The best Apple Watch may be the one already on your wrist.
Each generation of Apple’s smartwatch is fairly iterative, with most of the best features added via software updates, which means there’s no need to buy a new device each year. That said, if your watch has seen better days, or it’s stopped receiving updates, then your best options are set out below.
While several third-party smartwatches are compatible with the iPhone, they don’t offer the same level of integration that the Apple Watch does with the phone, iOS and the company’s other devices and services. It’s the best smartwatch for iPhone users, but note that you’ll need an iPhone running iOS 26 – iPhone 11 or later – to use one. The Apple Watch can’t be used with Android or as a standalone device.
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At a glance
Best Apple Watch for most people:
SE 3
Best mid-range Apple Watch:
Series 11
Best Apple Watch for battery:
Ultra 3
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Why you should trust me
I have been reviewing consumer electronics for 18 years, with more than a decade spent as the Guardian’s gadget expert. In that time, I’ve seen all manner of tech fads come and go, smartphone giants rise and fall, the cutting-edge morph into the mainstream, and have poked, prodded and evaluated more than 1,000 devices – sometimes to destruction.
How I tested
We conduct real-world testing of smartwatches and their various features to ensure they meet expectations and compare to their rivals.
We change the straps, poke, prod and twiddle every button, dial and setting. We wear the smartwatches day and night, seeing how they feel on the wrist, how well they fit under and with clothes, whether they catch on objects in daily life, and how well they stay put during vigorous exercise.
We test their health metrics, track various activities, and compare them for accuracy. We do everything a typical smartwatch user would, picking up notifications, installing apps, sending messages, making calls, exercising, listening to music, monitoring our health and tracking our sleep. We see how long the battery lasts in general use and while exercising, whether it’s consistent and reliable, plus how long it takes to charge.
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The best Apple Watches you can buy in 2026
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<em>Best Apple Watch for most people:</em>SE 3
- What we love:Offers a lot of Apple Watch for the money
- What we don’t love:Skimps on heart health features
The recently updated entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 offers almost everything its more expensive siblings do, but at a discount.
It’s light and comfortable to wear, and arrives in a choice of 40mm and 44mm case sizes. Available in either starlight or midnight aluminium, with many different strap colours and types, it should fit most wrists and styles.
The big upgrade for the SE this year is the always-on display, as well as the rapid S10 chip and 64GB of storage from the Series 11. It runs the latest watchOS 26, which comes with super-handy double-tap and wrist-flick gestures to clear notifications, alarms and scroll through your widgets hands-free. Siri runs locally, so you can quickly set timers, dictate messages and other basic features without an internet connection. And the SE 3 has all the deep integration with the iPhone that makes Apple Watches great, including Apple Pay, notifications, calls, texts, maps, photos, music control and many other features. Battery life is about one and a half days.
The SE 3 sports an older design than the current Series watch line, with chunkier bezels, a slightly smaller and dimmer screen and a 1mm thicker body, but otherwise it looks very similar to all other Apple Watches. Only those comparing them side by side are likely to spot the difference.
While you get most of Apple’s class-leading health-tracking features, this entry-level model can’t take ECGs of your heart, record blood oxygen saturation or notify you about any potential hypertension. It still has an optical heart-rate monitor for recording throughout the day and night, though. Its skin temperature sensor allows for retrospective ovulation estimates in the cycles tracking app, too, alongside other features.
It tracks all your usual sleep, standing, steps and movement goals, and the GPS makes it a decent running and workout tracker. It supports Apple’s new AI Workout Buddy coach, but this requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later with Apple Intelligence to be carried with you on runs.
Note that 5G models are available, but require a plan linked to your phone provider. And if you’re looking for a cellular-connected watch, I’d recommend the Series 11 with 5G instead.
Why should you buy it?
The SE 3 offers all the essential bits of the Apple Watch experience, including an always-on screen, but in an older-looking body with a few more advanced health features removed. That leaves a great smartwatch for iPhone users that does most of what people want at a good price.
Don’t buy if: you want ECG or hypertension alerts.
