No, you don’t need to spend more money on an Apple Watch Series 7. There are other Apple Watches from earlier series that offer similar functionality and cost a lot less.
In this article, we’ll compare the two most affordable Apple Watch models currently available: the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Apple Watch SE.
Screen: Apple Watch SE wins
Let’s start by looking at the part of the watch that you will be using the most, which is the screen.
As the Apple Watch Series 3 is a bit older, having been first introduced in 2017 compared to the Apple Watch SE’s debut in 2020, the screen isn’t as advanced as its stablemate.
They both offer two different screen sizes:
- The Series 3 is available with a 42mm or 38mm case.
- The Apple Watch SE has a slightly larger 44mm or 40mm case.
This is further reinforced by the fact that the SE uses more of the panel, which means 30% more screen real estate than the Series 3, as you can see in the image below.
This provides the following resolutions for both sizes of each model:
- Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm) – 272 x 340
- Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) – 312 x 390
- Apple Watch SE (40mm) – 324 x 394
- Apple Watch SE (44mm) – 368 x 448
On either device, you’ll get up to 1,000 nits of brightness, meaning you can read outdoors in direct sunlight, and everything looks great thanks to the OLED screens.
However, the SE has the added benefit of LTPO technology in its panel, which lets you have those bigger, better screens without sacrificing battery life.
The glass on both devices is Ion-X, which should protect against scratches and cracks even if you treat the watch a little rough.
Housing and design: similar in both models
Apple keeps the same design language on both devices, but with some minor differences. All models have the square frame that we already know, but there are size differences between the two models, as you can see below:
- Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm) – 38.6 x 33.3 x 11.4mm; 26.7g
- Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) – 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4mm; 32.3g
- Apple Watch SE (40mm) – 40 x 34 x 10.7mm; 30.49g
- Apple Watch SE (44mm) – 44 x 38 x 10.7mm; 36.2g
The Digital Crown is another classic Apple Watch design element, appearing on all models released so far. However, the Apple Watch SE takes the cake in this regard, as it has haptic feedback, which helps with precision when scrolling through menus.
Both are made of aluminum and the SE uses 100% recycled materials. But only the latter has the option of a ceramic and sapphire crystal material on the back, while the Series 3 features a composite design.
Both are water safe, up to 50 meters deep, and you can get either in space gray and silver, but the extra gold option is for the SE only.
Health and wellness tools: Win the Apple Watch SE again
One of the biggest reasons to buy an Apple Watch is the general health and wellness monitoring features it includes. Both models are very useful in this regard, but it will not be a big surprise that the new Apple Watch SE has more capacity than the old Series 3.
First, here are the tools available on both models:
Heart rate monitoring, with low/high rate and irregular rhythm warnings. Ideal for realizing that you may need to go to the doctor. Note that the Series 3 uses a first-generation optical heart rate monitor for this, while the SE uses an improved second-generation version.
You’ll also find emergency features on the Series 3 and SE, allowing you to quickly contact emergency services in the event of a problem.
Moving on to the main differences, only the Apple Watch SE has fall detection, noise monitoring (to warn if the sound in your surroundings may be harmful to your hearing), in addition to international emergency calls . The latter is possible thanks to the cellular models of the SE available. Now, you may remember that the original Series 3 was the first to have cellular versions, but the ones currently on sale from Apple no longer have that capability.
Other Features
There are a ton of features that both models share, like gyroscopes, ambient light sensors, speakers, microphones, Apple Pay, accelerometer, GPS, and altimeters.
The SE usually has upgraded versions of these sensors, but either one will be able to track your movements, track your workouts, let you interact via voice commands, pay for things, and generally offer the Apple Watch experience. .
Performance is slightly faster on the Apple Watch SE, as it has an S5 SiP processor, which Apple claims is about twice as fast as the S3 Series 3. The latter also has a chip older W2 wireless, while the SE gets the update for the W3 also found in the Apple Watch Series 7.
Storage also improves on the SE, with 32GB on board, but the Series 8 only has 8GB, which pales in comparison. Bluetooth is also stronger on the SE, using version 5.0 instead of 4.2 on the Series 3.
This can be important if you want to use that extra storage to keep music on the device and listen through wireless headphones like AirPods.
Price
As you would expect from the variations in features and components, the prices of these devices are different. Obviously, as with any Apple Watch, you can choose from several straps which can change the final price, but for reference, here is the comparison:
verdict
The Apple Watch Series 3 is a decent (and generally cheap) option if you want to wear an Apple Watch on your wrist, but it can be a little dated. If you can save the extra $70 that the Apple Watch SE costs, it’s worth going for this second model.
Not only does it come with the new processor and several improved sensors, but there are additional features such as fall detection, additional storage, and better Bluetooth capabilities.
Plus, the mobile option lets you leave the iPhone at home when you’re out for a run or just don’t want to carry something as valuable (and breakable) as an iPhone in your pocket.
Both are good models, they are both Apple Watch after all, but the Apple Watch SE is definitely the better option.
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