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Apple Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm) vs Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
Apple Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm) ($102) vs Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) ($51) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right smartwatch.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm) | Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $102 | $51 |
| Weight | 38.8g | 36.2g |
| Chip | S8 SiP | S5, 64-bit dual-core |
| Case | 45mm aluminium, GPS | — |
| Display | 1000 nit always-on Retina | Retina OLED, not always-on |
| Water | 50m, WR50 | — |
| Sensors | Temperature, ECG, blood oxygen | Optical heart rate, no ECG/SpO2 |
| Weight | 38.8g (Apple published) | 36.2g (Apple published, 44mm GPS) |
| Safety | — | Fall detection, emergency calling |
| WR | — | 50m |
Pros & Cons
Apple Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm)
- Full sensor suite including ECG and temperature
- Crash Detection
- Cheap for a watch with this much hardware
- 1000 nits looks dim next to a Series 9
- Same 18 hour battery
- Design is three generations old
Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
- Series 5-class performance at a genuine discount over Series 5/6
- Fall detection and emergency calling carried over from flagship models
- Same 44mm case size as the numbered Series watches that generation
- Lighter than most Series models it's priced against
- No always-on display
- No ECG or blood oxygen sensor
- No compass
- watchOS support window is closing like every watch in this group
Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) is the better value at $51. Both are part of our curated smartwatch index — tap through to check current pricing.
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