• Apple Watch Series 8 - square tag
    Apple Watch Series 8
    Our top choice

    The Apple Watch Series 8 has a great design, lovely display, heaps of sensors, and more features than you'll probably know what to do with. It's excellent and our top choice.

    Pros
    • Familiar and comfortable design
    • Great display
    • Solid performance and fast charging
    Cons
    • No huge changes from Series 7
    • No Ultra Action Button
  • Apple Watch SE (2022) - square tag
    Apple Watch SE (2022)
    A fabulous alternative

    Apple's Watch SE is an absolute star, with excellent features and fitness tracking at a very reasonable price. There's no Always-On Display or fast charging but it's great for its price.

    Pros
    • Colour-matched body
    • Great features
    • Good price
    Cons
    • No Always-On Display
    • No SpO2 sensor

Apple announced the Watch Series 8 alongside the second generation Watch SE in September 2022. The company also announced a rugged model at the same time - called Watch Ultra, though this sits in a very different price bracket and field to the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE models. Both the Watch Series 8 and the Watch Ultra have been succeeded by new models - the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 - but the Watch SE remains the entry-level model into Apple Watch.

We've compared the Watch Series 8 and the Watch Ultra in a separate feature, as well as the Watch Series 9 and the Watch SE elsewhere, but here we are focusing on the differences between the Watch SE (2022) and the Watch Series 8. Which should you buy and how do the two compare? Read on to find out.

Price, availability and specs

Let's first consider the pricing and availability of these two models to allow you to see how each may fit into your budget. The Watch SE (2022) model is the entry-point into the Apple Watch as we mentioned, starting at $249 in the US and £269 in the UK. It replaced the Watch Series 3 that was discontinued in 2022 and it comes in aluminium only, with three colour options. There are several strap options too, as well as GPS only and GPS & Cellular, but don't worry, we go into a little more detail about the models further down.

The Apple Watch Series 8 meanwhile, launched at $399 in the US and £419 in UK, though it is no longer the latest model as we said so it's possible you will find it cheaper now that the Series 9 is available. Even on a deal though, it's likely to be quite a bit more expensive than the Watch Series SE. There were aluminium and stainless steel finishes available when it first launched, as well as a number of straps and GPS only and GPS & Cellular models. You may find your options are more limited now however, depending on the stock available at retailers.

If you want to see a quick glance as to how the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE (2nd generation) compare, you can check out the spec table below, though we dive into more details in the rest of this feature so it's worth continuing past the table, unless you're only interested in the numbers.


  • Apple Watch Series 8Apple Watch SE (2022)
    Case MaterialAluminium or Stainless SteelAluminium
    Display904sq mm, 430 x 352 pixel resolution, 1000nits (41mm), 1143sq mm, 484 x 396 pixel resolution, 1000nits (45mm)Retina LTPO, up to 1000nits
    CPUS8 chip, W3 chip, U1 chipS8 chip, W3 wireless chip, U1 chip
    BatteryUp to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
    ConnectivityGPS only, GPS & CellularGPS and GPS & Cellular
    Health sensorsBody temperature, Blood oxygen, Optical heart rate, Electrical heart rate Always-on altimeter, compass, accelerometer (up to 256 g-forces), gyroscope
    Dimensions41 x 35 x 10.7mm (41mm model), 45 x 38 x 10.7mm (45mm model)40 x 34 x 10.7mm (40mm), 44 x 38 x 10.7mm (44mm)
    Weight41mm - 32g (aluminium), 42.3g (stainless steel), 45mm - 38.8g (aluminium), 51.5g (stainless steel)26.4g (40mm), 32.9g (44mm)
    Mobile paymentsApple PayApple Pay

Design and display

Apple Watch Series 8 on a wood sleeper

The Apple Watch Series 8 and Watch SE both share a similar design. They both feature a rectangular casing with rounded edges and corners and they both feature a Digital Crown on the right edge, alongside an extra function button below. Neither has the programmable action button you’ll find on the Watch Ultra or Watch Ultra 2. Both are waterproof to 50 metres but only the Watch Series 8 is IPX6 resistant, making it more suitable for harsher conditions like the beach.

The Watch Series 8 also offers a more impressive display that stretches to the edges of the space available. Overall, it's 20 per cent larger than the Watch SE's display and it's lovely. It's also an Always-On Display so when your wrist is down, you can still choose to have some information showing rather than just a black rectangle, which is really handy in use and looks much better than the SE's alternative. Both the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE have a 1000nits brightness though so you'll have no issue seeing either of them in sunny conditions. It's worth noting that while the Watch Series 9 looks identical to the Watch Series 8, it has a screen with double the brightness of the Series 8 and Watch SE at 2000nits.

