PSA: The Apple Watch Series 8 And SE Are On Major Sale For Prime Day

Promising review: "I am sure there are a lot of you wondering what exactly you need a smartwatch for when you have a smartphone. I too was one of these people wondering the same thing.

I have been using the watch for a few months now. I find myself trying to be more active, monitoring my heart more and monitoring my sleeping, which is one of the important reasons I got the watch. The watch itself isn't causing me to sleep better, but I can identify the times I'm awake during the night and make adjustments to my sleep schedule to get more sleep, which has worked for me. The watch tells me to stand up and move around (I work a 9–5 desk job and never took a moment to stretch) as well as to take a moment to breathe and clear my mind — all good features. Not only do I work 9–5 at the desk, but after hours and weekends I'm doing mechanical work, work where you typically have two hands occupied and really greasy and dirty. I was surprised I could call from and receive calls to the watch instead of having to drop everything, clean up, find my phone, and take important calls.

BATTERY: It will last me a day before I need to charge. Do not expect it to last days on end. However, it does charge pretty fast, so you can put it on the charger when you find time for a break during the day. I choose to charge it either at night before bed when I'm getting things ready for the next day, and then I'll put it on before sleep. Or, I'll take it off in the morning when I wake up and charge it while I'm getting myself ready for the day.

As far as recommendations —  yes, I would recommend it. It has the capability of your phone without you having to actually carry the phone everywhere you go around the house, but I find it having more health-related benefits that the phone simply can't offer you." —Dan

Promising review (for GPS + Cellular): "I purchased this as my first Apple Watch, after being pretty stubborn to the idea. I love it, and now I feel like I don't know how I managed so long without it. I got it primarily for safety reasons, and end up finding that some other functions are basically a necessity for my daily life (hello being able to manage podcasts I'm listening to through my watch instead of my phone, total game-changer). It's also gorgeous, and though the band isn't quite as white as when I purchased it, I also work in pretty rough conditions, and beat it up a lot, so that's on me." —Shauna

I decided to get the Apple Watch SE at the beginning of 2021 because my friends wouldn't stop raving about it, and I've been using it every day since. Before I made the purchase, I asked several friends if they thought it was worth it, and everyone said a plain and simple "Yes." And they were right. I use my watch mostly to track my workouts. I've used a few other fitness trackers, and this one is by far the best. It has SO many options when it comes to selecting the workout you're doing. I was surprised when I was able to track when I played pickleball with my parents. The watch also has goal-setting rings that remind me to get up and move every hour and meet my "active minutes goal." There are also so many other cool features that don't have to do with fitness that takes this watch the ~extra mile~, including seeing all my notifications and texts, talking on the phone (which makes me feel like Inspector Gadget — IYKYK), setting timers, changing the song while listening to music, and even making my phone make a noise when I forget I left it in the other room. Overall, I think this was a great purchase and would recommend it to anyone.

Promising review: "I finally bought an Apple watch because I've been wanting to improve my mental health with more physical activities. At first, I was annoyed by all the notifications I received on the watch; it's essentially a mirror of your smartphone. After I turned most of them off except phone calls/texts, it was much better to use. While the battery life is not as long as other competition out there, there are some features that I think make the watch worth it:

1. Fitness+ —  LOVE THIS APP! I'm currently trying it, and it's a game changer. I love how there is new content weekly for different exercises like kickboxing, Pilates, HIIT, yoga, dance, etc. I have a smartTV and stream the videos on there. I get to see my heart rate LIVE. You can also filter the exercises by duration, music genre, fitness instructor, and more! I will definitely be keeping the subscription after my trial is over; it's definitely worth it.

2. Daily/weekly challenges with myself and friends — I enjoy the rings concept and connecting with my friends who also have an Apple watch. I get notifications of when they complete a workout, which encourages me.

3. Find My — I use this app constantly to find my phone in another room.

4. Direct streaming to my iPhone — it is nice to see my stats on my phone.

Overall, if you're considering getting an Apple Watch, do it. I selected this one because I don't need the data option, and this is a budget-friendly enough device for so much value." —Crystal Jimenez

Promising review (for GPS + Cellular): "Took me forever to get on board with an Apple Watch. I've always had iPhones, but when it came to fitness watches, I just didn't want to let go of my Garmin. I've had it forever. After spending time with two of my siblings who have Apple Watches, however, I couldn't stop asking questions and finally, I gave in. I went with the SE because it had the features I was looking for and also was on the lower end of the scale price-wise. Baby steps. Anyway, this came with everything I would need. The watch, of course, the band, and a charger. It was super easy to set up, and I was able to add it to my Verizon account with no issues. 

After playing around with it, I have to admit, I can't believe I waited so long. I love everything about this watch! If I leave my phone in another room, I still get all the notifications so I don't miss anything. Plus, it tracks my steps, my heartbeat, my sleep, my workouts, you name it. It has crash detection, fall risk, and can notify you if your walking steadiness is off. Not only that but I love how I can change the face, switch bands, buy colorful protective covers and even some bling to match outfits, showcase holidays, or just sum up how I'm feeling that day. It is comfortable to wear all day and even at night while I'm sleeping. I usually set it on the charger in the morning when I'm taking a shower and then at night before I fall asleep, and I've never had to worry about the battery being low. I'm very glad I made the switch. I love this watch a little bit more every single day." —Char, The (Mostly) Happy Shopper