Apple Watch Series 3 vs SE vs Series 6

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The launch of the Apple Watch Series 7 is just around the corner, so the discounts on Series 6, SE and Series 3 will increase. But before you take the opportunity to buy one, let us help you decide which model is best for your wrist.

Design and visualization

Apple hasn’t strayed far from the original 2015 square design, so you won’t notice a huge difference between the three watches, even if the Series 3 is slightly smaller and a little squarer than the SE and Series 6:

Series 3 (38mm): 38.6 x 33.3mm x 11.4mm Series 3 (42mm): 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4mm SE / Series 6 (40mm): 40 x 34 x 10.7mm SE / Series 6 (44mm): 44 x 38 x 10.7mm

The SE and Series 6 are also slightly heavier than the SE by around 3 grams, but your wrist won’t really notice the difference. Apple has the best and most recognizable watch design in the smartwatch industry, so each of the three will look and feel great on the wrist.

Where they differ, however, is with the display. The Series 3 has Apple’s old display technology, so it’s smaller (38mm model: 563mm square; 42mm model: 740mm square) and has square corners. The SE and Series 6 have larger displays (40mm model: 759mm square; 44mm model: 977mm square) with rounded corners to fit the display body.

The Apple Watch SE has the same display as the Apple Watch Series 6.

While the SE and Series 6 have identical display specs, only the Series 6 has an always-on option, which lets you see the time even when your wrist is down. Apple also claims that the always-on display is 2.5 times brighter than last year’s model, which will definitely help in bright light conditions.

Our pick: Although the size and design are very similar, the displays make a difference to the 6 Series and SE. We’d go with the 6 Series and the always-on display, but if you don’t mind lifting your wrist to see the time, the SE’s screen is just as good.

Colors and bands

While all three watches are available in silver and space gray aluminum as ever, you have many more options as you move up the line. The Apple Watch SE adds a gold color, while the Series 6 has new shades of blue and product (red).

If you upgrade to one of the cellular models, you can get silver, graphite (DLC) or gold (PVD) stainless steel, natural titanium, or space black titanium. Additionally, the Series 6 and SE are available in Nike (silver and space gray aluminum) and the Series 6 offers a Hermes edition in stainless steel silver and space black.

On the back, you get composite coverage with the Series 3 and an updated ceramic and sapphire crystal back on the SE and Series 6.

For more important than the body color, however, is the headband. All options sold by Apple are compatible with both SE and Series 6, but because Series 3 is older, some newer options, such as the Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands are not compatible with Series 3.

Our pick: The new blue and red 6 Series bodywork is very nice, but we wouldn’t want to spend the extra money on color alone. After all, you won’t see much of the body anyway, but you’ll want to make sure you get a band that fits your style.

Learn more about Apple Watch SE and Series 6

6 surprising reasons to buy the Apple Watch SE

The new Apple Watch Series 6 is a bigger upgrade than you think

Apple Watch Series 6 review

Apple Watch SE review

Apple Watch Series 3 review

watchOS 7 FAQ

Performance and processor

Performance isn’t as important on the Apple Watch as it is on the iPhone or iPad, but with so many things happening inside your Apple Watch, speed matters. And with each of these watches you get different SiPs (system in packages) as Apple describes them:

Series 3: S3 SiPSE: S5 Series 6: S6

As you might expect, the S6 is around 20% faster than the S5, which is around twice as fast as the S3. This is because the S5 and S6 processors have a 64-bit dual-core architecture while the S3 is 32-bit. Plus, you also get the new W3 wireless chip with S5 and S6, which offers support for Bluetooth 5.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is the fastest, but the SE isn’t limp.

The Series 6 watch also brings Apple’s U1 ultra-wideband chip to the Apple Watch for the first time. First introduced on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, the chip allows for greater spatial awareness, which Apple says allows the device to understand its precise location compared to other U1-equipped Apple devices nearby. That doesn’t mean much right now, especially since Apple Watch isn’t running AirDrop yet, but once the long-talking AppleTags pop up, it’ll change.

Our Pick: If you want it all, the 6 Series is obviously the only choice, but we think the SE will be very fast for most people. The Series 3 will look too crappy when trying to run anything outside of Apple’s stock apps.

Connectivity and battery life

Apple may have launched the cellular LTE option with the Apple Watch Series 3, but it’s gone now. If you want to use the watch outdoors and leave your phone at home, you will need to purchase the Apple Watch SE or Series 6, both of which are available in GPS or GPS + cellular versions. This is especially important if you plan to use Family Setup, which requires a cellular connection.

If you use your mobile a lot, the battery life will vary slightly, but for the most part, all three watches will have around 18 hours of battery life. That’s enough to make sure you need to charge it once a day, which could be tricky if you want to track your sleep.

