An Apple Watch isn't just an accessory or an excuse for a second screen around your wrist. After a year of testing out the Apple Watch, I've found it to be a helpful sleep tracker, the world's most convenient timer for when my hands are dirty in the kitchen, a phone-free text or call receiver/sender, a dumbphone, and an exercise motivator and mid-workout monitor.
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The Apple Watch started out as a sleek fitness tracker and has evolved into an essential companion for iPhone users. Apple's smartwatches have an arsenal of convenient capabilities like supplying your boarding pass for a flight, identifying a song playing nearby, opening your garage door, and alerting you when it's about to rain. It's also an expansive health monitoring system that can check your heart rate or guide you through a meditation.
We're expecting new Apple Watches to come in only a few months, during Apple's annual September iPhone event, when it debuts the latest hardware. But if you're not interested in waiting a few months to pay for an Apple Watch, these are the best ones you can buy right now.
What is the best Apple Watch right now?
My pick for the best Apple Watch is the Apple Watch Series 10, because it's the Apple Watch most people will get the most out of. It's got a light, thinner build, plus new sleep-tracking features like sleep apnea detection. But if you're using your Apple Watch for your Ironmans and marathons, I'd recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It's got a 24-hour battery life, an emergency siren feature for added safety, and a larger screen.
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The best Apple Watches of 2025
Show less View now at Amazon View now at Walmart View now at Apple This is the smartwatch most people should buy. The Apple Watch Series 10 debuted in September with new features that make it a serious upgrade from the Series 9. Most notably, there is a new sleep apnea tracking feature that works through the watch's accelerometer, which monitors movements associated with respiratory pattern interruptions and is tracked by Apple's new Breathing Disturbances metric. There is also a new water depth gauge, which measures almost 20 feet (up to six meters) beneath the water's surface, and a water temperature sensor to benefit swimmers, surfers, and snorkelers. Also: Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Series 9: Should you upgrade to the latest model? The build of the watch features an improved and bigger display (42mm and 46mm sizes) thanks to the wide-angle OLED display that offers up to 40% brighter viewing angle compared to the Series 9. The Series 10 is also 10% thinner and lighter which makes it more comfortable to wear, especially while sleeping. If you want the latest health sensors and safety features, great battery life (especially if you want to do sleep tracking), and you don't need the extreme features in the Ultra 2, then you can save a lot of money by going with the aluminum model of the Apple Watch Series 10 starting at $399 (but discounted nearly a year after its release). I advise you skip the tougher titanium finish on the Series 10 that starts at $699 and go for the Ultra at only $100 more, which offers lots of extra features -- unless you have a smaller wrist. Then I'd suggest sticking with the Series 10. Apple Watch Series 10 tech specs: Display size: 42mm or 46mm | Battery life: 36 hours standby | Storage capacity: 64GB | Features: New features include a bigger display, thinner design, sleep apnea tracking, water depth gauge, and a new titanium finish Health & wellness 10 Build quality/durability 9 Advanced features 6 Applications 10 Core functionality 9 Pros Thinner design and bigger display
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