Apple Watch SE (2022) review photo 12

On the whole, the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE look very similar, with the display being the main differentiating factor between the two models on the surface. If you're coming from an older Apple Watch model like the Series 2 or Series 3, for example, you will be used to a black rectangle over the Always-On Display so you may not notice that feature on the Watch Series 8, or mind its omission on the Watch SE.

Models

Apple Watch Series 8 review photo 5

The Apple Watch Series 8 launched in 41mm and 45mm casing options. It was also available in stainless steel and aluminium models, with various colour options in both. There were special edition Hermès models too. The stainless steel models and the Hermès models had sapphire front crystals protecting the glass, while the aluminium models had Ion-X glass fronts. As we mentioned, the options available now the Watch Series 9 has been released may be more limited. You will certainly struggle to find the special edition Hermès models for example.

The Watch SE meanwhile, comes in 40mm and 44mm casing options. It is also only available in aluminium, with no stainless steel models. This means it only offers the Ion-X Glass protection too.

Apple Watch SE (2022) review photo 4

Both the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE come in GPS only and GPS & Cellular models, however, and they are both compatible with the plethora of straps available, as well as all the older straps. For reference, the 38mm and 40mm straps work with the 41mm Series 8, and the 42mm and 44mm straps work with the 45mm Series 8. It is also worth noting that those larger straps also work with the 49mm Watch Ultra and Watch Ultra 2.

The aluminium colour options include Midnight, Starlight and Silver for both the Watch SE and Watch Series 8. The Watch Series 8 also comes in Product(RED) though and the stainless steel options of Graphite, Silver and Gold.

Hardware and features

Apple Watch Series 8 review photo 4

The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE both run on the same chip - which is the S8. Along with this, both models offer built-in GPS, a high g-force accelerometer that allows for the company's Car Crash detection, and they also have features inlcuding Fall Detection and International Emergency Calling on board.

The two devices also offer Compass Backtrack, an always-on altimeter and up to 18 hours battery life. The Watch Series 8 does have a few extra features on top of the Watch SE though, including the ability to take an ECG, measure blood oxygen and it also comes with a body temperature sensor, allowing for ovulation estimates in women.

Apple Watch SE (2022) review photo 6

The Watch Series 8 also has fast charging on board - claimed to charge around 30 per cent faster than the Watch SE and this is perhaps the biggest difference in use, especially if you want to use your Apple Watch for sleep tracking. The faster it charges, the quicker you can put it back on your wrist so you don’t miss out on any activity points and closing your rings.

Software

Apple Watch Series 8 app view

Both the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE launched on watchOS 9, though they are now compatible with watchOS 10 that delivers a number of new features, including a different way of using Apple Watch and the addition of widgets. Overall, there's a very familiar user experience across both models.

There are a couple of extra features on the Watch Series 8, like the ability to take an ECG, the body temperature sensor and the blood oxygen sensor, but on the whole, the general experience between the Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE is identical.

Conclusion

The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Watch SE are similar in design, as well as hardware and features, though there are of course some differences between the two models. The main difference - and the most noticeable in terms of use - is the larger edge-to-edge display on the Watch Series 8 and the Always-On element of that display.

Apple Watch Series 8-1
Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 has a great design, heaps of sensors, and more features than you'll probably know what to do with. Its battery life isn't the best on the smartwatch market, but fast charging makes it easy to charge daily and the fitness features are superb.

You also get the faster charging on the Watch Series 8, as well as a few extra features that some might find useful, such as body temperature tracking. There are more premium options available too, but if you're opting for those, budget is less of an issue and therefore the Watch Series 8 makes the most sense, though we would recommend finding out how much more the Series 9 is before you buy a Series 8.

The Watch SE is an excellent smartwatch though and it performs as well as the Watch Series 8, but you miss out on a couple of features. Not all of those features will matter to everyone however, so if you can live without the Always-On display, ECG, blood oxygen and body temperature sensor, then it’s a great buy.

Best early Prime Day Apple Watch deals - Apple Watch SE (2022)
Apple Watch SE (2022)

Apple's entry-level watch is an absolute star, with excellent features and top-notch fitness tracking at a very reasonable price.