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Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) vs Apple Apple Watch Series 3
Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) ($249) vs Apple Apple Watch Series 3 ($37) — 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 Series 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249 | $37 |
| Weight | 26g | 32.3g |
| Chip | S9 | S3, dual-core |
| Display | 40mm or 44mm LTPO | OLED Retina, raise-to-wake only |
| Sensors | Accelerometer + heart rate + GPS | — |
| Battery | 18h | — |
| WR | 50m | 50m |
| Price | $249 (40mm) | — |
| Case | — | 42mm Aluminum |
| GPS | — | Standalone GPS |
| Weight | — | 32.3g (Apple published, 42mm Aluminum 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 Series 3
- Cheapest working Apple Watch by a wide margin
- Still runs core fitness and notification features
- Compact 42mm case body many later Watches abandoned
- Standalone GPS without needing a phone nearby
- No always-on display, screen sleeps between raises
- watchOS support has ended, no further security updates
- Battery is old on any used unit, expect a shorter day
- Chip is genuinely slow navigating menus by modern standards
Apple Apple Watch Series 3 is the better value at $37. 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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