Apple Watch Series 6 vs. Watch SE vs. Series 3: What difference does it make?

 


(Pocket-lint) - Alongside the older Apple Watch Series 3, the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE smartwatches sit. Apple has discontinued both Series 5, Series 4, Series 2, Series 1 and the original Apple Watch.

We compared the Apple Watch Series 6 to the Watch SE and Watch Series 3 here to make things simpler, so you can see exactly what the differences and similarities are, whether you're looking to update or plunge your smartwatch.

The Series 6 is very similar to the now-deprecated Series 5 with a few new features in order to prevent doubt.

Design

  • Series 3: 11.4mm thick, 5ATM waterproof
  • Watch SE: 10.7mm thick, 5ATM waterproof, Compass
  • Series 6: 10.7mm thick, 5ATM waterproof, Compass, Electrical heart rate sensor, Blood oxygen sensor
  • Straps compatible across all models
With the Digital Crown and a separate button on the right, along with a speaker and microphone on the left, all the Apple Watch models being compared here feature a powerful rectangular frame.

They are all up to 50 meters swim-proof and all have a heart rate sensor located on the underside of the body of the watch, along with release buttons to turn the straps off.

However, there are some distinctions between Series 3, SE and Series 6. The Series 3 is significantly thicker than the Series 6 and SE models, first of all.

Secondly, the Digital Crown has an electrical heart rate sensor built into it in the case of Series 6 (and Series 4 and 5), which is located on the underside of the watch in addition to the optical heart rate sensor. There is also a blood oxygen monitor on the Watch Series 6, which is the key distinguishing point between it and Series 5 and 4.

Display

  • Series 3: OLED Retina display with Force Touch
  • Watch SE: LTPO OLED Retina display with Force Touch
  • Series 6: LTPO OLED Always-On Retina display with Force Touch
OLED Retina displays with Force Touch are integrated into all the Apple Watch models that are compared here, allowing for different functions depending on the force with which you click.

However, the Series 6 and the Watch SE have a display 30 percent bigger than the Series 3 with rounded edges, allowing best use of the available space and resulting in a bolder style.

In spite of a similar design overall, the larger display ratio makes the Series 6 and Watch SE (as well as Series 4 and 5) look very different from Series 3. The Apple Watch Series 6 also provides an Always-On Retina monitor in addition to the display boost, which the Watch SE and Series 3 do not.

The Always-On monitor ensures that to wake the display up, you don't have to lift your hand, with the screen always visible. The Series 6 (and Series 5) show would instead be brightened by a lift of the wrist or touch on the display.

Models

  • Series 3: Aluminium only options, two colours
  • Watch SE: Aluminium only options, three colours, Nike model in two colours
  • Series 6: Aluminium (five colours), Stainless steel options (three colours), Titanium options (two colours), Nike+ models and Hermès models
  • GPS and GPS and Cellular options for Series 6 and Watch SE
  • Size options: 38mm/42mm (Series 3), 40mm/44mm (Series 6 and Watch SE)
The Apple Watch Series 3 is now only available in a silver or space-grey aluminium shell. It comes in options of 38mm and 42mm, but it is only available in a GPS model only, with no GPS or cellular options available. There isn't a Nike model yet.

The Watch SE is also only available in aluminium, but three colour choices are available, consisting of silver, gold and space grey. 40mm and 44mm size variants are available and only GPS and GPS and Cellular versions are available. Nike models, available in silver and space grey, also come with the Watch SE.

The Series 6 has a lot more finish options available than the Watch SE and the Series 3. It comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, as well as GPS only and GPS and Cellular versions, much like the Watch SE. Five aluminium colours are available - silver, space grey, gold, blue and product (Red). Three stainless steel versions are available - silver, graphite (DLC) and gold (PVD). Finally, two models of titanium are available - natural titanium and space black.

In addition, the Series 6 also comes in stainless steel versions, all of which are aluminium and come with Nike straps, and Hermès models, all of which come with special Hermès straps. As normal, the Hermès models are all GPS and Cellular.

While all regular Series 6 models and Nike models are available in both case sizes, some Hermès models only come in either 40 mm or 44 mm, not both.

Hardware

  • Series 3: S3 processor, W2 wireless chip, Bluetooth 4.2, altimeter
  • Watch SE: S5 processor, W2 wireless chip, Bluetooth 5.0, fall detection, compass, always-on altimeter
  • Series 6: S6 processor, W3 wireless chip, Bluetooth 5.0, U1 chip, electrical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, fall detection, compass, always-on altimeter
  • Series 3/SE/6: Ambient light sensor, built-in GPS, optical heart sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, 18-hour battery life 
Under its heart, the Apple Watch Series 3 has a dual-core processor dubbed the S3, coupled with a wireless chip called the W2. The model with GPS only has 8 GB of memory.

