 1mm thinner than the SE, but early reports have indicated that’s a difference you’re still likely to notice when it’s on your watch.

Despite getting thinner, though, the Apple Watch Series 10 is slightly taller and wider than the SE. Again, we’re only talking about a couple of millimeters here, but it’s worth mentioning when it’s on such a small part of your body. That taller, wider case has allowed for a bigger screen as well, but we’ll get to that in the next section.

Besides the dimensional discrepancies, the other big difference between the design of the Series 10 and the SE is the materials and colors you can choose from. The Series 10 is available in either Aluminum or Titanium, whereas the SE is only available in Aluminum (granted, this is the cheaper option that most people go for anyway).

The Series 10 is also the only Apple Watch available in the new Jet Black Aluminum, which has a high gloss finish. It looks like it may be a scratch magnet, but it also looks sleek as heck and rivals the Titanium models in terms of shininess.

The Series 10 Has a Larger, Brighter Screen

As with all Apple Watches (except the Apple Watch Ultra lineup) you can choose between two sizes with the Series 10. However, the options are even bigger this year as you get to choose from 42mm or 46mm. Previous years were 1mm less, but the SE range is 2mm smaller with offerings of 40mm or 44mm.

This size difference equates to 30% more screen area for the Series 10 compared to the SE. That’s a huge amount of extra screen real estate when it comes to reading notification previews, navigating apps and settings, and most other tasks you’re likely to use your Apple Watch for.

Alongside making it larger, Apple also made the screen in the Series 10 brighter and—this may surprise you—dimmer. The Series 10 can go as bright as 2,000 nits (twice as much as the SE) but as dim as 1 nit, which means it’s less likely to dazzle you if you ever need to check your watch in the middle of the night or in a darkened movie theater.

Apple also made some changes to the screen technology of the Series 10 that promise to make it easier to view at an angle. Granted, this could be useful for a watch, where you’re likely to try to sneak a glance at it without twisting your wrist, but I struggle to believe it’s going to make as big of a difference as Apple is making out.

Battery Life Is Similar, but the Series 10 Charges Faster

Both Apple Watch batteries promise 18 hours of use time, which will get you through most days as that estimate even includes a 60-minute workout with music playing. But once the juice runs low, the Apple Watch Series 10 will get you charged up much faster.

Unlike the SE, the Series 10 offers fast charging, which can get you from a flat battery back up to 80% in just 30 minutes. Or, if you plan to wear your watch to bed, Apple says it’ll give you eight hours of battery (for a full night’s sleep) in as little as eight minutes.

If you have a good charging routine, you’ll get by just fine without fast charging on the Apple Watch SE. But fast charging is very useful to have if you ever find yourself in a pinch.

The SE Is Only Missing a Few Health Features

Most people are buying an Apple Watch for its health-tracking and fitness features. You’ll be glad to know that the Apple Watch SE offers almost all the same tracking capabilities as the Series 10. All the big features you’d expect are there: you can get high or low heart rate alerts, measure your sleep quality, see trends in your respiratory rate, and of course fill your activity rings and track workouts, to name a few. But the SE doesn’t feature quite as much as the Series 10.

With the Apple Watch Series 10, you get everything from the SE as well as a few extras.

Firstly, take an ECG reading. This is useful if you want a closer picture of your heart health, but you can only get these readings if you stop whatever else you’re doing and hold the Digital Crown for 30 seconds; it’s not taking measurements all the time.

The Series 10 will also come with Sleep Apnea detection. So, while you can track various sleep metrics with any Apple Watch, you’ll need a Series 10 if you’re concerned that sleep apnea is impacting your sleep quality and health. The Series 10 can also take wrist temperature measurements during sleep, which are used to help predict menstrual cycles.

The temperature sensor on the Series 10 can also be used to give you water temperature readouts. These pair with Apple’s Depth app, which can also measure your underwater depth down to six meters. Neither of these features are available on the Apple Watch SE, though they aren’t particularly useful if you aren’t depending on your watch for snorkeling or other underwater activities.

Neither the Series 10 nor the SE can offer blood oxygen monitoring at this time due to an ongoing patent dispute. Though, if this is important to you, some older watches, like the Apple Watch Series 8.

Both Options Support watchOS 11, but the Series 10 Will Last Longer

Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch SE will support Apple’s latest software update, watchOS 11. This update introduces a Vitals app, gives you more control over your Activity Rings, introduces a Translate app, and more.

Largely, watchOS runs the same on any Apple Watch, but there are some fairly minor features missing from the SE, partly due to its more limited hardware. Only the Apple Watch Series 10 can benefit from faster, on-device Siri requests. You can’t use Precision Finding on the Apple Watch SE, which gives more detailed directions to your device if it gets lost. And you’ll need a Series 10 if you want to play media, like music or podcasts, from the watch speakers.

Aside from those differences, it’s worth pointing out that the S10 chip inside the Series 10 is two generations newer than the S8 in the SE. That means it’s going to be faster and more future-proofed. A lot of the time, the differences between devices get more pronounced as they age, and the SE is less likely to get software support for as long as the Series 10 as a result.

The Series 10 Costs at Least $150 More

As expected, the Apple Watch Series 10 costs more than the Apple Watch SE. But exactly how much more it costs depends on the precise models you’re comparing. Do you want a smaller or larger screen, do you want to pay extra for cellular connectivity, what material do you want the watch made from? All of these aspects affect the price difference—and don’t even get me started on the complications introduced by the various different bands.

In short, the Apple Watch Series 10 will always be at least $150 more expensive than the SE. Sometimes it’s as much as $800 more expensive if you want a 44mm, cellular, titanium Apple Watch Series 10 with a matching titanium link bracelet.

For simplicity, the table below compares the two size options of each watch, with and without cellular connectivity, looking at just the aluminum models.

Apple is no slouch when it comes to pricing its products. The Series 10 is more expensive than the SE, but “only” $150 more if you’re looking at the starting price, and you get some nice improvements with that: a larger screen, a thinner watch, a few extra sensors, and a more powerful processor.

If you’re just looking for a simple, affordable entry to the world of Apple Watches, you can’t go wrong with the SE. It’s got almost everything the Series 10 offers and is as good as top-of-the-line Apple Watches from just a couple of years ago. However, it’s likely to lose software support a bit sooner than the Series 10, so you may find yourself needing to replace it a bit sooner.

Otherwise, if you’ve got the money to spare (and can resist getting pulled further up the pricing ladder by Apple’s premium materials and bands) the Apple Watch Series 10 isn’t drastically more expensive and will give you the very best Apple Watch experience available today.