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Sparky’s 2024 Apple Watch Buyer’s Guide

I’ve been wearing Apple Watches since day one, and the 2024 lineup is the most impressive yet. They make great holiday gifts, but here’s the thing: You don’t need to buy the most expensive model to get a great Apple Watch experience. Let’s break this down into plain English and figure out which watch belongs on your wrist.

The Three Flavors of Apple Watch

Series 10: The Sweet Spot

This is the Goldilocks watch — not too much, not too little, but just right for most users. This year it got a larger display, thinner and now it has sleep apnea detection as Apple continues to add more medical/health sensors.

What you get:

  • A solid Always-On display
  • ECG, blood oxygen, and sleep tracking sensors, but no blood oxygen level sensor because … lawsuits.
  • The new second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (improved Find My)
  • Aluminum or Titanium finishes

The sweet spot for: Most folks who want a great all-around Apple Watch without going overboard.

Ultra 2: The Beast

Remember when Apple used to run those “I’m a Mac” commercials? If they did that for Apple Watch, the Ultra 2 would be wearing hiking boots and a climbing harness. This thing is built like a tank, but a really smart, sophisticated tank.

The standout features:

  • Titanium case that can take a beating
  • A big, bright display (perfect for outdoors)
  • Multi-day battery life
  • The Action Button (I’ve mapped mine to start dictation, because I’m kind of a geek.)
  • The rugged design — Some people love it. Others don’t. (I’m in the first camp and still wearing my Apple Watch Ultra 1.)

The weird bit is that this watch is now over a year old. In some ways, the Apple Watch Series 10 is superior. It’s not clear yet but it may be that Apple only updates the Ultra model every few years only.

Perfect for: Outdoor enthusiasts, endurance athletes, and anyone who needs their watch to last more than a day. Also great if you just want the biggest, baddest Apple Watch out there.

SE (2nd Generation): The Smart Buy

Here’s the secret: the SE is probably all the Apple Watch most people need. It’s like getting 80% of the features for 50% of the price. No, you don’t get the fancy health sensors or Always-On display, but you do get a fantastic fitness tracker and notification machine.

What’s included:

  • All the core fitness tracking
  • Notifications and communications
  • GPS tracking
  • The same chip as the Series 8 (S8 SiP, plenty fast)

Ideal for: First-time Apple Watch buyers, kids, or anyone who wants to save some cash without sacrificing the core experience.

Here’s What I Think

After years of wearing various Apple Watches (and helping countless folks choose theirs), here’s my advice:

  1. If you’re not sure which one to get, buy the Series 10. It’s the safest bet and will make most people happy.
  2. If you’re hardcore about fitness or outdoors stuff, or if battery life is your main concern, spring for the Ultra 2.
  3. If you’re new to Apple Watch or watching your budget, the SE is a fantastic choice. Don’t let anyone shame you into thinking you need more.

The Bottom Line

You really can’t go wrong here. Even the “budget” SE is a more capable device than the original Apple Watch we all drooled over back in the day.

My recommendation? Don’t overthink it. The SE is great if you’re on a budget, the Series 10 is perfect if you want it all, and the Ultra 2 is there if you need something more robust.

Lessons from An Ancient Craftsman

Here’s a recent post from the MacSparky Newsletter. If you haven’t already signed up, I’d appreciate it.

Earlier this year, I had a chance to spend time in London, and I made a point to return to the British Museum. Specifically I was interested in the Parthenon pieces. I’ve been in that room before, but I felt like I didn’t experience these artifacts properly.

So this time I spent three hours in the Parthenon room. I studied each piece, I reviewed each placard, I even spent some time reading additional resources concerning those ancient pieces. They have the pieces from the pediments at each end of the room. There are several marble statues that sit atop either side of the building as a sort of three-dimensional mural.

The statues are gorgeous and timeless. For example, Athena’s clothing has the subtlest wrinkles. I can’t imagine the effort it took to make them from marble. Interestingly, the British Museum displayed them in a manner that allowed you to walk around the back. I didn’t notice this at first because nobody was walking behind them. Eventually, I found myself meandering around to the back of the room, where you have an excellent view of the backs of these statues.

I wondered what I would see. Would there be the same degree of detail on the backs as there is on the front? As positioned on the building, it would be nearly impossible to see the backs of these statues from the ground. And yet, from afar, they were not blank marble but indeed a continuation. The artists did complete the backs of the statues.

However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that these statues were not finished with the same degree of detail in the back as in the front. The fabric folds are less delicate. The muscle definition is not as refined. In short, that master craftsman, some 2,400 years ago, cut a few corners on the backs of these statues.

Pediment piece 01
Pediment piece 02
Pediment piece 03

Upon discovering this, I felt an overwhelming sense of kinship with that craftsman. Here was somebody at the top of his field, creating art for a building that would still be standing today if not for the fact some knucklehead stored ammunition in the building in 1687. The artist made something for the ages, yet he did less work on the backs than on the fronts.

We all struggle with this. No matter what our art is, there are always those bits that everyone sees and those bits that are covered up. And we face the question of how much effort to put into these various parts. It’s easy enough if it’s a hobby and you have all the time in the world. But you need to ship if you’re making a living off your art.

Tomorrow, another contract and project will be waiting for your chisel and hammer. So, how do you draw those lines? For most artists, myself included, I would say “with difficulty.” We all struggle to determine where compromise must occur and where it absolutely cannot.

Going back to the British Museum, the moment I saw where that sculptor made his compromises, it reminded me that this is not a new problem and that we all struggle with it and, 2,400 years later, we all do the best we can.

Apple Vision Pro Thoughts

It’s a big week for those contemplating buying a Vision Pro. Apple has always prided itself on only releasing products when they are “done.” While I have no doubt that the Vision Pro is done, I also think the use case for the product is far from done…This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

Q3 Planning Meeting (MacSparky Labs)

It’s time for some quarterly planning among the MacSparky Labs Early Access members. I’ve had several people request that we do a planning call on a Saturday. Since July 1 lands on a Saturday, there you go. I hope to see you there. If you can’t make it, there will be a recording…

This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?