Apple’s dominance in the smartwatch industry mostly comes from its excellent hardware, availability of a huge number of important health tracking features such as monitoring glucose in the body, a versatile ecosystem and a wide variety of available apps.
Alongside their flagship Apple Watch 6, this year Apple also announced the mid-range Apple Watch SE. It shares a lot of similarities with the Watch Series 6 but costs quite a bit less. However, the company has also reduced the price of their Series 3 and kept it around for customers on a tighter budget. It has the older and slower S3 chip but it does get the new WatchOS 7.
Do you know how every person has a different lifestyle and requires precise attention to different aspects of their health and daily workflow? Well, choosing a smartwatch to be their companion to track all these things, can be really hard. You may end up choosing the wrong one.
I’m here to make sure that you don’t make the wrong choice and get the value you deserve from spending your hard-earned money. So, are you interested to find out which one of these two smartwatches is gonna be the best for you? In that case, I have compared them, breaking everything into detail, so you can decide according to your priorities.
I’ll be evaluating everything that should be considered as necessary and premium features that you’d expect from a good smartwatch. This includes the displays, all the sensors & tracking features, differences in hardware & their capabilities, basic limitations, and much more.
As I go forward comparing the Apple Watch SE to the Apple Watch Series 3, you’ll have a clear idea of which one you are going to be the happiest with and even if you have the Watch Series 3, is it worth upgrading to the new Watch SE or not.
To give you an idea, the new Apple Watch SE does have a more modern design, a ton of extra features and powerful hardware while the Apple Watch Series 3 is cheaper while still being a really great smartwatch. People who just want to get their first Apple Watch but are tight on a budget and do not care about having the latest and greatest may find the Apple Watch Series 3 more compelling.
But, people who have the extra cash and require the extra functionality of the Apple Watch SE, should consider that one instead. No matter if you’re upgrading or getting an Apple Watch for the first time.
Contents
- Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch Series 3: Comparison Chart
- Design & Build
- Display
- Activity & Fitness Tracking
- OS and Interface
- Hardware & Performance
- Battery Life
- Connectivity Options
- Extra Features
- Warranty
- Apple Watch SE: Pros & Cons
- Apple Watch Series 3: Pros & Cons
- Value & Price
- Which One Should You Buy?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Verdict
Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch Series 3: Comparison Chart
When you are trying to decide between the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 3, you have to take a lot of things into consideration. Even if you already own an Apple Watch Series 3 and are trying to decide if you should upgrade to the Apple Watch SE, you need all the pointers on the table to make that decision right.
Do you care about the modern design of the Apple Watch SE or will you benefit from the better display or is the improved battery life, something that you’ll like to have? And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as there are other factors in play as well.
As you go ahead, you’ll see that I’ve made detailed comparisons and also explained every pointer in detail. But, in case you need a quick sum-up of all the important things that are different or similar between the two smartwatches, I’ve created a comparison chart to help you out with that. Check out the table below:
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Companion App | Apple Watch | Apple Watch |
| Compatibility | iOS | iOS |
| Interchangeable Strap | Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Siri | Siri |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box Contents | Watch, Magnetic Charging Cable, Strap, Documentation | Watch, Magnetic Charging Cable, Strap, Documentation |
| Starting Price | $279 (GPS), $329 (GPS+Cellular) | $199 (GPS), $329 (GPS+Cellular) |
| Type | Fitness | Fitness |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Shape | Rectangular Frame with Rounded Corners | Rectangular Frame with Rounded Corners |
| Case Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap Material | Silicone, Nylon, Fiber, Leather & Metal options | Silicone, Nylon, Fiber, Leather & Metal options |
| Strap Size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Screen Protection | ion-X Glass | ion-X Glass |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) | 5 ATM (up to 50 meters) |
| Display Size | 1.78 inch (44mm), 1.57 inch (40mm) | 1.65 inch (42mm), 1.5 inch (38mm) |
| Display Type | LTPO OLED, 1000 nits | Retina OLED, 1000 nits |
| Resolution | 448 x 368 px (44mm) , 394x324 px (40mm) | 390x312 px (42mm), 340x272 px (38mm) |
| Always On Display | No | No |
| Custom Watch Face | Yes | Yes |
| SOC | Apple S5 (Dual-core) | Apple S3 (Dual-core) |
| RAM | 1GB | 768MB |
| Storage | 32GB | 8GB |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes (always-on) | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen | No | No |
| Hand Wash Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Distance Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Fall Detection | Yes | No |
| Swim Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual Cycle | Yes | Yes |
| Sport Modes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery Capacity | N/A | 279 mAh |
| Battery Life | Around 18 Hours of Daily Use | Around 18 Hours of Daily Use |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v5.0 | Yes, v4.2 |
| Bluetooth Calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11, b/g/n |
| SMS Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls Alert | Yes | Yes |
| SIM Type | e-Sim (on Cellular model) | e-Sim (on Cellular model) |
| OS | WatchOS 7 | WatchOS 7 |
Design & Build
Let’s kick things off with the design. Apple has used a rectangular case with rounded corners on both the Apple Watch SE & the Apple Watch Series 3. However, the shape of the Apple Watch SE’s case is slightly more symmetrical and it looks more appealing compared to the Watch Series 3.
