Apple Watch Series 6 Review

Still a rhapsody, now in blue yet the best, even with caveats.

- By Michael Simon

There are plenty of decent smartwatch options out there, including Apple’s own SE, but the Apple Watch Series 6 is the only real choice in smartwatches. You might not need all of the things it does right now, but if you’re going to spend a few hundred bucks on a smartwatch, it pays to future-proof your wrist.

I’ve been testing quite a few watches and bands recently—the Fitbit Sense (go. macworld.com/ftsn), Apple Watch SE (go. macworld.com/wtse), Fossil Carlyle Gen 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, even the Amazon Halo band—and the Apple Watch Series 6 is the undisputed leader of the pack. Yes, you’re paying more for a Series 6 than any of those devices, but the extra money is so well spent you’re better off waiting for a sale to buy one rather than settling for a cheaper watch, even the SE.

That said, the Series 6 isn’t quite perfect. The battery life still can’t match Fitbit’s impressive lengths. Sleep tracking is extremely rudimentary. And the new Sp02 sensor is overly sensitive when taking on-demand readings. But even with those flaws, you’re not going to find another smartwatch that's as fast, featured, fashionable, or just plain fun.

A TIMELESS DESIGN THAT STILL FEELS FRESH