The Watch SE has a dual-core processor named the S5 - claimed to be twice as fast as the S3 - and is combined with the same wireless chip of the next generation as the Series 6 - the W3.

An upgraded processor believed to be 20 percent faster than the S5, called the S6, is available on the Apple Watch Series 6. It has W3, as mentioned above, as well.

Both the GPS only and both the Watch SE and Series 6 GPS and Cellular models have 32 GB of memory, although the GPS and Cellular models have LTE connectivity, of course. Without your iPhone in range, the LTE connection means you can make and receive calls and text messages, as well as perform all the tasks you would like on your Watch. It works for the family setup, too.

Built-in GPS, optical heart rate monitor, speaker, microphone, water resistance up to 50 meters, emergency SOS, gyroscope and an ambient light sensor are all the Watch models being compared here. They are all offering Apple Pay as well.

The Watch SE and Series 6 are fitted with an always-on altimeter - the Series 3 is equipped with a regular altimeter - a built-in compass, optical heart rate monitor of the second generation, international emergency calling and fall detection thanks to the improved accelerometer offering up to 32 g-forces instead of up to 16 g-forces as shown in Series 3. It should be remembered that all of these features can be found on Series 4 and 5 as well, except for the always-on altimeter.

A blood oxygen sensor and an electronic heart rate sensor for ECG are also added to the Series 6 on top of those additions. Series 4 and 5 have an ECG feature, but not an oxygen sensor in the blood.

Software

  • All run WatchOS 7 
  • Extra features on Series 6
WatchOS 7 is motivated by Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6 and Watch SE.

Therefore, all generations from Series 3 and later all offer a similar experience, even though there are a few additional features such as fall detection and ECG function (US/UK/Europe only for now) on Watch Series 4, Series 5 and Series 6, as well as the Always-On Display, built-in compass and blood oxygen monitoring on Series 6.

Remember that the Always-On Monitor and compass are both in the Series 5, while the compass and fall detection are in the Watch SE.

Price

  • Series 3: From $199/£199
  • Watch SE: From $299/£269
  • Series 6: From $399/£379
With a starting price of $199/£199 for the GPS model only, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the cheapest way to get your hands on Apple's smartwatch through Apple itself. There is no longer a cellular and GPS model, so the Family Configuration is not compatible with the Series 3.

The Watch SE begins at $299/£269, which is $100/£110 cheaper than the Series 6 starting price.

For both the regular model and the Nike model, the Apple Watch Series 6 with GPS only starts at $399 / £379. For the regular model or Nike model, the Apple Watch Series 6 with GPS and Cellular starts at $499/£479, but if you choose a stainless steel model, this will increase to $699/£649.

Models (titanium options) of the Apple Watch Edition start at $799/£799. The models for Hermès launch at $1249/£1199.

Conclusion


Buying the Series 3 over the Watch SE or Series 6 will save you money if you have not invested in the original and you have decided that the Apple Watch is now what you like, but you are losing out on some main features and your finishing choices are far more limited.

You still save money by going for the Watch SE over the Series 6 - though not as much as the Series 3 - but you get the wider monitor design and many of the new features, including an integrated compass, always-on altimeter, fall detection and optical heart rate sensor of the second generation.

Of course, the Apple Watch Series 6 provides the most advanced hardware of the three models that are compared here, as well as the most full choices, but your wallet will also take a hit. If you have the cash, it provides a lot of worthy improvements compared to the Series 3, not least the design that allows much better use of the display room.

However, the Series 6 only adds an always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen tracking, a faster processor and the U1 chip as opposed to the Watch SE. The other attributes still remain the same. For others, the five features you wanted to take the smartwatch plunge might be enhanced processor, ECG and blood oxygen connectivity, Always-On display and U1 chip, but for others, the Watch SE would be more than enough.

In terms of improvements, by moving to the Watch SE or Series 6, especially with the new display, those with the original Apple Watch, Series 1 or Series 2 can see some worthwhile differences. In the latest models, those with the Series 3 will see a decent difference as well.

If you already have Series 4 or Series 5 and you are wondering whether to upgrade to Series 6, if you are a Series 4 user, you do not need to this time around unless you really want to track blood oxygen, real-time elevation info, or the always-on display.


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