Home / Smartwatch / Comparison
Apple Apple Watch Series 5 vs Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation)
Apple Apple Watch Series 5 ($85) 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 Series 5 | Apple Apple Watch SE (1st generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $85 | $51 |
| Weight | 36.5g | 36.2g |
| Chip | S5, 64-bit dual-core | S5, 64-bit dual-core |
| Display | Always-on Retina OLED, first Apple Watch | Retina OLED, not always-on |
| Compass | Built-in | — |
| Safety | International emergency calling | Fall detection, emergency calling |
| WR | 50m | 50m |
| Weight | 36.5g (Apple published, 44mm Aluminum) | 36.2g (Apple published, 44mm GPS) |
| Sensors | — | Optical heart rate, no ECG/SpO2 |
Pros & Cons
Apple Apple Watch Series 5
- First Apple Watch you can actually glance at without raising your wrist
- Built-in compass, useful for hiking and orientation
- International emergency calling built in
- Same ECG and fall detection as Series 4
- Always-on mode measurably shortens battery life
- No blood oxygen sensor, that arrived with Series 6
- watchOS support window is closing
- Titanium and ceramic variants command a used premium over aluminum
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. Both are part of our curated smartwatch index — tap through to check current pricing.
More Smartwatch comparisons
Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch Series 11Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen)Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (46mm)Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm)Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm)Apple Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm)