Apple Watch Series 3 vs SE: Detailed comparison

You could say that the world of smartwatches is as vast as it is exciting, and Apple has been a forerunner of this revolution ever since the very beginning. In fact, their first smartwatch dates back to April 2014 — marking the start of a new era for smartwatch lovers across the globe.

That is why we’ve put together this comparison — in the hope to help you make the most informed decision. Whether you are considering an upgrade of your existing watch or looking to get your first one, we will try to clear up any uncertainties about the differences between Series 3 and SE.

Recency

Series 3 was announced on September 12, 2017 at the Apple Special Event tagged ’Let's meet at our place’. It was then was made available for purchase on September 18, 2020. SE got announced 36 months later on the Apple Special Event that was held on September 15, 2020, and was released to shops on September 18, 2020.

As of 2022, both models remain in production and are being supported by the latest software updates.

Body sizes and materials

Series 3 comes in 38mm or 42mm case body sizes and SE is available in 40mm or 44mm case sizes. Apple Watch Series 3 features a new, improved digital crown with haptic feedback which means that you will feel that satisfying ’click’ when scrolling through menu items.

Both watch models offer the same standard aluminium, which, although is the lightest option, tends to get scratches fairly easily.

Display

SE has a 30 percent larger screen, compared to Series 3. Newer SE watch model comes with an improved Third-generation Retina LTPO OLED display technology, compared to last model.

Resistance

Sensors

Safety and Emergency

Connectivity

Battery and charging

It’s been a while since Apple changed something in terms of battery life, and both watches offer up to 18h advertised run time.

System-on-Chip

SE is powered by an S5-branded chip.

Series 3 uses the Apple S5 SoC.

NeatCompare overall relative score

Price comparison

Information sources: apple.com, wikipedia.org. Product photos are copyright Apple, Inc.

Disclaimer: we always try to source product specification information from official sources, such as apple.com website, but sometimes it is impossible to verify all data that we find from public sources. Also, some products come in various versions and it's difficult to backtrack which version or region has which finctions available. So Please note that we are not responsible for any errors, on this page. All information is provided 'as is' with no guarantees whatsoever.

Disclosure: If you buy something from our link, we may earn a commission.