Apple Watch Series 3 vs Series 7: Detailed comparison

Updated on May 21, 2022

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.

2017
2021
Series 3
Series 7
Series 3

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 Series 7.

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 October 15, 2021. Series 7 got announced 48 months later on the Apple September Event that was held on September 14, 2021, and was released to shops on October 15, 2021.

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

Announced
September 12, 2017
Announced
September 14, 2021
Released
September 22, 2017
Released
October 15, 2021

Body sizes and materials

Series 3 comes in 38mm or 42mm case body sizes and Series 7 is available in 41mm or 45mm 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. Unique to Series 3 remains shiny stainless steel that is also on a heavier side and lightweight but very durable matte titanium option.

38mm or 42mm case
41mm or 45mm case
Aluminum
Aluminum
Stainless steel option was offered at launch but is no longer available
Stainless steel
Titanium
Ceramic option was offered at launch but is no longer available
Digital crown
Digital Crown with haptic feedback

Display

Series 7 has a 50 percent larger screen, compared to Series 3. Series 7 adds an Always-on Display function which means that Newer Series 7 watch model comes with an improved Third-generation Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display technology, compared to last model.

Sapphire crystal display on stainless steel and ceramic cases
Sapphire crystal display on stainless steel and titanium cases
Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases
Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases
50% larger screen than Series 3
Second-generation Retina OLED display
Third-generation Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display
1000 nits
1000 nits
Always-on display
Force Touch
326 dpi
326 dpi
1.337″ on 38 mm model, 1.533″ on 42 mm model
1.691″ on 41 mm model, 1.901″ in on 45 mm model
Ambient light sensor
Ambient light sensor

Resistance

Water resistant to 50 meters (ISO 22810:2010)
Water resistant to 50 meters (ISO 22810:2010)
Dustproof (IP6X)
Composite back
Ceramic and sapphire crystal back

Sensors

Optical Pulse Sensor
3rd generation optical pulse sensor
ECG Sensor
Blood oxygen sensor
Up to 16 g-forces accelerometer
Up to 32 g-forces accelerometer
Gyroscope
Improved gyroscope
Altimeter
Always-on altimeter
Compass
Speaker and mic
Second-generation speaker and mic
International emergency calling
30% louder speaker than Series 3

Safety and Emergency

Emergency SOS
Emergency SOS
High and low heart rate notifications
High and low heart rate notifications
Irregular heart rhythm notification
Irregular heart rhythm notification
Fall detection
Noise monitoring

Connectivity

Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth 5
Optional cellular
LTE and UMTS option
NFC
NFC
ApplePay
ApplePay
Apple U1 Ultra-Wideband chip
Apple W2 Wireless chip
Apple W3 Wireless chip
802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz & 5 GHz
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou

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.The Series 7 model adds a fast-charging capability. The new fast charger allows it to reach 100% in around 75 minutes. In conclusion, the Series 7 model charges 33% faster than its predecessors, which is a significant convenience for users with a busy lifestyle.

Faster charge (Up to 33% faster charging)
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Up to 18 hours run time
Up to 18 hours run time
Plastic magnetic charger
Aluminium magnetic charger
USB-A charger connector
USB-C charger connector

System-on-Chip

Series 7 is powered by an S7-branded chip. S7 system-on-chip is based around the same CPU and has same quoted performance as the S6, while adding a fast-charging capability.

Series 3 uses the Apple S7 SoC.

Apple S3
Apple S7
CPU
32-bit dual-core
64-bit dual-core
DRAM capacity
768 MB
1 GB
Storage capacity
8GB capacity
32GB capacity

NeatCompare overall relative score

Baseline
100%
Major improvement
170%

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.

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