Best Apple Watch Reddit (2023): Which Model Should You Buy?

Apple has been leading the whole smartwatch segment for some time now. There are many other competitors, not many of them come close to the watches from Apple. If you were to ask me, I would say Apple is hands down the best smartwatch manufacturer at present. When it comes to choosing an Apple smartwatch, there are quite a few options you can choose from.

Even though most of them have been discontinued, you can still buy them from third-party sellers. And if you are wondering which Apple Smartwatch you should buy then you have come to the right place. In this article we will be finding out the top Apple smartwatches that you can buy. We will also be going through the features that make it worth buying and see what more does one have to offer. So without any delays, let’s jump right in.

Which Apple Watch To Buy Reddit

The first choice is pretty obvious. It is the Apple Watch Ultra smartwatch and here’s why.

1. Apple Watch Ultra – Best Apple Watch According To Reddit

What Reddit Thinks About The Apple Ultra:

u/Fink41 – Full disclosure, the double capacity battery life was one of the biggest selling points for me as soon as I saw the Apple event. The extreme sports features are mostly lost on me, but the rugged build, flat screen and overall aesthetic of the watch hooked me immediately as well. Now that I have it on my wrist, I can tell you that I LOVE this watch as a whole. I’ve only ever had an S3 to compare it to, but it feels so much more premium it’s hard to put it into words.

Another point that hasn’t been talked about as much is the watch face. After two full days, I can also tell you that the exclusive “Wayfinder” watch face is my favorite ever, by a large margin. It has so much information & is beautiful in both regular mode & night mode.

u/Upstairs-Toe2873 – The bright big screen makes texting way easier, raised edges is the best change they’ve made, the materials are fantastic, I’d only mention the battery life as you could honestly use this as a phone replacement.

I used it on a night out for payments, gps, calling, texting and WhatsApp…also maps for a short period too. I also got a full day out of the watch and did a run too, I didn’t have AOD on.

u/Rom2814 – I love just about every element of mine – I love the look SO much more than the curved Apple Watch display, love the battery life (I was wearing my old Apple Watch as a sleep tracker but the battery life is so good on this, I’m now just wearing it at night and charging it for 15 minutes in the morning).

For me, a lot of the features I like are also on the other watches – I was coming from a Series 4, so the improved sleep tracking, blood oxygen, compass, etc. are all new for me as well.

The only thing that I thought I’d like is the always on display – it just is meh to me, because I feel like I’m staring at until the brightness goes up. Maybe I’ll get used to just taking a quick glance while it is still dim, but it weirdly feels more annoying to me than it did waiting for the face to come on.

I’m 6’3” with a large frame so I don’t think it looks big and it doesn’t look like a sport watch to me (compared to the black plastic sort of trackers I mean). I would have zero concerns with wearing this to a business dinner, but I’m in IT and not going to fancy parties. ;)

As some others have said, it’s the first time I felt that spark of love/joy over an Apple project in a long while (maybe my 2018 iPad Pro or my IPhone XS Max).

Who is it for?

Apple fans. If you are using an iPhone and looking for a smartwatch, you don’t even need to read the rest of the review. It is just that good.

Why do we recommend it?

The fact that Apple makes some of the best consumer electronics is no secret. So it is no surprise that Apple watch would be a part of the list titled the best smartwatch for men. Now what it is that makes it the best. For starters, it looks good, after all, it is an Apple product.

Available in the case sizes of 40 mm and 44 mm. Its ergonomic case fits on your wrist, and you don’t feel the weight at all. The basic model comes in aluminum case with a matte finish. Titanium and ceramic variants are available if you are willing to pay more. It runs on the Watch OS from Apple, which is the most flawless among all OS for the smartwatch. This comes with an always-on retina display, which means your watch face will be visible all the time. The watch has an OLED display, with sapphire glass and ceramic back, encased by a digital crown. Watch Series 5 continues the tradition of the square dial. It is very customizable with a variety of watch faces available for download in the app store.

Apple Watch Ultra gives you the option 4G/LTE to make calls from the smartwatch itself. But that will set you back by about $100 extra. So I recommend that you by that variant only if you need the watch to make calls. The battery will last you about a full day in a single charge. It comes with a power saver mode for when your battery is about to run out of juice. The Ultra comes with a newer set of chips which makes it more efficient than the previous generation.