The black bezels around the display are way slimmer on the Apple Watch SE and that creates an all-screen top appearance. On the other hand, they are thicker and outdated on the Apple Watch 3.
The case sizes are also different. The newer Apple Watch SE comes in 44mm & 40mm case sizes while the Apple Watch Series 3 has smaller 42mm & 38mm.
The cases on both smartwatches are made with Aluminum with Ion-X Glass on top. With the newer flagship Apple Watches you can get more premium Stainless Steel and Titanium options with a Sapphire top. However, they aren’t available in the Apple Watch SE or Series 3.
Customization-wise, this is where Apple excels and because of their backward compatibility, all the new bands that they announced with the new Apple Watch Series 6 & SE, will still fit the Apple Watch Series 3 too.
For those who don’t know, Apple has a wide range of bands available for its watches including Silicone, Nylon, Fiber, Leather & Metal options. This range also includes their new Solo Loop bands & Special Edition bands from Nike.
Talking about build quality, the Aluminum casing is sturdy and the ion-X glass also holds up pretty well in the long term. So, if you are planning to keep your watch for a few years, that shouldn’t really be an issue.
Both the watches are also rated at 5 ATM for water resistance which means that they can survive 50 meters underwater. This is great for swimming and surfing but, these watches won’t survive skin diving in the ocean.
Display
The displays are slightly different as well.
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 1.78 inch (44mm), 1.57 inch (40mm) | 1.65 inch (42mm), 1.5 inch (38mm) |
| Type | LTPO OLED, 1000 nits | OLED, 1000 nits |
| Resolution | 448x368 px (44mm), 394x324 px (40mm) | 390x312 px (42mm), 340x272 px (38mm) |
| Always On | No | No |
| Custom Watch Face | Yes | Yes |
The Apple Watch SE has a 1.78-inch display with a resolution of 448 x 368 pixels on the 44mm model and a 1.57-inch display with a resolution of 394 x 324 pixels on the 42mm model.
For the Apple Watch Series 3, there is a 1.65-inch display with a resolution of 390 x 312 pixels on the 42mm model and a 1.5-inch display with a resolution of 340 x 272 pixels on the 38mm model. The Watch SE also has thinner and more symmetrical bezels compared to the Watch Series 3.
Both of the watches use OLED technology for their displays. However, The Apple Watch SE has the new LTPO OLED display that was first introduced with the Watch Series 4. Compared to the regular OLED display (Retina OLED) that Apple is using in the Apple Watch Series 3, LTPO OLEDs use a lot less battery resulting in longer battery life.
Both of them have vivid colors and thanks to OLED, perfect black levels as well. However, the Watch SE does have a better display compared to the Watch 3.
Apple has introduced the always-on functionality with the Watch Series 5 so, of course, the Watch Series 3 doesn’t have that. But, although the Watch SE has the same display as the Series 6, for some reason, Apple hasn’t provided always-on functionality which it is clearly capable of. Thankfully, both watches wake up when you lift your wrist.
Also, with WatchOS 7, comes a huge variety of custom watch faces. The new Apple Watch SE takes full advantage of the new customization options and you can track any health or activity stats by creating a custom watch face for them. The Apple Watch Series 3 does support custom watch faces but, it doesn’t quite support as many variations as the Apple Watch SE.
