Review of Apple Watch Special Edition (GPS 44mm) 2020

Specifications Sheet

Case: 40 or 44mm
Display: Retina (W/o always on) 368x448 pixels
Water resistance: Swimproof + water resistance rating of 50 metres (Not for scuba)
Blood oxygen app: NA
ECG app: NA
Heart: High and low heart rate + Irregular heart rate notifications
Safety: Emergency SOS + Fall detection + International emergency calling* + Noise Monitoring
Navigation: Compass + Altimeter
Material: Aluminium + Ion-X glass display
Colour: Silver | Space Grey | Gold
Other Specs: Second-generation optical heart sensor, Dual-core S5 SiP, Digital Crown with haptic feedback, Second-generation speaker and mic

*Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS + Cellular) and Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) can use a mobile network connection for Emergency SOS. To use Emergency SOS on an Apple Watch without mobile connectivity, your iPhone needs to be nearby. If your iPhone isn’t nearby, your Apple Watch needs to be connected to a known Wi-Fi network and you must set up Wi-Fi Calling.

Pros

Great for Value:
I got mine at 419SGD without apple care+ (Still considering if I should get it). Of course I got the one W/O fancy straps and cellular. A basic mechanical watch can easily cost the same price but has lesser functions as compared to an Apple watch which I can pay, read my HBPM throughout the day, track my calories burned when I am exercising and also have my next activity on my calendar shown to me right on my wrist.
Fall detection and heart health notifications:
This is a feature which I don’t really need. However, I think it is perfect for my parents who both are above the age of 64. Who knows what might happen when they are out of the home, in the bathroom or even just doing daily activities. The fall detection will detect a fall and know if the person is motionless after. If the wearer is motionless, it will trigger an emergency call to the number that is set on the phone. Of course the wearer must also be using an Apple phone. GPS only and GPS + Cellular watches settings will differ.
Impressive fitness features:
Having a rather active lifestyle, the apple watch has helped me a lot especially with the HBPM. The calories burned is a bonus, however, the HBPM measurement is perfect for me to gauge if there is any improvements in my cardiovascular health. Bonus of all these health apps would be the Lumihealth app, where you can exercise and earn points which can be exchanged for Health Promotion Board (HPB) vouchers in many different stores.
Bright and responsive touch screen:
Despite the fact that the SE does not have an always on screen like the 6, the screen is still extremely bright even when it is being used on a sunny day at the beach. The screen is also very responsive as well, by far, there has no issue with the “Lift to wake” function and hence I do not see the need of the always on screen.
Seamless integration with iPhone:
One thing we all have to give Apple would be the wonderful eco-system they have produced which allows their products to have a seamless integration. Though a tad little overpriced (Coming from an apple fan).

Cons

Lack of always-on display:
From what I know and have heard from many apple watch users, the alway-on-display was a game changer for them. They would not have gotten the apple watch if not for this function. However, it doesn’t really matter to me. Well it is a down side still but at the end of the day, having this feature is a bonus and not a must have in my humble opinion. It all boils down to personal preference.
Daily charging:
To me this is a downside when in the long run as with any battery, the battery health of the apple watch will deplete over time. I have to admit that I am not impressed by the battery life, I use it actively only in the morning when I exercise and some message notifications along the way through the day. I usually start my day at 6am, and it will reach about 50% battery by roughly 8pm. Which then I will be chilling so I just leave it on my silicon apple watch dock below to charge till 100%. By far it takes a max of 1 hour to charge till it’s full which is not a problem for me. The battery life which requires daily charging might become a problem for those who are doing outdoor activities overnight and do not have their charger with them. Once again, I think it is just a personal preference. I am still looking for a portable charger for my apple watch, if you have any recommendation do let me know!

Why did I choose SE 44mm (GPS only)?

Apple Watch Vs Other Brands
I have never been a fan of any digital watch, as my love for mechanical watches has been too strong. However, the benefits that comes with a digital watch is too overwhelming for me to resist. To be honest, it was a major consideration between Apple Watch, Garmin and Fitbit. So why did I choose Apple Watch? A few major reasons were the design, the convenience it can bring me and last but not least the seamless eco-system Apple provides since I am already using a Macbook, iPad and iPhone.

Apple Watch SE Vs Apple Watch 6
This was the second major decision, after I have decided to get an Apple watch instead of other smart watches out there in the market. The 2 main reasons was that I doubt that I will need the ECG or the blood oxygen app. Yes, the battery was also a consideration which tore me apart. However, even with future proofing thoughts, I don’t think there was a need for me to get a 6 for a better chip and better battery life (tho it depletes) as I am confident I will find a good enough portable dock for my diving trips and I do not mind having it charging every night before I sleep since it only takes a short while to charge.

40mm Vs 44mm
I was so close to getting a 40mm online even prior to trying the watch on. So there was this lucky/unlucky day which I decided to cycle with my friends, it rained. The rain forced us to enter shopping centres at orchard for an indoor hike. Where I walked by an apple authorised dealer and gave it a try. Even when I have a rather small wrist, the display size of the 44mm got my heart and out went the 40mm. The 4mm of difference made a huge difference for me to preview my messages and emails on the go. So for anyone thinking to buy an apple watch or watch, please do have a try in a physical store. Yes, there is AR available for consumers to try the watch. However, you will not be able to feel the weight.

GPS Vs GPS + Cellular

This might be a major decision for some, but it took me 30mins to decide? In this era, who won’t have their phone near them? Also, I did not see myself going out for an exercise without bringing my phone along. The watch gives me great convenience but it still cannot provide everything a phone does. That would be the case for me, however, if/when purchasing for my parents I will strongly consider the Cellular version over the GPS only version as it is for safety concerns.

Bottomline

If you are exercise often, love to have some convenience at your wrist such as controlling Spotify, Paywave (via Apple pay) and previews of messages just incase they were urgent Apple watch will be the perfect solution. Adding on other misc features such as versatile look the apple watch gives with a change of the strap which can be purchased at low cost on Shopee or Lazada, the watch will fit any OOTD.

Feel free to let me know if there is anything you would like me to review, if it is not out of the reach of my price and something that I need (or want). I will be more than happy to find someway to get a review done.