For fitness sensors, there is a GPS and a heart rate monitor which gives you an ECG feature. It also comes with a compass. You can use it for all fitness plans cycling, hiking, swimming – it can withstand water levels up to 50 meters. The Activity Ring tracks your progress and inspires you to sit less, move more, and exercise every day. Noise App will warn you if the decibels around you can damage your hearing. The 32 GB onboard storage will not leave you wanting. Ultra supports WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC for connectivity and you can use it to make payments through Apple Pay.

2. Apple Watch Series 8

This is not only the best Apple Watch but is also the best SmartWatch available out there. From sleek and minimal design to high performance and tracking capabilities, the Apple Watch Series 8 has everything you need. So, if you have the money, then this is the watch you should buy. The key aspects that make it the best watch out there are as follows.

1. Design

The Apple Watch Series 8 has a very sleek and modern looking design. It has a very innovative design and also has great battery life. It comes with an always-on Retina display, different Watch Faces that can be customized to your liking. The bands have an interchangeable design and can easily be swapped to give the watch a fresh new look. The watch screen displays all the important information at a glance without requiring you to raise your wrist. The cases are available in four different materials that have been engineered by Apple to enhance its quality.

2. Always-On Retina display

The Watch comes with an Always-On Retina Display that doesn’t sleep at all. So it doesn’t matter what you are doing, you don’t have to touch the screen or raise your wrist in order to wake the clock and see the time. All you have to do is a glance and the Always-On Retina display will show you the time and other information as well. When your wrist is down, the watch display automatically gets dim to save battery. This however, doesn’t mean that it is sleeping. All of the important stuff is still always visible. To bring the display to its original state at full brightness, all you need to do is raise your wrist or touch the watch face.

3. Customizable Watch Face

All of the watch faces available can be customized as per your taste. You can add apps and shortcuts to features you use more often to the Watch face. This will give it a more personalized look and you will be able to have a look at those with a glance. You can accommodate up to nine Infographic in it.

4. Quality Materials

The Apple Watch is made of four different types of material. These are Stainless Steel, Titanium, Aluminum, and Ceramic. All of these materials have been engineered to enhance their quality as well as make them more beautiful to look at.

5. Interchangeable Bands

All bands of the Apple Watch have been designed in a way that they can be swapped. The bands have a very simple sliding mechanism. You can easily interchange any band just by sliding off one band and putting on a different one. So, depending on the occasion and the mood, you can easily put on any of the bands that you have. You have the option to choose from “elegant leathers, high-performance fluoroelastomer, flexible nylon weaves, or metal bands.”All these customization options make sure that your watch can always get a makeover and you will never get bored of its look.

6. Ultra-low-power LTPO display

The Apple Watch Series 8 has a low-temperature polysilicon and oxide display. In order to consume low power when the watch is inactive, the screen refresh rate dips from 60Hz to 1Hz thanks to the reinvented pixel architecture. There’s also a built-in ambient light sensor that along with the low-power driver and ultra-efficient power management manages to give up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge.

7. S5 chip

The watch has a built-in S5 chip processor which is a complete System in Package (SiP). This means that the entire system is fabricated onto a single component. This not only makes the watch compact but also provides it with powerful performance.

8. Compass and location features

The watch has a built‑in magnetometer that detects the magnetic north and displays the true north by automatically adjusting. This helps you in the way that it shows you the direction you are facing in the Maps app. It can also display your current elevation by using the terrain data available.

9. Health

The Apple Watch Series 8 is a Proactive Health Monitor of sorts. It has many features that are geared towards your health. From tracking the heart rhythm to the menstrual cycle to detecting high-level noise, the Watch does it all. It also detects a fall and alerts emergency services automatically if you are unresponsive. It also lets you add things such as Breathe, Heart Rate, and Noise to the watch face so that you can take a glance at them quickly.

10. ECG on your wrist

The Apple Series 8 watch brings an ECG on your wrist that is available anywhere at any time. The Watch can generate an ECG that is quite similar to a “single-lead electrocardiogram.” You can do that using the ECG app which allows you to do that. The app can provide critical data that can be used by doctors for a better diagnosis. So with the Apple Watch Series 5 you are getting much more than just a wearable device.

