Apple Watch SE or Series 10?

You can play music from watch now, battery longer, faster. PS if you can wait get the 11.

If you don't need a new Watch right now, I would wait for the Series 11 to be released in September. If you want or need something before September, definitely go with the Series 10 if you can.

I would not recommend buying the Apple Watch SE (Second Generation), as it is using a chip equivalent in performance to the Apple Watch Series 6 from 2020. The Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 8 used the same chip (albeit under different names,) and the Tech Specs page for the Apple Watch SE (Second Generation lists the S8 Chip, the same chip listed on the Technical Specifications page for the Apple Watch Series 8.

so does the apple watch series 8 use the same chip as the series 6?

If so then what is the point of a new watch every year?

One word!! Money.

i have had both and much prefer the series 10 for voiceover means the bigger screen makes the gestures much easier for me to execute successfully

The new watches last longer. I have the 9 and I charge it in the morning. I sleep with it. I have it on display all time. No issues. It will depend on what are you planning to do. The 11 be better and suppose to check blood pressure and more. Go for the 11 if you can wait, like Michael stated.

Series 11 is only 2 months away. Wait and see what Apple says during the event. If you don't think the new features are for you, you could just go ahead and buy a series 10 at a cheaper price then.
Personally upgraded from the series 10 from the SE 2. The only thing which I can tell the difference it is of course the new health features like ecg, the water temperature sensor, on screen keyboard, a slightly larger display, thinner design and better battery life. I am unable to tell the difference between the microphone quality of the series 10 compared to the SE as recording voice memos for my music lessons I'm getting about the same audio quality.
Btw, there is a difference between S6 and S8 chip which is that the s8 is able to identify a car crash but s6 isn't able to.
Would personally stay away from SE 2 as well at this point.

If you're upgrading, you might as well get the most out of it. Wait for the 11 to be released this September, or if you prefer something cheaper, wait for the SE 3, 11e, or whatever silly name Apple uses for the cheaper model. Using this strategy means you'll stay that much more ahead of the planned obsolescence curve, and your upgrade will be more meaningful in the long run.

As for why the Watch 6, 7, and 8 share the same processor, only Apple knows the answer, but Holger is right about money! It's all about money my friend, all about money! I think there are some minor differences, such as additional sensors, but I suspect the 6, 7, 8, and SE 2 are all on the chopping block starting next year. Then again maybe not, since Apple seems to primarily drop support for devices based on age rather than technical capabilities. The 9 and 10 models also share the same upgraded processor. I really hope the 11 doesn't follow this annoying trend! This is one of many reasons I don't believe any Apple Watch is worth the money. It would be fine if it was around $100, particularly considering this is essentially an iPhone accessory rather than being a standalone product, but this is Apple we're dealing with, and Apple has never been cheap.

There may be an SE3 this year.

I've got the 10, realy like it. It took ten versions, in my opinion, before it settled into something useful... Anyway...

Not this SE, if there is a new one, go for that. When the 11 comes out the 10 should go on sale. I don't foresee many big updates aside from possibly notifications for high blood pressure (won't give you readings but will be able to give you a generalised variation).

There is nothing else in the rumour pit at the moment for anything game changing. There may be some AI thing, but doubtless it's going to be a toe dip rather than anything indispensable.

the double-tap with index and thumb to confirm something, and I believe there are other gestures as well, which might not be available in SE2.
BTW, does VO make use of those gestures? Would not having them be a deal-breaker?

Hope I spelt your name correctly, knowing me I most likely didn't but yeah, money makes sense

I am not sure about this but I think Samsung has also used the same chip in there watches, They updated it in the watch 7 last year but kept it the same with the watch 8 this year so it's not just an apple thing

Well the 11 suppose to have a better chip, and other new features. I am not sure if they will come on the x with iOS 26. Heard that it could check blood pressure. Not sure it the oxygen will be back. I got the 9 before Apple disable the oxygen feature. Still work for me.

No, voiceover works well and the gestures are OK. The typing experience is better. Looks like you are planning the x. Heard the speakers are having issues with voiceover, not sure is a bug of the iOS or the hardware.

Not sure, People in here who have the x, reported issues with the volume of voiceover. Do not know if this issue will be solve in the next iOS or is a hardware issue. Again if you can wait get the 11.

The speaker on my Apple Watch Series 10 is the best of any Apple Watch I have owned so far. Compared to even a Series 9, the speaker on the Series 10 is louder and has a fuller sound. There was an issue with VoiceOver volume introduced in watchOS late last year, but this was resolved with the release of watchOS 11.3 in January.

Good to know. I think people still have issues with it, due to not cleaning the speakers or something else. I have the 9 with the oxygen feature that works but thinking of getting the 11. Hope it has that feature again. I like to check my level sometimes.

Curtesy of Google Gemini, here's a TLDR comparison between the Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen and the Apple Watch Series 10:
Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen:
* Price: More affordable.
* Display: Smaller screen with thicker bezels, lacks Always-On display, 1000 nits peak brightness.
* Processor: S8 chip.
* Health Features: Basic heart rate tracking, high/low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, Crash Detection, Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, sleep tracking.
* Charging: Slower charging (around 1.5 hours to 80%).
* Materials: Aluminum case only.
* Size: Available in 40mm and 44mm.
Apple Watch Series 10:
* Price: More expensive.
* Display: Larger, edge-to-edge Always-On display with thinner bezels, up to 2000 nits peak brightness (twice as bright as SE 2), and wider viewing angles.
* Processor: S10 chip (faster, though daily usage differences might not be noticeable).
* Health Features: Includes all SE 2 features, plus ECG app, Blood Oxygen sensor, temperature sensing, cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, and sleep apnea notifications. Also has depth gauge and water temperature sensors for swimming.
* Charging: Much faster charging (around 30 minutes to 80%).
* Materials: Available in aluminum or titanium cases.
* Size: Available in 42mm and 46mm.
* Other Features: Precise iPhone finding, music playback through speaker, new gesture control (double tap).