It’s safe to say that the display on the Apple Watch SE is quite a bit better compared to the Apple Watch Series 3 with slightly better visuals, lower battery draw and a more modern appearance. This doesn’t mean that the Apple Watch Series 3 has a bad display as it’s actually a really good panel. It’s just that the one on the Apple Watch SE is a significant step up.
Activity & Fitness Tracking
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| ECG | No | No |
| Blood Oxygen Monitor | No | No |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Distance Tracking (Running) | Yes | Yes |
| Step Counter | Yes | Yes |
| Fall Detection | Yes | No |
Tracking your activity and health is something that Apple does really well. It has been developing the Watch ecosystem around health & fitness. So, as both of these smartwatches have the latest version of WatchOS, they have a lot of the features that Apple’s top-end smartwatches have but, with a few cut-offs that you may or may not care about.
Okay, so the first things first, you cannot get two very important features of the top of the line Apple Watch Series 6. Those are ECG & Blood Oxygen Monitoring. So, if you want those, you have to spend significantly more and get the Series 6.
Actually, if you don’t need the Blood Oxygen Monitoring, the ECG is also available on the Series 5 which you might find on discounts more than ever.
What do these watches do then? Well, all the basic stuff like motoring your Heart Rate, Calories, or tracking your steps, sleep, running distance, swimming stats, and more. These are the primary requirements for a good smartwatch, and thankfully both the Watch SE & Series 6 have all of these features included.
But, if you’re buying for your parents or other elderly people in your family, you have to go with the Apple Watch SE ‘cause, the Series 3 doesn’t have Fall Detection. That means you cannot set the watch to send you an SOS when and if a family member renders unconscious and falls down on the ground.
OS and Interface
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | WatchOS 7 | WatchOS 7 |
| Voice Control | Siri | Siri |
| Companion App | Apple Watch | Apple Watch |
Apple keeps supporting their old devices with new versions of software for a long period of time. So, as they announced WatchOS 7, they also made the update available for the Apple Watch Series 3. That’s why the SE & the Series 3, both will be running Apple’s latest WatchOS.
With WatchOS 7, Apple has introduced subtle changes to the ecosystem. The most important addition this year is the new and improved watch faces. You can now customize your own watch face with stats that are important to you and have them on your wrist all the time.
You can even share these custom watch faces. That’s how your parents can have important data on their wrist without them actually needing to customize that themselves. Some of these watch faces are only made for the newer Apple Watches, so those won’t be supported on the Apple Watch Series 3.
It’s pretty much clear that if you get the Apple Watch SE, you’ll have the full-fledged WatchOS 7 experience. But, even with the Apple Watch Series 3, the experience is kinda okay. However, do remember that Series 3 was the last device on the list to get the update so it’ll probably not receive the next version of WatchOS. The Apple Watch SE on the other hand will keep receiving the upcoming versions for at least another 2-3 years.
Hardware & Performance
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| SOC | Apple S5 | Apple S3 |
| RAM | 1GB | 768MB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB | 8GB |
Coming to hardware & performance now, that’s one of the areas where the Apple Watch Series 3, does start to show its age. The Apple Watch SE has a couple of generations newer hardware which means that it’ll beat the Apple Watch SE easily. In this area, you’ll definitely notice the difference.
According to Apple, the S5 chip in the Apple Watch SE is twice as fast, compared to the S3 chip on the Apple Watch Series 3. That means the Watch SE will have way better performance over the Watch Series 3.
Adding up to that, the Apple Watch SE comes with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of Internal Storage. The Apple Watch Series 3 on the other hand, comes with 768MB of RAM and 8GB of Internal Storage. The lower RAM also impacts the performance and the lower storage means you can store fewer apps or music on your watch. If you do require the extra storage, the Apple Watch SE would be the better option for you.
The Apple Watch SE & the Apple Watch Series 3, both come with an in-built speaker & a microphone. We do not know how much difference there is between the two but, giving voice commands to Siri and taking calls on the go (on cellular models) shouldn’t be an issue on any of them.