11. Digital Crown has Built-in Electrode

The Digital Crown on the Apple Watch Series 8 has Electrodes built directly into it. You can generate an ECG waveform within 30 seconds by touching the Digital Crown. The ECG app takes the help of the back crystal and the Digital crown to read your electrical signals emitted from the heart. These data can be used by the ECG app to find out how healthy your heart is. It can “indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation — a serious form of irregular heart rhythm — or sinus rhythm, which means your heart is beating in a normal pattern.”

12. Track Heart Irregularities

The Apple Watch Series 8 has been built by keeping the wearers’ heart in mind. The watch keeps track of the heart rhythms and notifies the wearer if it detects any irregularities like Unusually high or low heart rates and irregular heart rhythms known as arrhythmias. The wearer can then consult a doctor or take other actions in advance. When ignored these symptoms could lead to more serious conditions. But thanks to the watch, you will be alerted about any irregularities via the Heart Rate app notifications.

13. Track Your Cycle

The Apple Watch Series 8 also lets the wearer track their menstrual cycle. Along with that, it also provides some other important insights about their menstrual cycle and provides a better picture of their overall health through the Cycle Tracking App. The watch is also equipped to provide some more information that will help track irregularities and symptoms as well. It helps to stay prepared.

14. Detect Risky Noise

The Noise app is equipped to sense when there is a loud enough noise that can be harmful to the ears. It then alerts the wearer of the same. This would make them conscious to plug in their headphones or go away from the source of the noise. Therefore, there will be less chance of a noise posing risk unknowingly to the wearer. In case it does, the app will alert the wearer.

15. Take a breather

Taking moments throughout the day to stop, relax, and practice mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve overall health. The Watch also has a Breathe app that can keep you calm and relaxed. It does so by taking you through a “series of calming breaths” so that the wearer can practice mindfulness which will help them reduce stress and will also improve their overall health. There’s also a watch face for this so you can easily access it by touching the face or raising your wrist.

16. Health Apps

There are multiple health apps available that make your health a priority and make it easy to stay healthy. These apps not only track your metrics and any irregularities, but they also remind you of your health routines that you should follow. From making healthier food choices to reducing stress to managing a condition like diabetes, there’s an app for everything.

17. Fall detection

Apple Watch Series 8 comes with a Fall detection feature. This feature can detect when you’ve fallen and sent alerts accordingly. In case of an accident, if it detects that you have fallen and you are not moving, it will bring a prompt to make an emergency call. It will also give you an option to stop the call. If you don’t do anything, it will go ahead with the call to emergency services. The watch will wait for about 60 seconds and if you’re still unresponsive then only after that the emergency call will be placed automatically. In addition to that, your emergency contacts will also be notified along with your location.

18. Fitness

The Apple Watch Series 8 has been designed and optimized for fitness. It tracks all your fitness activities or workouts and displays important metrics related to it. These metrics help you train in a smarter way and also help you achieve faster results. With the Always-On Retina display your metrics are just a glance away.

19. Track Workouts

The Apple Watch lets you track all kinds of activities and workouts. From Running, cycling, swimming, to other sports. With the Apple Watch you can measure all these. In addition to this, you can also set particular goals for a particular activity. Once you are done with an activity, you can view different insights about it. This includes a time taken, calories burnt, and other details. You can also see your performance for an activity for a period of time and see how you are doing overtime. You can see all this and much more on your iPhone itself using the Activity app. Having an Always-On Retina display means that you can view all your metrics at a single glance while stopping from what you are doing. The Workout app has also been optimized for this purpose.

20. Swimming metrics

The Apple Watch Series 8 is water-resistant up to 50 meters. It has been designed in a way that it can be operated when underwater. This was done specially with swimmers in mind. This means you can wear the watch and go through your swimming workout. You can then view all of your workout metrics once you are done. The watch is designed to be able to recognize your swim strokes and record the splits & sets as well. Your swimming route is visualized on a map by the Open Water Swim workout which tracks your active calories, distance, and overall pace as well.

21. Running metrics

The Apple Watch Series 8 also gives you advanced running metrics. To let you know whether you’re behind or ahead the Pace alerts give you a gentle tap on the wrist. The rolling pace is also constantly updated to let you see your split for the previous mile. You can also see your steps per minute with Cadence.

22. Know Your Elevation

The Apple Watch Series 8 also displays the current elevation of the wearer at any point. Not only that. It also counts the flights of stairs and provides you with the elevation gain in an outdoor workout. So you always know how high or low you are while a workout or even a normal track.

