The Apple Watch SE is just $189 ahead of Black Friday and I actually prefer it to the Apple Watch 10

Apple Watch SE on a green and blue strap in a user's hand against a red background

(Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 may be Cupertino’s latest and greatest wearables, but the 2nd-generation Apple Watch SE remains my favorite smartwatch from Apple. Smaller and lighter than its siblings, the SE is also the comfiest Apple Watch, IMHO. Best of all, it’s currently on sale for 24% off as part of Amazon’s early Black Friday sale.

That drops the price of admission to the wonderful world of Apple Watches down to just $189 for the GPS version of the watch. This deal is specifically on the smaller 40mm model, which is available in your choice of three case colors and two strap types, all for the same price. Regarding the latter, I’d opt for the woven Sports Loop strap over the standard rubber one (Sports Band), for maximum comfort.

The 44mm Apple Watch SE is also discounted by a more modest 22%, knocking the cost down from $279 to $219. Again, these prices reflect the standard GPS models but you can also save $50 off the cellular versions via Target.

Whichever Apple Watch SE model you choose, know that you’re getting a device that is compatible with all of Apple’s latest features introduced with watchOS 11, including on-wrist translations, access to Apple’s fun tide tracking app, the ability to finally pause your Activity Rings, Apple’s Check In safety feature, improved women’s health tracking and more.

Like the Apple Watch 10 — which is also on sale for $50 off via Walmart — battery life is roughly 18 hours with standard use, however, I frequently find my SE lasts closer to 24 hours when using Apple’s Low Power mode. It also boasts the same 50 meters of water resistance as the Series 10, which is enough for surface-level swimming.

Apple Watch SE 2022 on an orange table with the new Tides app screen displayed — The Apple Watch Series 10, Ultra 2 and SE. (Image credit: Future)

There are not quite as many health-monitoring sensors as found in the device’s higher-end siblings but the SE has proven itself time and again to be an exceptionally accurate fitness tracker. You also get access to Apple’s useful sleep insights as well as the new Vitals health app for monitoring key wellness data.

Of course, the SE also supports an enormous variety of useful apps, both first and third-party including some of my favorites like Strava, Google Maps, Spotify and Headspace. Beyond that, it has all the charm you’d expect from an Apple device, which is to say: it’s easy on the eyes and a pleasure to interact with.

Looking for more awesome Apple deals? If you make haste, you can additionally save $100 off of a new Apple iMac M4 and up to $149 off a new iPad.

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Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.