
Apple Watch Series 2 from Apple Store
Apple's latest smartwatch is waterproof up to 50 metres, boasts dual-core processing and has a brighter display.
View detailsThe Apple Watch sits at the prime place in the smartwatch category on price alone, but then it’s not as though any other vendor even tried to launch a $24,000 smartwatch last year. That kind of pricing is notably absent this year, with only a single ceramic white Apple Watch Edition on sale so far, but the Apple Watch in its "Series 2" iteration remains a premium device with an eye towards the style crowd.
What’s interesting here is that while Apple has tinkered and tweaked around the design of mobile devices such as the iPhone 7 or the iPad Pro, the core visual "watch" part of the Apple Watch Series 2 isn’t notably different from that of the first generation Apple Watch. You could pretty easily put the two side by side and fool folks as to their generation, excluding a few key niche variants such as the ceramic white Apple Watch Edition, or the Apple Watch Nike+ version. That’s because the key differences between the Series lie under the hood with the inclusion of a faster processor, GPS and water resistance.
Model | Apple Watch Series 1 | Apple Watch Series 2 |
---|---|---|
Screen size | 38mm/42mm | 38mm/42mm |
Band options | Rubber, leather, metal | Rubber, leather, metal |
Battery | 205mAh (38mm) | 273mAh (38mm) |
GPS | via iPhone | Yes |
Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
Apps? | Yes | Yes |
Calling ability | Yes, when paired with iPhone | Yes, when paired with iPhone |
Price | From $399 | From $529 |
Apple’s staked its position out in the smart wearables space, and rather predictably, it’s at the higher cost, fashion end of the spectrum. In that respect, nothing’s changed between the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models. They’re exceptionally well built and attractive watches available in a variety of style, but they’re not really competing against the rather large number of both smartwatches and higher-end activity tracker style watches available at much lower prices. The strict lock into the Apple iOS ecosystem naturally means that they’re only suitable for iPhone owners in the first place.
That iOS focus means that Apple is also competing with itself in this space, because while it's reduced the range of Series 1 Apple Watches you can buy, it's also added the same dual core processor to the line, which starts at just $399. If you don't plan on going swimming with your Apple Watch and can eschew the inbuilt GPS, it might be a better budget option.
If you’re an iPhone owner but the Apple Watch doesn’t appeal for reasons of price or style, you could consider one of Pebble’s much cheaper e-ink smartwatches, or any of a number of more fitness-centric devices such as the Fitbit Blaze, Fitbit Charge 2 or Polar M600.
Apple sells the Series 2 Apple Watch through its website and retail stores, with prices starting at $529. Selected models such as the Apple Watch Hermès edition and the Apple Watch Edition sell for significantly higher prices depending on band and size selection.
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