Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Which One Should You Get?

With the new Apple Watch Series 9 now available, you’re probably wondering if it’s the best option for you.

After all, it’s not the only Apple Watch that Apple has in store; you can also buy the more powerful — and more expensive — Apple Watch Ultra, or you can go for the budget-friendly option: the Apple Watch SE.

Even though Apple didn’t update the Apple Watch SE this year, it still offers a lot of bang for your buck. Despite the price difference, the Apple Watch SE and the Series 9 share a lot of similarities, and if you’re not in the market for all the features Apple has to offer, you might be better off spending less money to get the more affordable option.

If you’re not sure which model is the right one for you, here are the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch SE.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Design

When it comes to the design, both models offer a very similar look. They’re almost the same size and have the same bodies, too.

For starters, the Apple Watch Series 9 comes in two sizes: a 41mm and a 45mm model. On the other hand, the SE also comes in two sizes, although they’re slightly smaller than its pricier counterpart: 40mm and 44mm.

Granted, the size might feel almost identical, but the Series 9 has another advantage. It also has a larger display. The bezels on the Apple Watch SE are thicker, which means you’ll get a slightly smaller screen, even if you go for the biggest model.

Speaking of the display, Apple made the display on the Series 9 brighter this year. You can go up to 2,000 nits, which is double what you get with the SE or any other prior Apple Watch model.

Both the Series 9 and the SE come with an aluminum body, but the Series 9 also has a stainless steel option. For the aluminum finish, you’ll find Midnight, Starlight, and Silver as the standard colors available for both watches. However, the Series 9 also offers the (PRODUCT)RED edition and a new Pink color.

You can also buy the Apple Watch Series 9 with a stainless steel body that’s not available for the SE, with three additional colors to choose from: Graphite, Gold, and Silver.

While both Apple Watches look similar on the outside, if you want more color options and a larger display, the Series 9 is the only way to go.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Processor

On the inside, things start to change more between these two devices. 

As you can expect, Apple bumped the specks on the Series 9 this year. You’ll now find a new dual-core S9 chip on the inside, which is an improvement from the dual-core S8 chip of the Apple Watch SE.

Thanks to this new chip, the Series 9 is now faster than ever. It also has a bunch of new features and a slight battery improvement, which we’ll talk about in a moment.

Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 9 comes with Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband, which lets you use Precision Finding to get specific directions to find your iPhone in case you lose it. 

The Apple Watch SE, on the other hand, can only ping your iPhone, although that will probably be enough in most situations.

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll also need an iPhone 15 to use precision finding. If you aren’t planning on buying it, the Ultra Wideband 2 chip will be overkill at the moment.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Battery Life

Battery life is also a big factor with Apple Watches. After all, you wouldn’t want to carry a dead device on your wrist because it doesn’t offer enough battery life.

Fortunately for the Apple Watch SE fans, the battery life is pretty much the same on both devices. Apple confirmed that both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the SE feature up to 18 hours of battery life.

Where the Apple Watch Series 9 stands out is in Low Power Mode. With this mode on, Apple says the Series 9 lasts up to 36 hours, which would be more than enough if you’re on a long trip or in a situation where you can’t charge your Watch.

Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 9 also offers fast charging, which was first introduced on the Apple Watch Series 7, but omitted on the lower-priced Apple Watch SE. This will allow you to charge up your Apple Watch Series 9 from 0 percent to 80 percent in about 45 minutes. The Apple Watch SE takes about twice as long.

With that said, this might not be enough to justify buying the Series 9. You’ll have plenty of time to charge your watch overnight if you don’t wear it to bed, so if you only need a decent battery that lasts through the day, the Apple Watch SE has everything you need.

Winner: Tie

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Health Features

If you’re looking to get all of Apple’s health features, you’ll need to get the Apple Watch Series 9. No questions asked. 

The Series 9 is the only Apple Watch of the two that features the Blood Oxygen and ECG sensors. If those apps are important to you, you’ll need to go for the Series 9.

What you can find on both Apple Watches are all the other useful health features, like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, mindfulness, mental wellbeing, and menstrual cycle tracking. 

However, with this last health feature, the Apple Watch Series 9 is the only one that offers retrospective ovulation estimates and a temperature sensor.

As you can see, the basic health features are available on both devices. If you don’t mind about temperature detection, ECG, or tracking your blood oxygen, you’re better off with the SE, but it’s hard to argue that the Series 9 doesn’t have an edge here with its more advanced health sensors.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Other Useful Features

Other than health sensors, you’ll find that both devices still share the most important features.

Both the Apple Watch SE and the Series 9 have emergency features like Emergency SOS, Fall and Crash Detection, Noise detection, and International Emergency Calling.

However, where the Series 9 really shines is the new features Apple added this year.

Thanks to the S9 processor, you also get Double Tap, an interesting feature that lets you control your Apple Watch by double-tapping your index finger and your thumb. 

Additionally, the Series 9 features on-device Siri, which means you won’t need to have your iPhone close by to ask Siri questions. It also means that Siri will work faster than ever before. 

And one of the most important features you’ll probably want to have is the Always-on display. That’s been around on Apple’s main Apple Watch models since the Series 5, but unfortunately, the Apple Watch SE still doesn’t come with it, so you’ll need to tap or raise your wrist in order to check the time.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 9 

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Price

Last but not least is the pricing. As you would expect, this is where the budget-friendly Apple Watch SE really shines, and it’ll be the main reason to choose one over the other.

The Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the GPS + Cellular model. On the other hand, the Series 9 starts at $399 for the GPS model, and the GPS + Cellular starts at $499.

Additionally, you can also go for the Series 9 stainless steel model, which starts at $699, albeit you might be better off getting an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or even an iPhone 14 at that point.

As you can see, the Apple Watch SE is the better option for people on a budget or someone who doesn’t want to spend that much money on an Apple Watch.

Winner: Apple Watch SE

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch SE: Which One Should You Get?

When it comes down to choosing, you’ll need to consider everything we’ve just talked about. Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch SE are great devices that will help you keep track of your notifications and your health by doing nothing but wearing them.

With that said, if you need all of Apple’s health features, you’ll need to go for the more expensive Series 9. You’ll get all the features you need, plus a couple of extra cool features that are exclusive to this year’s model.

On the other hand, if you really don’t need the ECG app or to track the oxygen in your blood, and you really don’t mind the lack of an Always-on display, the Apple Watch SE is perfect for you. You’ll get almost everything you need, and you’ll save at least $100.