The $399 Apple Watch Series 6 and new $279 Apple Watch SE are now available — here's where and how to buy them
- The Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE launched on September 15 during Apple's virtual press conference.
- The new Series 6 starts at $399 and the Apple Watch SE starts at $279.
- Both of the new smartwatches are now available to purchase from Apple, Best Buy, Amazon, and additional retailers.
- Here's everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, including how to buy the watches online.
Updated on 9/18/2020 by Steven Cohen: Added new purchase options to coincide with the release of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE on September 18.
Apple Watch Series 6
The Apple Watch Series 6 was announced on Tuesday, September 15 and is available to buy now starting at $399.
For the Series 6, Apple has added a new blood-oxygen sensor to measure SpO2 levels to track your overall respiratory and cardiac health. The new sensor adds to Apple's suite of advanced health and fitness sensors and features, including an advanced electro cardiogram (ECG) sensor.
Apple also built a special chip for the Series 6 called the S6, which Apple said is based on the A13 chip in the iPhone 11 series and is optimized for the Watch. Apple claims the S6 chip inside the Series 6 is 20% faster than the Apple Watch Series 5.
The Apple Watch Series 6's design is familiar and similar to previous generations, and Apple is adding a variety of new color options for the Series 6's casing, like a new blue aluminum and Product Red case.
The Series 6 also comes with a variety of new watch faces, including faces that can be specially customized to show relevant activities like surfing or information for professions like health care.
There are new minimalist bands, too, including Apple's Solo Loop made of stretchable "liquid silicone" that's more like a bracelet without a buckle or clasp. There's also a braided version of the Solo Loop made from recycled yarn that doesn't have clasps or buckles, as well as a leather strap without a clasp or loop-back.
Watch OS 7, Apple's latest operating system for the Apple Watch, was also announced. It features a new sleep tracking app, an automatic hand-washing detection feature to remind you to wash your hands, and it can now measure a full range of VO2 max levels.
Apple Watch Series 6, starts at $399 from Apple
Apple Watch Series 6, starts at $399 from Best Buy
Apple Watch Series 6, starts at $399 from Amazon
Apple Watch SE
The brand new Apple Watch SE is Apple's "more affordable" model that starts at $279 and comes with the core basics of the full-fat numbered Apple Watch series. It was announced alongside the Apple Watch Series 6.
The Apple Watch SE became widely available to buy on Friday, September 18.
It comes with the Apple Watch Series 6 design, but doesn't include the advanced health and fitness tracking sensors like an ECG or SpO2 sensor, and thus doesn't include some of the more advanced health and fitness tracking features.
It does include core features like "the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6, and with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers robust health and safety capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and the Noise app," Apple said.
The Apple Watch SE runs on Apple's S5 chip — the same as the Apple Watch Series 5, which Apple said is twice as fast as the Apple Watch Series 3.
Apple will continue to sell the Apple Watch Series 3 starting at $199.