Read our full Apple Watch SE 3 review: the bargain smartwatch for iPhone
Size: 40/44mm
Thickness: 10.7mm
Screen brightness: up to 1,000nits
Tested battery life: 1.5 days
Processor: S10
Storage: 64GB
Water resistance: 50 metres
Sensors: HR (2nd gen), skin temperature, GPS
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<em>Best mid-range Apple Watch:</em>Series 11
- What we love:Full heart health, fitness and activity tracking
- What we don’t love:Looks practically the same as all older models
The latest standard Apple Watch is the Series 11, which comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes in a more refined design. It’s just 9.7mm thick to slide more easily under cuffs than the other models. It’s available in aluminium or titanium, in multiple different colours and finishes, with plenty of strap options for those who want to switch.
The Series 11 has everything the SE 3 does: the latest S10 chip, 64GB of storage and watchOS 26 with all the trimmings, including the excellent double-tap and wrist-flick gestures. But it has longer battery life, lasting a solid two days between charges for general use, or up to eight hours of workout tracking with GPS. It charges in just over an hour via its magnetic charging puck, hitting 70% in 30 minutes.
The bigger and brighter display of the Series 11 has slimmer bezels and curved edges that better blend into the body for a sleeker look overall. Plus, it’s protected by significantly more-scratch-resistant glass or super-hard sapphire, depending on the model, to keep it looking good for longer. The screen is also brighter, which makes the always-on display easier to see from an angle, particularly useful during workouts, when you might not be viewing it face on.
Also included is Apple’s full health-monitoring suite, including ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, and the recently added hypertension alerts that look for signs of high blood pressure over 30-day periods. For heart health, this is the Apple Watch to choose. The Series 11 also has a depth gauge that works down to six metres and a water temperature sensor for swimming, but you’ll need the Ultra model if you want to go diving.
Why should you buy it?
The Series 11 offers the best Apple Watch experience in the slimmest and nicest-looking body, with a gorgeous screen and two days of battery life. You also get the full suite of health-tracking tools with ECG, blood oxygen and hypertension alerts.
Don’t buy if: you want the longest battery life or a more rugged design.
Read our full Apple Watch Series 11 review: wrist-flickingly good with longer battery life
Size: 42/46mm
Thickness: 9.7mm
Screen brightness: up to 2,000nits
Tested battery life: 2 days
Processor: S10
Storage: 64GB
Water resistance: 50 metres
Sensors: HR (3rd gen), ECG, spO2, skin/water temp, depth, GPS
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<em>Best Apple Watch for battery:</em>Ultra 3
- What we love:Longer battery life of up to three days
- What we don’t love:Very expensive for an Apple Watch
The biggest, boldest and longest-lasting Apple Watch is the Ultra 3, which builds on the Series 11 with a supersized screen and body, and adds a bunch of adventure-ready features – ready for life in the wilderness, or just work in the city.
It’s available only in titanium and at 49mm, although there’s a choice of a natural or black finish. It has the biggest and brightest screen on an Apple Watch, protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Similar to the Series 11, the display is much brighter off-angle, making it easier to read at a glance.
On the inside, it’s similar to the Series 11: an S10 chip, 64GB storage, and 5G support as standard with a compatible phone plan. It runs the same watchOS 26, including the double-tap and wrist-flick gestures, but battery life is three days plus with general use. This will see you through a long weekend, or up to 14 hours of tracking workouts at the highest accuracy settings.
On the outside, the Ultra 3 has an extra action button, with which you can start a workout and light up the screen as a torch, plus other features. There’s a chunkier crown and a loudspeaker that doubles as a siren to attract attention in emergency situations. New for this year is satellite connectivity for free SOS messaging to the emergency services, if things go awry when you’re out of cellular signal range.
The Ultra 3 also has dual-band GPS, making it one of the most accurate running, cycling and sports tracking watches available. It offers a good suite of tracking metrics, plus Workout Buddy for motivation, if you carry your iPhone with you. The watch can also track dives to 40 metres’ depth and at least 22 other activities.
Size-wise, it’s big for an Apple Watch – but the Ultra 3 still fits under shirt cuffs, and is relatively compact compared with adventure watch rivals from the likes of Garmin. This is a good choice should you want an Apple Watch that stands out – although it costs about twice as much as the Series 11.
