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The best Apple Watch you can buy in 2025 [Buyer's Guide]

By Iskra Petrova

Updated: May 07, 2025, 3:09 AM

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The best Apple Watch you can buy in 2025 [Buyer's Guide]

Smartwatches are more popular than ever, and the Apple Watch is at the front of the pack.

Apple's timepieces work smoothly with your iPhone and come packed with helpful health and fitness features. The Apple Watch even has tools that could save lives, like fall detection, emergency SOS, and advanced health tracking.

Here at PhoneArena, we use and test every Apple Watch ourselves, so you can feel confident that we only recommend what we truly trust.

Best Apple Watch in 2025, summarized list:

Apple Watch Ultra 2 - best battery life, rugged and athlete-oriented smartwatch
Apple Watch 10 – the premium Apple Watch for most people
Apple Watch SE 2 – an affordable and capable Apple Watch
What is the best Apple Watch right now?
What to consider when choosing an Apple Watch

To pick the best Apple Watch for you, it helps to think about what you really need. Before you buy, try asking yourself:

Do I just want to track my workouts?
Do I need a long battery life and a tough design for outdoor activities?
Am I sticking to a budget?
Or do I want the newest, top-of-the-line Apple Watch with all the latest features in 2025?

Once you've got your answers, keep reading to see which Apple Watch is the right fit for you this year!

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Best battery life, rugged and epic smartwatch, ideal for outdoorsy experiences and diving

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Display

1.9-inch
502 x 410 px

Battery

564 mAh

Storage

64GB

Hardware

Apple S9

watchOS 10.x

View full specs

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the best smartwatch that Apple has made so far. Although it's designed for adventure lovers - divers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts - the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can still be a great choice for everyday users. It sticks to the same rugged design as its predecessor, keeps the customizable Action button, and, most importantly, offers better battery life than other Apple Watch models.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a tough titanium case and sapphire glass, so it feels strong and solid. It's not exactly lightweight, but we still found it comfortable enough to wear all day – and even at night for sleep tracking.

It also has a big, super-bright screen that shows a lot of info at once. The watch faces look great on the sharp OLED display, and the screen looks clear from different angles. Just a heads-up: this is the largest Apple Watch yet, with a 49mm case, so it might feel big if you have a smaller wrist. Like other recent models, it has an Always-On display.

Apple Watch Series 10

The standard Apple Watch model is thinner and lighter

Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm)

Display

1.7-inch
496 x 416 px

Storage

64GB

Hardware

Apple S10
1GB RAM

watchOS 10.x

View full specs

Apple's top-tier smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10, comes with a refined look– it's thinner and lighter than the one before it. That small change makes a big difference. In fact, there were times we almost forgot we were even wearing it!

One thing that hasn't changed is the battery life – you'll still need to charge it daily. The upside? Charging is faster now, which is great if you wear your watch overnight and need a quick top-up before bed or in the morning.

Display viewing angles are also improved, which is helpful when you just want to quickly glance at your watch.

Of course, it still has all the well-known features of the previous models, such as Double Tap, as well as Crash Detection and temperature monitoring (for women's health).

Blood oxygen monitoring, a variety of workouts, and ECG are also on board.

The Series 10 is available in aluminum or titanium case variants.

Apple Watch SE 2

An affordable Apple Watch, which has most of the features of the main version

8.9

Apple Watch SE (2022)

The Good

Premium build
Water resistant
Fast performance
Great value for money

The Bad

No always-on display
Thicker bezels
Slower charging
Still no ECG and blood oxygen sensor

The Apple Watch SE 2 was introduced in 2022, and is a more affordable Apple Watch carrying the basic features for someone who wants to monitor their workouts for less money.

What are you missing out on? The Watch SE doesn't support the Always-on display and it charges much slower than the regular model.

But it has all the workout and health tracking features of the main version, including sleep monitoring, a variety of workouts, seamless iPhone integration, as well as safety features such as fall detection and emergency SOS.

The main thing about the Watch SE 2 is its price. Prices start at just $250, much lower than the $400 starting price of the Series 10.

The Apple Watch SE is available only with an aluminum case.

What to consider when choosing an Apple Watch

Size and style: There is a small and a large Apple Watch, and you also have the thicker Ultra model.

Here is a quick breakdown of Apple Watch sizes:

Apple Watch Ultra – one size, 49mm
Apple Watch Series 10 – two sizes, 42mm and 46mm
Apple Watch Series 9, 8, 7, SE, and 6, 5, 4 – two sizes, 41mm and 45mm
Apple Watch Series 3 and older – two sizes, 38mm and 42mm

Take into account your wrist size and whether you'll be comfortable wearing a big watch or a small one.

Styles include a casual look, sports look, Nike edition and a premium Hermès style.

Price: Apple Watches can range in price from around $250 to over $1,000 depending on the model, features, and style.

Cellular or GPS-only: Some Apple Watch models have cellular connectivity, allowing you to make calls and send texts without your iPhone nearby. Others are GPS-only and rely on your iPhone for connectivity. The Apple Watch Ultra model includes cellular connectivity for all its versions.

Battery life: Consider how long the battery lasts on a single charge, and whether that fits your needs. Also check the charging speeds, as a quick-top up before bed can make the difference between having info on your sleep in the morning or a black watch screen.

Fitness and health features: Consider what fitness and health features are important to you, whether it is as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, oxygen saturation monitoring, and water resistance for a swim in a pool.

Case material and band: Apple Watches come with an Aluminum case for the base model. The new Apple Watch Series 10 is available in a premium Titanium version, while earlier models were offered in Stainless Steel. There are differences between the materials: the strongest and more expensive one being the titanium.

Also, the watch band materials include Leather, Stainless Steel, and Silicone.

Take into account what material for the band you'll be comfortable with, as you will (supposedly) be wearing this watch all-day long (or even at night).

Use PhoneArena's tool for smartwatch specs comparison.

What is the best Apple Watch right now?

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the most feature-packed Apple Watch right now. But keep in mind, it's built for adventure - it's thicker, more rugged, and geared toward athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.

For everyday users, the best all-around Apple Watch is the Apple Watch Series 10 - Apple's latest premium model, launched in fall 2024. It comes with advanced sleep tracking, Crash Detection, and a wide range of workout options.

If you're looking for something more budget-friendly, the Apple Watch SE 2 is a great choice. It still includes key features like Crash Detection, fall detection, and plenty of workout options—just at a lower price!