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Apple Watch (1st generation) vs Apple Watch Series 3

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleWatch (1st generation)AppleWatch Series 3
Overview
ReleasedApril 2015September 2017
Display
Case sizes38 mm or 42 mm38 mm or 42 mm
PanelOLEDOLED
Peak brightness–1,000 nits
Always-on displayNoNo
Display detailRetina display with Force Touch; OLED panel, 272 x 340 pixels on 38mm or 312 x 390 pixels on 42mm (iFixit)Retina OLED with Force Touch; 38mm 272 x 340 pixels and 563 sq mm; 42mm 312 x 390 pixels and 740 sq mm; wake by wrist raise or tap (Wareable)
Screen protectionIon-X glass on Sport; sapphire crystal on stainless steel, Hermès and EditionIon-X glass on aluminium; sapphire crystal on stainless steel and ceramic (PhoneArena)
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenNoNo
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSNoneSingle-band
Water resistance–50 m
SensorsOptical heart-rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and ambient light sensor; Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, speaker and microphoneOptical heart sensor, barometric altimeter, accelerometer up to 16 g-forces, gyroscope and ambient light sensor
Health featuresHeart-rate monitoring and Activity ringsHeart-rate monitoring including resting and recovery measurements; alerts for elevated heart rate while inactive in watchOS 4
Fitness featuresWorkout tracking; route and distance measurements use the paired iPhone's GPS (TechRadar)GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS; elevation gain and flights climbed; pool and open-water swimming, HIIT workouts and GymKit
Safety features–Emergency SOS
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
Mobile data optionNoYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS1S3
Storage8 GB8 GB
Battery life detailRechargeable battery; maker's up-to-18-hour rating varies with use and configurationBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; cellular performance depends on coverage and usage
ChargingMagnetic charging cableUSB-A magnetic charging cable; Apple lists a USB power adapter for the cellular model only
ConnectivityWi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz; Bluetooth 4.0; Apple Pay; requires iPhone 5 or laterW2 wireless chip; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz; Bluetooth 4.2; cellular versions add LTE, UMTS and eSIM with a compatible carrier plan. At launch GPS required iPhone 5s and cellular iPhone 6, both with iOS 11; updated Apple support requires iPhone 6s
Storage8 GB onboard storage and S1 system-in-package identified by iFixit8 GB on GPS models; 16 GB on GPS + Cellular models
Design
Weight (lightest version)25 g26.7 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materialsAnodised aluminium with composite back (Sport), stainless steel with ceramic back (including Hermès), or 18-carat yellow/rose gold with ceramic back (Edition); IPX7 splash and water resistance under IEC 60529, not for submersionAluminium GPS models have a composite back; cellular models have ceramic and sapphire crystal back; steel and ceramic cases sold with cellular only; water resistance under ISO 22810:2010 for shallow-water swimming
Size38mm case is 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm; 42mm is 42.0 x 35.9 x 10.5 mm. Case weights are 25/30 g (Sport), 40/50 g (stainless steel), 55/69 g (yellow-gold Edition) or 54/67 g (rose-gold Edition), for 38/42mm respectivelyAluminium 38mm 38.6 x 33.3 x 11.4 mm, GPS 26.7 g or cellular 28.7 g; 42mm 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm, GPS 32.3 g or cellular 34.9 g. Steel uses the same dimensions at 42.4 g and 52.8 g. White ceramic 38mm 39.2 x 34.0 x 11.8 mm, 40.1 g; 42mm 42.6 x 36.5 x 11.4 mm, 46.4 g. Weights exclude bands
BandsSport Band, leather straps, Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop; Hermès Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff joined the range in 2015Sport Band or Sport Loop on aluminium; Sport Band or Milanese Loop on steel; Nike Sport Band or Nike Sport Loop on Nike+; leather and additional Sport Band on Hermès; Sport Band on Edition. Nike+ reached limited availability 5 October 2017
ColoursSport in Silver, Space Grey, Gold or Rose Gold; stainless steel in polished steel or Space Black; Edition in yellow or rose goldSilver, Space Grey and Gold aluminium; Silver or Space Black stainless steel; White or Grey ceramic
In the boxWatch, band, 2 m magnetic charging cable, 5W USB power adapter and quick start guide; Edition also includes a magnetic charging case and Lightning to USB cableWatch and band, USB-A magnetic charging cable; cellular models include USB power adapter and Hermès includes an additional Sport Band

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