Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 7

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Watch SE 3 compared with Watch Series 7
AppleWatch SE 3AppleWatch Series 7
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2025October 2021
Display
Case sizes40 mm or 44 mm41 mm or 45 mm
PanelLTPO OLEDLTPO OLED
Peak brightness1,000 nits1,000 nits
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detailAlways-On Retina display with OLED and LTPO; 324 x 394 pixels (40mm) or 368 x 448 pixels (44mm) at 326 ppi; 759 or 977 sq mm display area; 2 nits minimum brightness41mm 352 x 430 pixels, 904 sq mm; 45mm 396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm; 1.7 mm borders; QWERTY keyboard with QuickPath; wrist-down brightness indoors up to 70% higher than Series 6
Screen protectionIon-X front glass, 4x more crack resistant than SE 2Redesigned front crystal over 50% thicker than Series 6, according to Apple's launch announcement
Health and fitness
ECGNoYes
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureYesNo
Sleep apnoea alertsYesNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionYesYes
Crash detectionYesNo
GPSSingle-bandSingle-band
Water resistance50 m50 m
SensorsSecond-generation optical heart sensor; temperature sensor; compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; high dynamic range gyroscope; ambient light sensorElectrical and third-generation optical heart sensors, blood oxygen sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, accelerometer up to 32 g-forces, gyroscope and ambient light sensor
Health featuresHeart Rate app; high and low heart rate notifications; irregular rhythm notifications; sleep apnoea notifications; sleep stages and sleep score; Vitals app (heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature and sleep duration); Cycle Tracking with fertile window and retrospective ovulation estimates, perimenopause and menopause support; Medications; Mindfulness; NoiseECG and Blood Oxygen apps; watchOS 8 adds sleeping respiratory rate and Mindfulness; oxygen measurements are for general wellness rather than medical use
Fitness featuresCustom workouts; Training Load; customisable heart rate zones; VO2 max; Race Route; Pacer; cadence, stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and running power; automatic track detection; multisport workouts; offline maps with custom route creation; Backtrack; pool and open-water swimming with SWOLF; cycling power zones with Bluetooth accessories; GymKitGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou; GymKit; Tai Chi and Pilates workouts; cycling start reminders and auto-pause
Safety featuresEmergency SOS; international emergency calling; Fall Detection; Crash Detection; Check In; Backtrack; noise monitoringFall detection and Emergency SOS; international emergency calling on cellular versions in supported regions
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 18 hoursUp to 18 hours
In low-power modeUp to 32 hours–
Mobile data optionYesYes
Works withiPhoneiPhone
ChipS10S7
Storage64 GB (better)32 GB
Battery life detailUp to 18 hours of normal use; up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode; up to 7 hours of outdoor workoutBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
ChargingFast charging to 80% in about 45 minutes; 15 minutes for up to 8 hours of normal use; 8 minutes for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking1 m Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable; up to 33% faster charging than Series 6; USB-C power adapter required
ConnectivityWi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.4GHz; Bluetooth 5.3; NFC for Apple Pay; L1 GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou); GPS + Cellular models (A3326, A3328) with 5G RedCap and LTEW3 wireless chip and U1 Ultra Wideband; Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Bluetooth 5.0; cellular versions add LTE and UMTS; iPhone 6s or later with iOS 15 at launch
Design
Weight (lightest version)26.3 g (better)32 g
SoftwarewatchOSwatchOS
Case materials100% recycled aluminium case with nylon composite and sapphire crystal back; water resistant to 50 m (ISO 22810:2010)Aluminium, stainless steel or titanium; ceramic and sapphire crystal back; IP6X dust resistance; WR50 water resistance for shallow-water swimming
Size40mm is 40 x 34 x 10.7 mm, 26.3 g (GPS) or 26.4 g (GPS + Cellular); 44mm is 44 x 38 x 10.7 mm, 32.9 g (GPS) or 33.0 g (GPS + Cellular)41mm 41 x 35 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 32 g, steel 42.3 g or titanium 37 g; 45mm 45 x 38 x 10.7 mm, aluminium 38.8 g, steel 51.5 g or titanium 45.1 g; case weights exclude bands
BandsFits 130–200 mm wrists (40mm) or 140–245 mm wrists (44mm)Apple Watch Studio case and band combinations; Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop; Nike and Hermès editions with exclusive bands and faces; compatible with earlier Apple Watch bands
ColoursMidnight or Starlight aluminiumMidnight, Starlight, Green, Blue or (PRODUCT)RED aluminium; Silver, Graphite (PVD) or Gold (PVD) steel; natural or Space Black (DLC) titanium; Nike Midnight or Starlight; Hermès Silver or Space Black (DLC) steel
In the boxApple Watch SE 3, strap, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m)Watch, band or loop and 1 m Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable

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