But there are quite a few Apple Watches on the market right now. The launch of the Apple Watch Series 7 in September 2021 brought Apple’s total lifespan to nine, with the company currently offering three models in stores: Series 7, SE and Series 3. Between them, there are several variants that differ in size, connectivity, design and price. The upcoming release of watchOS 9 will further complicate these decisions, and as usual, Apple is expected to release new models in the fall. For those who want to take the step today, however, we’ve scoured the used, new, and refurbished Apple Watch market and tested the current options to help you determine what’s best for you. This guide will be updated over time as new models are introduced, so if you’re looking to upgrade from an older model or switch for the first time, let us do your research for you.
The best Apple Watch for most people
Apple Watch Series 7
Enlarge / The Apple Watch Series 7 is the best smartwatch you can buy right now.
Corey Gaskin
The Apple Watch Series 7 is the best smartwatch you can buy right now. It’s the most well-equipped, well-supported wearable on the market, making it the truest extension of your phone available. The number of apps and integrations is unparalleled, allowing you to do everything from open your garage door to control the ocean tide right from your wrist. It’s not the most decorated fitness accessory—we’d go with a Garmin smartwatch for serious athletes and outdoorsmen who want longer battery life and deeper workout features—but the Series 7 makes up some ground, too.
Packing sensors for ECG monitoring, blood oxygen measurements and heart rate, the Series 7 makes it into the top three for health metrics in wearables. Throw in GPS, a compass, always-on altimeter, built-in fall detection, 50m water resistance and the option for cellular capabilities, and you’ve got a go-anywhere fitness companion for tracking and safety.
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Apple’s “digital crown” mechanism is still an intuitive way to scroll through the watch, and there are fun case colors and a plethora of band options to suit your style, including Nike sports bands, sleek metal options, woven bands, and a ton more.
With the upcoming release of watchOS 9 this fall, the Series 7 will also gain the ability to provide advanced running metrics (e.g., pace, pace, cadence), heart rate zones, and new multi-sport tracking features, among other features.
The Series 7 also has the largest display of any Apple Watch, thanks to smaller bezels and a 1mm larger watch case compared to the Series 6. It’s not a huge difference—except that the larger size makes a QWERTY keyboard easier to input text on— but it allows for larger text formats that can be a game changer for the visually impaired.
With charging coils and a USB-C-based charger, the Series 7 is also Apple’s fastest watch, charging from 0 to 100 percent in just over an hour in our tests. That’s about half the time it takes to charge any other Apple Watch model. This is also the only dust-resistant (IP6X) Apple Watch and the only one that supports typing via a full QWERTY keyboard.
To be clear, the Series 7, like every Apple Watch in this guide, isn’t perfect. While Apple’s smartwatches enjoy the broadest level of third-party app (and accessory) support, you won’t find all iPhone apps on the Apple Watch—far from it. And not every app is particularly useful. (Do you really want to be able to scroll through Twitter on your wrist?) However, there are almost all related apps for a wrist-based experience.
The biggest sacrifice you’ll make with any Apple Watch is battery life. it only lasts a day or so. Other smartwatches, like those from Garmin and Fitbit, can last a week or more, though you won’t find the same level of app support (third-party or first-party) as with your iPhone. And yes, the Apple Watch is still iPhone-only, and that probably won’t ever change. But overall, and especially for iPhone owners, the Apple Watch is the most complete wearable platform on the market — and right now, the Series 7 is the most complete offering for the majority of people.
Who it’s for: Those who want the latest health and fitness features or those who just need a bigger screen Worth the upgrade for: Series 5 and below
