Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch SE 2: Know the difference

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the hottest Apple Watch in town, and was the only big new addition to the range added at the recent Glow Time event.

All the rumours were that the Apple Watch SE would be given an update, since it was last changed in 2022. There were suggestions from respected sources that it could be given a plastic case and aimed towards kids – perhaps with a price cut. But nothing materialized.

That means the Apple Watch Series 10 and SE 2 are now two very different smartwatches. There’s a chasm between them, and that isn’t really represented in the price anymore. Most people will want to choose the Series 10.

But let’s dig into those differences.

In-depth: Apple Watch Series 10 review | Apple Watch SE 2 review

Apple Watch Series 10 vs SE 2: Specs

Prices compared

Let’s face it, people choose the Apple Watch SE 2 because it’s cheap. So how does it compare to the Series 10?

On Apple’s own stores the Apple Watch SE 2 is now $219/£219 for the 40mm model, and $249/£249 for the larger 44mm model.

A new Series 10 costs $399/£399 for the 42mm model, and $429/£429 for the 46mm.

It’s a significant saving to pick up an Apple Watch SE 2 – and it *almost* makes it a budget pick. However, there are decent competitors at the $120/£120 mark now, so we’re not giving it budget smartwatch status quite yet.

Design and display

• Much poorer screen tech and design on SE 2
• No always-on display for SE 2

Given that the Apple Watch SE 2 gets watchOS 11, in terms of features the differences between the Series 10 are quite nuanced. But the design is a huge differentiator.

The Apple Watch SE 2 features a design that’s now two iterations old. It’s boxier, and features a noticeable black bezel around the edge that’s especially evident when you compare the old and new watches side-by-side.

The SE 2 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes – so if you’re worried about the size of an Apple Watch, the 40mm option is now the smallest you can buy.

The Series 10 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes – so the largest case size is a significant step up. But it’s also thinner, making it more wearable. What’s more, people worried about the large case size could happily try the 42mm Apple Watch Series 10, and still have a larger display size than the largest 44mm Apple Watch SE 2. That’s because Apple has reduced the amount of bezel and the screen is almost edge-to-edge – making it a win/win.

The screen tech on the Apple Watch has changed quite dramatically since 2022 (and even then, the SE 2 leant on previous gen tech). The screen on the Watch SE 2 is smaller, fewer pixels per inch (PPI) and half the brightness than the Apple Watch Series 10. In fact, the viewable display is 25% smaller than the Series 10 across comparable sizes.

And here’s the kicker: the Apple Watch SE 2 doesn’t even offer an always-on display, so the screen will go black when you’re not using it. That’s pretty retro these days.

The SE 2 comes in aluminium finishes, while Series 10 has aluminium or titanium options. There’s midnight, starlight and silver finishes for the SE. The Series 10 offers black in the aluminium finish, which is a lovely upgrade.

Health and fitness features

• Fitness features very closely matched
• Watch SE 2 features few of the bigger health features

In terms of the nitty gritty of what the Apple Watch SE 2 does against the Series 10 – it still stacks up pretty well.

The core staples of activity tracking remain the same, and it features comparable GPS technology inside. It features all the same workout tracking modes and metrics – and even the new Training Load analysis.

All of the workout modes remain equal too – although the SE 2 doesn’t have the depth sensor or water temperature sensors inside.

But overall, for tracking workouts, the SE 2 is just as good as the Apple Watch Series 10.

In terms of health tracking – it’s a different story.

The SE 2 lacks ECG, Fall Detection, Car Crash detection and the watch doesn’t use the high-grade three-axis accelerometer as the Series 10. That means that sleep apnea detection also doesn’t make the grade. So it’s a much-degraded health tracking experience.

The Apple Watch SE 2 also doesn’t use an SpO2 sensor – even though that’s not too much of a miss for US users, given the feature is turned off amid the on-going dispute.

Sleep tracking is essentially the same across both watches. You’ll get time asleep, sleep stage data and bedtime consistency shown on the watch itself. As we mentioned, sleep apnea detection doesn’t make the cut.

So what DOES it do? Well, you’ll still get the notification of high/low heart rate levels and low cardio fitness – and it will still populate Apple Health will a ton of biomarkers and metrics. And all of the Vitals and Mindfulness features carry over, too.

But in terms of the key health features, the SE 2 comes well short of the Series 10.

Smartwatch features

• Both watches run watchOS 11
• Series 10 has double tap gesture

Again, the core experience here is very much the same across both watches. The SE 2 gets the newest watchOS 11, you’re getting things like the richer Smart Stack widgets and new watch faces.

What you don’t get on Apple Watch SE 2 is the new gesture control, which enables you to double tap your fingers to bypass the touchscreen.

The smaller screen size also means you see less text on the display, and it’s harder to interact with the watch itself.

The SE also has the inferior speaker, you can’t listen to media via that speaker, and doesn’t have the same voice isolation to make call quality clearer when used Dick Tracey style. Few people are likely losing sleep over that one.

Battery life

• Both feature the same 18 hour battery life that ends up as ~28 hours in our testing.
• Series 10 has rapid charging 

For all the misses from the Apple Watch SE 2, it has the same single day battery life as the Apple Watch Series 10.

Both estimate 18 hours from Apple itself – but we usually ended up clocking in at around 28 hours in testing.

On an average day we found that if we started the day with 100%, it would expire mid-morning the next day, including a night’s sleep tracking and some exercise.

So with all the bells and whistles of the newer Apple Watch, the SE doesn’t offer any extra time away from the charger.

Charging every day is annoying, and the main weakness of the Apple Watch. That’s the same for both these options.

But the Series 10 has a trick up its sleeve. The redesigned metal back plate hides a fast charging coil that enables 80% charge in 30 minutes. Even 10 minutes on its puck will give you plenty for a night’s sleep tracking. So while battery anxiety is an issue, it’s a lot easier to manage with the Series 10.

Wareable Verdict

Such is the gulf between these two both watches, it’s hard to recommend the Apple Watch SE 2 even with it’s favourable price tag. It looks so dated next to the Series 10 – with even features such as always-on display omitted. 

However, it can be argued that it still possesses all the core features of Apple Watch, in a package that’s nearly half that of a Series 10. 

Buy the Series 10 if…this is the best watch for most people. While many people will deem its unique features more than they require, the design and package of the Series 10 is lightyears ahead of the Apple Watch SE 2.

But the Apple Watch SE 2 if…If there’s a hard ceiling on your budget but you’re looking for a top all-rounder smartwatch for iPhone.

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