With a revamped Samsung Galaxy Watch range, a third-gen Google Pixel Watch, and bumper releases from Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Mobvoi, 2024 has undoubtedly been a strong year for Android smartwatches.
I’ve tested and reviewed almost every new release in great detail here at Wareable. I’ve run and cycled hundreds of miles with them, triaged even more notifications, and somehow figured out how Samsung’s baffling new AGE Index works.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra and Pixel Watch 3 (45mm) have been the standouts. Offering a couple of days of battery life, largely accurate tracking, and minimal companion app BS, they’re easily the best options if you have an Android phone.
Yet—slightly to my surprise—returning to the Apple Watch SE for the first time since initial testing has yielded far greater satisfaction than living with any of these new Wear OS releases. Let me explain why.
The importance of little details
Before Tim Cook’s patented, “And we think you’re gonna love it'”, Steve Jobs would religiously drop in lines about how Apple products “just work” during keynotes. The latter has since become a convenient meme whenever Apple slips up, but it’s broadly remained true. And never is that sentiment truer than when returning to watchOS after spending time in Wear OS.
Upon the announcement of Wear OS 5 earlier this year, I argued that Google’s platform had finally grown into one that could compete with Apple’s in most areas. In that same piece, though, I also suggested its years-long negligence had given its rival an insurmountable lead in the smartwatch market. I still stand by that.
More than I realized then, though, there’s still a huge gulf in the day-to-day experience of using both. Google has reached a stage where its smartwatch platform can boast largely better battery efficiency, the same suite of big-name apps, and more choice of hardware. The premium specs, in-vogue fitness metrics, and advanced health features are also there.
But, ultimately, a smartwatch is still a device you only sparingly interact with compared to the smartphone. The ‘just works’ feeling that stays with you, really, is created by the attention paid to the little details and super-tight phone integration. And nobody marries the smartwatch and phone better than Apple.
This goes beyond the features Wear OS is just getting around to, like live complications, consistent house style, and customizable watch faces. After an extended hiatus from Apple’s platform, I’ve had more satisfying interactions wearing the two-year-old Apple Watch SE for a couple of weeks than in a full year of testing Android watches.
Unlocking the iPhone will also unlock the Apple Watch; Find My provides two-way directions and can even kick the iPhone’s flashlight; placing calls on hold from the Watch to answer on your iPhone is easy; Smart Stack effectively reads your brain; the Noise app will even notify during busy outdoor cycles and gym sessions next to blaring speakers.
The list goes on and on, and we’ve actually already got 50 Apple Watch tips and tricks to prove that perfectly. (For what it’s worth, we’ve only been able to drum up around 20 fun, ‘hidden’ features for Wear OS).
The battery problem remains—but what else?
Given we’ve rated the latest Apple Watch (and Apple Watch Ultra) line above every other smartwatch over the past decade, it’s not an especially surprising development that ‘watchOS = pretty good, actually’.
The real kicker is that the Apple Watch SE can reach such heights. Could I pick up a Wear OS smartwatch from September 2022 and say similar? Not a chance.
It stacks up so well that I think I’d rather have this on my wrist than every 2024 Wear OS watch besides perhaps those brand-new Samsung and Google models mentioned earlier. And the price disparity means that even that’s a stretch.
Of course, the limited battery life remains the biggest issue when recommending the Apple Watch—another thing consistent over the last decade. It’s especially true of the SE, where my (admittedly heavy) use ensures I’m charging it at least once daily. Keeping a constant eye on the battery widget is a real nuisance and I won’t pretend otherwise.
And watchOS isn’t always perfect. You still can’t change the annoying countdowns in the Workout app (unless you have the Ultra and its Precision Countdown feature), you can’t track sleep without being in the ‘Sleep’ Focus Mode, and the Blood Oxygen app is still banned in the US.
Even then, Apple has become the expert at delivering early updates that iron out issues like this. The 11 main features it added in watchOS 11 are a mix of fixes for long-held frustrations, such as user control of Activity Rings, and new tricks, such as the Tides app.
Contrast that with Wear OS 5, where the most meaningful change was an app drawer change.
So, with accuracy among the top tier in every area and a design that’s just about clinging on, it is still just the battery life holding the SE back. If that’s a sticking point, you always have the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to consider, instead—and that’s exactly the device I’ll be looking out for over the forthcoming bonanza of Black Friday deals.
The fact the Apple Watch SE is in line for a refresh in 2025 could well mean that the current model will also be among the smartwatches given a discount over the next couple of months. After my recent experience, I think it’ll remain one of the best smartwatches to own in 2025.
It’s not perfect, but the bevy of tricks ensures it’s still an excellent extension to the iPhone and well worth a punt for the next 12 months if you’re waiting on the next generation. I daresay I think you’re gonna love it.
