Ever since my Forerunner 255 Music died on me last time, I am without a smartwatch. I thought I could go through daily life without one but eventually I thought wrong. I miss the notifications on my wrist because without a smartwatch, I need to pick up my phone to look at them which is really a chore, especially if the message is unimportant.
Hence why I decided to get the cheapest, decent smartwatch on the market - the Apple Watch SE second generation which cost just slightly over 1,000 ringgit. I have a love-hate relationship with Apple watches. I mean they’r a great companion for your iPhone but the square watch face design and short battery life are a real bummer. I always preferred a round watch face on my wrist. I think they look more beautiful and elegant.
That said, the Apple Watch SE was an easy choice because of the price and compatibility with my iPhone. An entry level Garmin would cost about the same price but with much bigger bezels and lower quality display. This is not my first Apple Watch. The last one I had was the Series 3 which had a standard silicone straps. This time around I decided to go with the blue Nike sports loop nylon straps which felt soft and comfortable on my skin.
This 44mm version has a 977 square milimetres display area and weigh just 32.9 grams. It claims to have an “all day battery life” but my real life usage last up until around 9 or 10pm in the evening which is just about right. As an entry-level Apple Watch, it doesn’t have all the fancy features of the latest flagship models. No always-on-display, blood sugar monitor and the bezel is huge on the small screen.
What else can I say about this Apple Watch. It is adequate as a smartwatch but just like every other Apple watches that I own, I feel like the build quality is not suitable to be used on prolonged days outdoors or for adventure sports. For one thing, you need to charge it daily and also the display is not as though as other sports GPS watches. Still, for an entry-level Apple watch that just works with your iPhone, it is a decent choice.
