I dumped my Apple Watch but still miss 3 features

Apple Watch Series 7 on my hairy wrist
(Image credit: Future)

Ah, the Apple Watch. Regular, devout readers will know that Apple's smartwatch and I have had a somewhat fraught relationship. In fact, I've bought four of them. And sold four of them. Every time I think 'this is it', I get bored and realise I'm actually not really using it for much at all.

But my last Apple Watch was the one I kept for the longest, which means the withdrawals this time around are a little more pronounced. There are a few things I've been raising my wrist for, only to find, alas, a plain old analogue watch in the smart one's place. I wouldn't say I miss the Apple Watch (yet) – to me it's still a nice and shiny extension to the iPhone, not yet useful enough to justify the cost (or the extra notifications). But if my normal watch could do these three things, I'd be happy. (In the market for an Apple Watch? Check out the best deals in our live roundup of Apple Cyber Monday).

Apple Watch Series 9$399Save $70:

Apple Watch Series 9: $399 $329 at Amazon
Save $70: The newest Apple Watch was only released in September. We thought $60 would be the best saving we'd see this Black Friday, but Amazon has just dropped the price a little further. The new Watch features a new improved screen and a clever new double-tap feature.

Price check: Best Buy $349

Apple Watch Ultra$799Save $140:

Apple Watch Ultra: $799 $649 at Best Buy
Save $140: The rugged Apple Watch Ultra in orange is designed for the adventurers among you. The main difference between this and the next iteration is that this one doesn't allow you to dive, so if you don't need to do that then this is a great, bargain option.

Price check: Target $659.99

Apple Watch SE 2: £219Save £10:

Apple Watch SE 2: £219 £209 at John Lewis
Save £10: I'm currently wearing one of these (in starlight, thanks for asking), and it does everything I need it to do, even though it doesn't have all the fancy features of the Ultra 2. If you want messages, calls and fitness tracking, and can skip the outdoorsy stuff, this is for you. A small discount perhaps (on the 40mm version), but still the cheapest price we've seen the SE 2 hit in the UK. The US has seen some better prices. 

Price check: Amazon £219 | Apple £219

Apple Watch Ultra: 699Save £100:

Apple Watch Ultra: £699 £599 at Amazon
Save £100: If you want a powerful watch at a surprisingly low price, this one is for you. It's got power, style and all the features you could ask for from a watch. It's not the latest Ultra but if you're not Bear Grylls, do you really need it?

Price check: John Lewis £669

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Daniel John
Design Editor

Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.

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