Do you have a larger-than-average wrist but a lower-than-average appetite for smartwatch spending? Then you might want to purchase a 44mm Apple Watch SE 2 with a “starlight” aluminum case and matching starlight sport loop on Amazon right now at a whopping 80 bucks under its $279 list price.
This is quite possibly the best smartwatch available on a budget in 2024 for iPhone users… at least until the third-gen Apple Watch SE presumably comes out in the fall with a faster processor and likely very few other upgrades in tow.
Released in 2022, the second-gen Apple Watch SE packs the same in-house S8 chip as the high-end Apple Watch Series 8 from a couple of years ago. That makes this ultra-affordable wearable device pretty much as powerful as all of the best Android-compatible timepieces out there, but of course, you do need to make a few sacrifices if you decide to go with the Apple Watch SE 2 rather than splash out on the premium Apple Watch Series 9 from 2023.
We’re talking no life-saving ECG technology, no blood oxygen tracking, no temperature sensor, and a smaller and lower-res screen (compared to the 45mm Series 9). Still, this Retina display is by no means a pushover, with an excellent 448 x 368 pixel count of its own and up to 1000 nits of brightness, and the fall detection, crash detection, Emergency SOS, and super-advanced heart rate monitoring features with irregular rhythm notifications are all present to strengthen a very hard-to-beat value proposition.
As highlighted in our comprehensive review back in 2022, the Apple Watch SE 2 also shines in the build quality department (considering its reasonable price) while rocking a water-resistant body (which is another big budget-friendly strength) but lacking always-on display functionality and thus falling short of low-cost smartwatch perfection.Â
Of course, a product doesn’t have to be perfect to warrant your attention at an $80 discount that eclipses all previous 2024 deals on this same device, having only been beaten itself on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 around six months ago.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