Our Pick: We’ve never been big fans of the $ 100 supplement or carrier’s monthly fee for the Apple Watch cellular connection, but the new family setup feature is intriguing, as is the cheaper LTE price of the Apple Watch. ‘IF (see below). Also, operators charge less than a couple of years ago, so mobile is getting more intriguing. Whether you need it depends on whether you want to leave the phone behind or buy one for your child, but we’re definitely taller on mobile than we once were.

Sensors and features

Here’s where the watches really stand out. First, let’s start with what all three watches have:

GPS / GNSSNFCLtimeterGyroscopeAccelerometerOptical heart sensorAmbient light sensorMicrophoneGymKit50M water resistanceSOS emergency

Notably, the SE and Series 6 have a second-generation heart sensor for greater accuracy and an always-on altimeter for all-day monitoring. Additionally, the microphone tracks decibels in the Noise app and the accelerometer is used to detect drops, both of which are not available on the Series 3 watch. You also get 32GB of storage on the SE and Series 6, compared to just 8GB on Series 3.

The animation on the screen during the blood oxygen readings is very interesting.

If you upgrade to SE, you will receive a compass and international emergency calls, but to get the latest sensors you will need to shoot for Series 6. Specifically, it has an SpO2 blood oxygen sensor that works with a custom sensor algorithm for use light to measure blood oxygen saturation both on demand and during the day. Oxygen saturation can help manage heart failure and asthma, as well as early breathing problems resulting from the flu or coronavirus. It is also the only watch Apple sold with the electric heart sensor introduced with the Series 5 last year.

All three watches support watchOS 7 and the upcoming watchOS 8, so you’ll be able to use any model to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask in iOS 14.5.

Our pick: Health and fitness enthusiasts will definitely want to jump for the 6 Series and the blood oxygen sensor, but the SE has a good range of sensors and features for its price. The blood oxygen sensor doesn’t do much right now, but it probably will in the future. So, if you want to future-proof your wrist, the 6 Series is your best investment.

Price

There’s a wide gap between the cheapest and the most expensive Apple Watch (which would be the $ 1,400 Hermes silver stainless steel case with single-turn deployment clasp, but the starting prices aren’t that extravagant:

Series 3: $ 199 / $ 229 SE: $ 279 / $ 309 Series 6: $ 399 / $ 429

Sure, the 6 Series costs twice as much as the 3 Series and $ 120 more than the SE, and it only goes up from there. Here are the prices for the cellular models:

SE: $ 329 / $ 359 Series 6: $ 499 / $ 529

In some ways, the Apple Watch SE mobile has even more value than the GPS-only model. With a premium of $ 50 compared to $ 100 on the Series 6, the Apple Watch SE mobile is only $ 30 more than last year’s Series 3, which has far fewer features.

Our pick: This is basically a case of what you can afford. If your budget will allow you to spend $ 400 and up on Series 6, it’s worth the price of admission. But if you’re a little tense, the SE is a great option, especially if you’re looking for LTE. We’d stay away from the 3 Series, however, even if you get it for sale. It’s best to wait a few months to see what Apple releases for its new lineup. We would be very surprised to see the Series 3 last for another year.

Conclusion

Even if you only have $ 200 to spend, we can’t recommend anyone to buy the Series 3. The processor is old enough to be lucky enough to get two more OS updates and too many features are missing. It will get watchOS 8, but it is unlikely to get much support beyond that.

So it’s a matter of deciding whether you need the best features or not. Series 6 offers a lot over the SE for $ 120 more: ECG, Sp02, always-on display, so if you can swing the price or put it up for sale, you’ll be very happy with your purchase for years to come.

The Apple Watch SE looks just like the Series 6 when the screen is on.

Otherwise, we recommend the 40mm Apple Watch SE with LTE for $ 329 in our favorite color, gold (although if you want silver or space gray we’re not complaining). Yes, you’re spending $ 130 more than the Series 3, but you’re getting a lot more for your money – a bigger display, better sensors, faster chip, and more storage. Plus, since cellular connectivity costs half the SE, you can have one for your child using Family Setup without breaking the bank.

To be sure, buyers leaning towards the 6 Series may also want to consider this model. It’s $ 160 cheaper than the comparable Series 6 watch, and while you’re not getting next-generation blood oxygen and ECG sensors, the rest of the SE pairs very well with the flagship model at a fraction of the price.

Update 3/6: Completely updated with new analyzes and recommendations.

Michael Simon has been with Apple since iPod was iWalk. His obsession with technology dates back to his first PC, the IBM Thinkpad with the keyboard that can be raised to replace the drive. Still waiting for me to come back in style tbh.

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