Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) vs Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation)
Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) ($249) vs Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation) ($209) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right smartwatch.
Apple
Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen)
$249
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Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen) | Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation) |
| Price | $249 | $209 |
| Weight | 26g | 61.3g |
| Chip | S9 | — |
| Display | 40mm or 44mm LTPO | 2000-nit, brightest Apple Watch at launch |
| Sensors | Accelerometer + heart rate + GPS | — |
| Battery | 18h | Up to 36h normal use |
| WR | 50m | — |
| Price | $249 (40mm) | — |
| Case | — | 49mm Titanium |
| GPS | — | Dual-frequency L1/L5 |
| Water | — | 100m WR, EN13319 dive rated |
| Weight | — | 61.3g (Apple published) |
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 Ultra (1st generation)
- Titanium case and sapphire crystal, the most durable Apple Watch build
- Dual-frequency GPS for genuinely more accurate outdoor tracking
- 100m water resistance with an official dive rating
- Brightest display of any Watch at the time, still class-competitive
- 61.3g is heavy on the wrist next to any Series or SE model here
- Orange Action Button placement takes adjustment
- Battery life trails Ultra 2's efficiency gains
- Case size doesn't suit smaller wrists
Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation) is the better value at $209. 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.