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Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) vs Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) ($249) vs Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) ($51) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right smartwatch.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) | Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249 | $51 |
| Weight | 26g | 36.2g |
| Chip | S9 | S5, 64-bit dual-core |
| Display | 40mm or 44mm LTPO | Retina OLED, not always-on |
| Sensors | Accelerometer + heart rate + GPS | Optical heart rate, no ECG/SpO2 |
| Battery | 18h | — |
| WR | 50m | 50m |
| Price | $249 (40mm) | — |
| Safety | — | Fall detection, emergency calling |
| Weight | — | 36.2g (Apple published, 44mm GPS) |
Pros & Cons
Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen)
- Half price of Series 11
- S9 chip runs everything fast
- Same design language
- Crash Detection included
- All Apple Watch apps run
- No ECG or Blood Oxygen
- Aluminum only (no titanium)
- Older design vs Series 11
Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
- Series 5-class performance at a genuine discount over Series 5/6
- Fall detection and emergency calling carried over from flagship models
- Same 44mm case size as the numbered Series watches that generation
- Lighter than most Series models it's priced against
- No always-on display
- No ECG or blood oxygen sensor
- No compass
- watchOS support window is closing like every watch in this group
Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) is the better value at $51. If weight matters most, Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) carries lighter at 26g. Both are part of our curated smartwatch index — tap through to check current pricing.
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