Battery Life
All right, it’s time we talked about battery life. Apple claims around 18 hours of daily use on average for both of the models. Now, the hardware on the new Apple Watch SE is more power-efficient compared to Series 3. The LTPO OLED and the Apple S5 SOC on the Watch SE should sustain battery better, compared to the regular OLED display and the older S3 chip on the Watch Series 3.
You do get up to 1.5 hours of calls on the LTE model of the Watch SE but, as Apple has removed the stats about the cellular version of the Watch Series 3, I cannot confirm any call time on that model. However, you do need to keep in mind that Family Setup will shave off about 4 hours of your daily usage time on the SE in case you’re using that. The Apple Watch Series 3 does not support Family Setup.
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Rated | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| With Family Setup | Up to 14 hours | Family Setup Not Supported |
| Talktime (LTE) | Up to 1.5 hours | N/A |
| Audio Playback | Up to 10 hours (Local) or 7 hours (Streaming) | Up to 10 hours (Local) |
| Indoor Workout | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Outdoor Workout | Up to 6 hours (GPS) or 5 Hours (GPS+LTE) | Up to 5 hours (GPS) |
Although the Cupertino giant claims that the battery life between these watches shouldn’t be a lot different, in real life you’ll see some substantial battery life gains with the new Apple Watch SE. The Watch Series 3 is also really good but, because of the less efficient hardware, it loses in the battery life area
Connectivity Options
| Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | GPS/GNSS | GPS/GNSS |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Available, v5.0 | Available, v4.2 |
| Cellular | LTE & UMTS (on Cellular model) | LTE & UMTS (on Cellular model) |
The connectivity situation is a little tricky. Both of the smartwatches come with GPS or GPS+Cellular connectivity options. Now, on the GPS side, they do support GPS/GNSS so that’s not an issue. But, after announcing the Apple Watch SE & Series 6, Apple has discontinued the Cellular model of the Apple Watch Series 3.
If you do pick up a cellular variant, you’ll get LTE & UMTS support. With e-sim support, you can leave your phone at home and take or make phone calls, directly from your watch. For other connectivity options, there is 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi on both watches. On the Bluetooth side, we have Bluetooth 5.0 on the newer Apple Watch SE and Bluetooth 4.2 on the Apple Watch Series 6.
So, what it comes down to is that, you should be fine with any of these watches but, being the newer model, the Apple Watch SE is a better option from a connectivity standpoint. Especially, when you may not be able to get your hands on a cellular Apple Watch Series 3 anyway, and even if you get one, you have to live with Bluetooth 4.2.
Extra Features
Apple Watch SE
- Fall Detection: One of the most important features that the Apple Watch SE has is Fall Detection. The sensors detect if a person has fallen down and requires medical attention, and if that’s the case, the watch will send an SOS to selected family members. This is really helpful when you have old parents or grandparents living alone.
- Advanced Tracking Features: Although the Apple Watch SE is a value-oriented device, it does have all the advanced tracking features available. It can track your running distance, swimming stats, altitude during hikes, outdoor activities like hunting and a lot more. It is really rare to get so many features at this price.
Apple Watch Series 3
- A Bright OLED Display: After the price cut, the Apple Watch Series 3 has one of the only displays to reach up to 1000 nits while also being OLED. That means this is one of the nicest smartwatch displays under that $200 price point and the outdoor visibility is also amazing.
- WatchOS 7: You generally do not expect a smartwatch that came out several years back, to have the last software. However, because it is Apple, they actually have updated the Watch Series 3 with their latest WatchOS 7, bringing in the new features and other improvements.
Warranty
Both the Apple Watch SE & the Apple Watch Series 3 comes with a 1-year limited warranty. As you’d expect from Apple, the warranty is indeed International so, if you travel a lot to other countries for work or even if you’re on a vacation and your Apple Watch dies, you can get it repaired free of cost.
Do note that accidental damages like physical damage or water damage (although both watches have water resistance so this shouldn’t be an issue) isn’t covered in the standard warranty. So, unless you have AppleCare+, you’ll need to pay the full repair cost in those scenarios.