Why should you buy it?
The Ultra 3 is the biggest, boldest, longest-lasting, and most capable Apple Watch. It’s ready for daily life, workouts or the odd adventure into the wilderness.
Don’t buy if: you need a compact model or have smaller wrists.
Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 review: the biggest and best smartwatch for an iPhone
Size: 49mm
Thickness: 12mm
Screen brightness: up to 3,000nits
Tested battery life: 3 days
Processor: S10
Storage: 64GB
Water resistance: 100 metres
Sensors: HR (3rd gen), ECG, spO2, skin/water temp, depth, dual-band GPS
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Other options
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Series 10
The same design as the Series 11 with the same chip and screen, but with a slightly smaller battery, less scratch-resistant glass and 4G rather than 5G. Worth buying at a discount.
Series 9
Thicker and with a slightly smaller screen than the Series 10 or 11, but worth buying refurbished if you don’t want the SE 3.
Ultra 2
2023’s Ultra Apple Watch was great, and is only missing a few small upgrades to screen, battery, 5G and satellite SOS compared with the current model.
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Replace or spruce up?
Wearable devices can take a beating, so if your existing Apple Watch is looking a bit tired, there are things you can do. Simply cleaning out the speaker grilles and other crevices can help, as can swapping out the straps or switching up the face to make the watch look fresh.
Greater damage, such as a cracked screen, can be repaired, although options are more limited than those for an iPhone. Apple charges at least £169 for such repairs; third parties can be cheaper. Having Apple replace batteries costs £95.
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What to look out for in a refurb
Buying refurbished watches is a good option for the planet and your wallet. Apple’s are among the fastest and smoothest-running smartwatches available, and they are supported by software updates for about six years from release, so buying a refurbished model can save you some money.
There are two types of refurbished Apple Watch available: those that Apple refurbishes and sells as new directly, and those refurbished by third parties that are available in various grades or conditions for less.
Several third-party retailers offer secondhand or refurbished Apple Watches, including the UK high-street chain CeX, online stores such as musicMagpie, and marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Back Market.
Make sure you consider the condition of the watch before parting with any cash. Grading is as follows:
Grade A or excellent – virtually identical to new, often with the original box and accessories, making them the most expensive.
Grade B or good – in full working order but with light marks, and it may come with replacement accessories.
Grade C or fair – in full working order but with obvious signs of use, and it may not come with accessories.
Once you’re satisfied with a watch’s condition, ensure you check that the strap connects properly and that the device powers up and connects to your iPhone. Then check the following:
Battery health – the battery in the Apple Watch is designed to maintain at least 80% of its original capacity for 1,000 full charge cycles. Check the battery health under battery via the Settings app on the watch. Has the battery been replaced?
Charging cable – the Apple Watch requires a special magnetic puck, which costs £29 on its own, to charge. Make sure an authentic, USB-C puck is included and snaps into place correctly on the back of the watch.
Buttons – check the buttons and digital crown are in good working order and don’t need to be pressed too hard to function.
Sensors – the back of the Apple Watch contains a cluster of delicate sensors. Ensure they work correctly – can you see the LEDs of the heart-rate sensor light up?
Speakers – check the speakers are free of dirt and fluff, and function correctly for Siri, alarms and calls.
Wifi – the Apple Watch shares wifi details with the iPhone, so fully turn off Bluetooth on your iPhone in the Settings app when in range of your home wifi to check the watch can connect properly.
Water resistance – the watch needs to be properly sealed to maintain its water resistance. Has it been obviously opened, and does the refurbisher maintain the original 50-metre water resistance?
Warranty – what kind of warranty and support does the refurbisher offer?
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Do not buy
Any Apple Watch Series 7 or older, as you simply won’t benefit from the software support for long before you’ll have to replace the device.
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For more:
• The best running watches – tested
• The best fitness tech and gadgets, according to experts
Samuel Gibbs is the Guardian’s consumer technology editor
• This article was originally published on 10 June 2025. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This piece was updated on 13 January 2026; the 2025 Apple Watches were added after testing.