23. Connect to Gym Equipments

You can pair your Apple Watch with compatible gym equipment with a single tap. These equipment include the treadmill, stair climber, or even the stationary bike. This lets you sync metrics like heart rate, speed, and calories in between your watch and other gym equipment.

24. Activity Rings

The Apple Watch uses three simple metrics to display your daily activity. These are the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings. These Activity rings track your progress all day long and display it separately.

• “Move. The Move ring tracks the active calories you burn. Active calories are the ones you burn through all kinds of movement, from taking the stairs at work to playing with the kids.”
• “Exercise. The Exercise ring shows you how many minutes of brisk activity you’ve done, whether you’re working out or just moving at a fast pace.”
• “Stand. Sitting too much can contribute to health problems over time. So Apple Watch keeps you motivated to get up throughout the day.”

25. Connection
The Apple Watch Series 8 with cellular lets you remain connected even without your phone.Using the watch you can make calls, send and read text messages, check your email, etc right on the watch itself even without your iPhone.

Cellular Capability
The Watch is also available in a Built-in cellular variant. This lets you take your watch anywhere without requiring your phone. You can do all the normal wearable gear stuff but also make calls, send and read text messages, check your email, etc all from the Apple Watch Series 8. So, even without having your phone with you, you will remain connected.

26. Always On

The Always-On Retina display never sleeps and the watch face is always visible. So you can see the time or other important information . without having to raise your wrist or tapping the watch face.

App Store on your wrist
The Apple Watch also has the App Store. So you browse and discover new apps on the watch itself. You can also download and install them very conveniently

Navigation
The built-in compass on the watch lets you navigate from your watch. You can see the direction you’re facing and heading towards. Other Than this, you can also see the elevation, latitude, longitude, and incline. All in the watch itself.

International emergency calling
Apple Watch Series 5 lets you make a call to emergency services when abroad by pressing and holding the side button on Apple Watch Series 5 with cellular. It also works without your Phone.

Easy Payments
You can easily use Apple Pay on the watch by double-clicking the side button scanning your watch using the checkout reader. You can also send and receive Apple Cash with the Messages app.

If you want to save some money and don’t want to buy an Apple Watch Series 8, then the other great option for you is the Apple Watch SE.

3. Apple Watch SE – Best Budget Apple Watch

• WHY APPLE WATCH SE — All the essentials to help you monitor your fitness, keep connected, track your health, and stay safe. Now up to 20 percent faster, with features like Crash Detection and enhanced workout metrics, it’s a better value than ever.
• EASILY CUSTOMIZABLE — Available in a range of sizes and colors, with dozens of bands to choose from and watch faces with complications tailored to whatever you’re into.
• HEALTH AND SAFETY FEATURES — Get help when you need it with Crash Detection, Fall Detection, and Emergency SOS. Get deep insights into your health, including notifications if you have an irregular rhythm or an unusually high or low heart rate.
• SIMPLY COMPATIBLE — It works seamlessly with your Apple devices and services. Unlock your Mac automatically. Find your devices with a tap. Pay and send money with Apple Pay. Apple Watch requires an iPhone 8 or later with the latest iOS version.
• SWIMPROOF AND STYLISH — Water resistant to 50 meters. Three finishes. And a redesigned, color-matched back case made with a new production process that reduces its carbon emissions over 80 percent.
• APPS ON YOUR WRIST — With access to tens of thousands of apps on the App Store right on your wrist, Apple Watch is the perfect personal device for whatever you love to do.
• A POWERFUL FITNESS PARTNER — The enhanced Workout app gives you new ways to train and advanced metrics for more information about your workout performance. And Apple Watch comes with three months of Apple Fitness+ free.
• STAY CONNECTED — Send a text, make a call, listen to music and podcasts, use Siri, or call for help with Emergency SOS. Apple Watch SE (GPS) works with your iPhone or Wi-Fi to keep you connected.
• APPLECARE — Every Apple Watch comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support. Get AppleCare+ to extend your coverage and reduce the stress and cost of unexpected repairs.

1. Design

Retina display

The Apple Watch SE comes with a Retina display. Unlike in Series 8, this Watch is not an Always On Display. So the screen automatically goes to sleep after some inactivity. You will have to raise your wrist in order to instantly wake up the display.

Weather Proof

The Apple Watch Series 8 is designed to work in all kinds of weather. The watch is Splashproof, Swimproof, and even Surf Proof.