Apple Watch SE: Pros & Cons
- Great value for the money
- Most of the premium health & activity tracking features
- Fall Detection & SOS
- Versatile customization options
- ECG & Blood Oxygen Monitor not included
- No Always-on Display
Apple Watch Series 3: Pros & Cons
- The cheapest Apple Watch you can buy right now
- A good number of health & activity tracking features
- Compatible with the new watch straps
- WatchOS 7 compatible
- Can’t do Fall Detection
- Backdated hardware
- Less RAM & Storage
Value & Price
From a pure value standpoint, both the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 3 have excellent value for the money. However, if you’re thinking of going for the Watch Series 3, only the GPS model has received a price cut. As the cellular version was discontinued, you’d have to pay full price to get it from online or offline retailers, hence costing the same as the cellular model of the Watch SE.
The GPS model of Apple Watch SE starts at $279 for the 40mm variant and $309 for the 44mm variant. If you want the GPS+Cellular variant, you’ll have to invest $50 extra, bumping the prices to $329 for the 40mm variant & $359 for the 44mm variant. If you want more premium band options, you’ll be increasing the price depending on which band you end up going for bumping the price to a maximum of $709.
After the price cut, the GPS model of the Apple Watch Series 6 now starts at $199 for the 38mm variant and $229 for the 42mm variant. As mentioned, the GPS+Cellular variant still sells for $329 (38mm), so that won’t be something you’d want to invest in. If you are spending that much money, get the Watch SE instead. You cannot customize the Apple Watch Series 3 directly from Apple’s website like the new Apple Watches but you can still buy the bands separately. The bands for the 40mm & 44mm variants of the newer watches will fit the 38mm & 42mm variants of the Watch Series 3 respectively.
Which One Should You Buy?
Although Apple is selling both of the smartwatches at the same time, they definitely have very different types of users in mind. But, if we take Apple’s marketing out of it, who are these watches really for? Like if someone is considering these Apple Watches, which one should they pick? Well, let’s take a look at the same below:
- People who have the money and do not want to compromise too much on the premium features should get the Apple Watch SE.
- If you’re buying for the elderly people or someone with a serious health condition, get the Apple Watch SE as it has Fall Detection & SOS.
- People buying their first smartwatch and who do not require the premium appearance or the extra features should pick up the Apple Watch Series 3.
- If you’re on a super tight budget, you can pick up the Series 3 instead of the Watch SE.
So, it’s pretty clear in this case. In case you’re low on cash, you can get the Apple Watch Series 3. If you have the extra money, there isn’t a good enough reason not to get the Apple Watch SE.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you use an iPhone and you’re looking to get a new smartwatch, it’s best that you pick an Apple Watch. The ecosystem integration has been done really well and it’ll work perfectly for all your smartwatch needs. If you’re on Android, do not pick an Apple Watch as they only work with iPhones.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is a bit old at this point. It does have a lot of the activity & fitness tracking features that you’d expect from a current-day smartwatch. So, in that area, it does still hold its own. However, hardware & design have started to show their age.
The Apple Watch SE will be getting new versions of WatchOS for several upcoming years. The Apple Watch Series 3 on the other hand, may not receive the next version after WatchOS 7.
It is almost as good as the Watch Series 6 but the latest end flagship does offer a handful of premium features over the Watch SE like ECG, Blood Oxygen Monitor, the new and improved S6 soc, and new better customization options.
The Verdict
Finally, it’s time to wrap this up for good. The Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch 3 both have their ups and downs. But, let’s see what were the major takeaways that we got from this in-depth comparison. To put all things in perspective, I’ve listed everything below:
- People who will be getting their first Apple Watch should be happy with any of these two watches.
- The Apple Watch SE will have longer software support so, people looking for long-term use should skip the Watch Series 3.
- The Apple Watch Series 3 provides more than enough value for its current price and should be great for the first time Apple Watch users.
- If you have the cash, upgrading your Series 3 to an Apple Watch SE is going to be worth it.
- The discontinued LTE model of the Series 3 is no longer worth picking up.
So, overall I’d say that the Apple Watch SE beats the Apple Watch Series 3 by a long margin. So, if you’re confused between the two, get the Apple Watch SE without thinking twice. Even if you’re upgrading, it’s going to be worth it.
Only if you are super low on budget and don’t wanna invest the extra money in the Apple Watch SE, then the Series 3 might make more sense for you.
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