Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) vs Apple Watch Ultra 3

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Watch SE (2nd generation) compared with Watch Ultra 3
AppleWatch SE (2nd generation)AppleWatch Ultra 3
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2022September 2025
Display
Case sizes40 mm or 44 mm49 mm
PanelLTPO OLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness1,000 nits3,000 nits (better)
Always-on displayNoYes
Display detailRetina LTPO OLED display; 324 x 394 pixels (40 mm) or 368 x 448 pixels (44 mm) at 326 ppi; 759 or 977 sq mm display areaAlways-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3; 1Hz refresh; 422 x 514 pixels at 326 ppi; 1,245 sq mm display area; 1 nit minimum brightness; Night Mode for Ultra watch faces
Screen protectionIon-X front glassFlat sapphire crystal front
Health and fitness
ECGNoYes
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureNoYes
Sleep apnoea alertsNoYes
High blood pressure alertsNoYes
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionYesYes
Crash detectionYesYes
GPSSingle-bandDual-band (L1 and L5)
Water resistance50 m100 m (better)
SensorsSecond-generation optical heart sensor; compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensorElectrical heart sensor; third-generation optical heart sensor; blood oxygen sensor; temperature sensor; depth gauge to 40 m; water temperature sensor; compass; always-on altimeter (–500 m to 9,000 m); high-g accelerometer; high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensor
Health featuresHeart Rate app; high and low heart rate notifications; irregular rhythm notifications; Sleep app with sleep stages; Medications; Mindfulness; NoiseECG app; Blood Oxygen app; hypertension notifications; sleep apnoea notifications; irregular rhythm notifications; high and low heart rate notifications; Vitals app; sleep stages and sleep score; wrist temperature; Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates; Medications; Mindfulness with state of mind tracking; Noise
Fitness featuresCustom interval workouts; Training Load; Heart Rate Zones; Race Route; Pacer; stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation; automatic track detection; multisport workouts; Backtrack and offline maps; pool and open-water swimming with SWOLF; cycling Functional Threshold Power and Power Zones with Bluetooth accessories; GymKitCustomisable Action button with Precision Start; custom workouts; Training Load and Workout Effort; customisable heart rate zones; VO2 max; Race Route; Pacer; stride length, ground contact time, cadence, power and vertical oscillation; multisport workouts; offline maps with custom route creation; elevation alerts; Backtrack; swimming with water temperature; recreational diving to 40 m with third-party dive computer apps; cycling with power meters; GymKit
Safety featuresEmergency SOS; international emergency calling; Crash Detection; Fall Detection; noise monitoring; BacktrackEmergency SOS and Find My via satellite; Emergency SOS; international emergency calling; Siren; Crash Detection; Fall Detection; Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint; torch; noise monitoring; Backtrack
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 42 hours
In low-power mode–Up to 3 days
Mobile data optionYesYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS8S10
Storage32 GB64 GB (better)
Battery life detailUp to 18 hours of normal useUp to 42 hours of normal use; up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode
ChargingUp to 80% in about 1.5 hours with the Apple Watch Magnetic Charger to USB-C CableFast charging to 80% in about 45 minutes; 15 minutes for up to 12 hours of normal use; 5 minutes for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking
ConnectivityWi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; Apple Pay; L1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo and QZSS; 4G LTE and UMTS on GPS + Cellular models; works with iPhone Xs or later on iOS 18 or laterGPS + Cellular only (model A3281) with 5G RedCap and LTE; satellite connectivity; Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; NFC for Apple Pay; L1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou)
Storage32GB–
Design
Weight (lightest version)26.4 g (better)61.6 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materials100% recycled aluminium case with a nylon composite back; water resistant to 50 m (swimproof)Grade 5 titanium case (100% recycled titanium) with ceramic and sapphire crystal back; water resistant to 100 m (ISO 22810:2010); EN13319 recreational diving to 40 m; IP6X dust resistant; tested to MIL-STD 810H
Size40 mm is 40 x 34 x 10.7 mm, 26.4 g (GPS) or 27.8 g (GPS + Cellular); 44 mm is 44 x 38 x 10.7 mm, 32.9 g (GPS) or 33 g (GPS + Cellular)49 x 44 x 12 mm; 61.6 g (natural) or 61.8 g (black)
BandsFits 130–200 mm wrists (40 mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (44 mm)Fits 130–210 mm wrists
ColoursMidnight, Starlight or Silver aluminiumNatural or Black titanium
In the boxApple Watch SE, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)Apple Watch Ultra 3, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)

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