Aluminum Finish

Unlike the Series 8 that has 4 different finishes, the Apple Watch SE has only one finish. Its case is made up of 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade aluminum material. This makes it Strong but also very lightweight.

S3 chip

The Apple Watch Series r has a built-in S3 chip processor. This is a dual-core processor. While not as powerful as the S5 chip it can hold its end pretty well.

Interchangeable Bands

The Se bands are also Interchangeable. They can easily be swapped with any other band by sliding it off one band and putting on a different one. So, depending on the occasion and the mood, you can easily put on any of the bands that you have.

2. Health

Track Irregular heart rhythm

Just like Series 8, Apple Watch SE can also track Irregular heart rhythm. It will send you a notification when it detects unusually high or low heart rates or irregular rhythm.

Track Your Cycle

The Apple Watch Series 8 can also track the menstrual cycle of the wearer. The watch is equipped to provide some more information that will help track irregularities and symptoms as well and helps them stay prepared.

Health Apps

Most health-oriented apps are also available for SE watches. These apps not only track your metrics and any irregularities, but they also remind you of your health routines that you should follow.

• Dexcom G6: This app helps you in tracking your glucose level. This is especially helpful for those who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes as they can “check the levels on their glucose monitor, right from their wrist.”
• YAZIO: This app helps you follow your diet properly. It lets you log all your meals, and calculate the calories you have consumed. SO you can track your eating activities and make sure you follow your diet plan.
• Meditopia: This app helps you in meditating on the go. It results in reducing stress, improving the sleep cycle, and remaining calm and relaxed.

3. Fitness

Activity Rings
The Apple Watch SE also uses three simple metrics to display your daily activity. These are the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings. These Activity rings track your progress all day long and display it separately.

• “Move. The Move ring tracks the active calories you burn. Active calories are the ones you burn through all kinds of movement, from taking the stairs at work to playing with the kids.”
• “Exercise. The Exercise ring shows you how many minutes of brisk activity you’ve done, whether you’re working out or just moving at a fast pace.”
• “Stand. Sitting too much can contribute to health problems over time. So Apple Watch keeps you motivated to get up throughout the day.”

Swimming metrics

The Apple Watch SE is also Water resistant up to 50 meters. The watch is designed to be able to recognize your swim strokes and record the splits & sets as well. Your swimming route is visualized on a map by the Open Water Swim workout which tracks your active calories, distance, and overall pace as well.

Track Workouts

The Apple Watch SE lets you track all kinds of activities and workouts. You can also set particular goals for a particular activity and then view different insights about it once you are done. You can also see your performance for an activity for a period of time and see how you are doing overtime. You can see all this and much more on your iPhone itself using the Activity app.

4. Connection

Cellular Capability

The Watch is also available in a Built-in cellular variant. This lets you take your watch anywhere without requiring your phone. You can do all the normal wearable gear stuff but also make calls, send and read text messages, check your email, etc all from the Apple Watch SE. So, even without having your phone with you, you will remain connected.

Emergency SOS

The watch lets you quickly call for help and alert the emergency contacts that you can set up in advance.

App Store on your wrist

The Apple Watch also has the App Store. So you browse and discover new apps on the watch itself. You can also download and install them very conveniently

Easy Payments

You can easily use Apple Pay on the watch by double-clicking the side button scanning your watch using the checkout reader. You can also send and receive Apple Cash with the Messages app.

What more do you get with the Apple Watch Series 8?

If you are wondering why you should spend the extra money on the Apple Watch Series 8, then here are a few of its exclusive features.

• Always-On Retina Display
• Electrical heart sensor
• Digital Crown with haptic feedback
• S5 with 64-bit dual-core processor
• Built-in Compass
• Fall detection
• Bluetooth 5.0
• International emergency calling
• Available in Stainless Steel, Titanium, Aluminum and Ceramic
• Electrical heart sensor (ECG app)

Which Apple Watch Should You Buy Reddit

When it comes to buying a smartwatch from Apple, there are 3 main options you can choose from.

The Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8 and the Apple Watch SE. Both Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 8 are two of the best smartwatches available out there.

The Apple Watch Ultra is the more expensive and powerful watch while the Apple Watch Series 8 is a slightly less expensive but still powerful smartwatch. Depending on your budget, you can go for either one of these. But I would recommend that if you can stretch it a bit, then you should opt for the Apple Watch Ultra for the additional power and extra features.

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Last update on 2023-03-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API