Watch Series 3

Released September 2017

The Series 3 added a cellular option, a faster S3 processor and a barometric altimeter to Apple's 38mm and 42mm GPS smartwatch.

Model history · 3 models, 2015–2017

Type: Smart and sports
Sizes: 38, 42 mm
Movement: –
Power reserve: –
Display: OLED
Battery: 18 h
Water: 50 m
GPS: Single-band
Weight: 26.7 g

Mobile data

What reviewers say

Wareable and PhoneArena praise the fitness tracking and capable watchOS platform, while finding the cellular option useful mainly for short trips and exercise without a phone. Both report limits in standalone apps and faster battery drain with cellular use. PhoneArena questions the upgrade's value over earlier models.

From wareable.com and phonearena.com

Specifications

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Display

Case sizes: 38 mm or 42 mm
Panel: OLED
Peak brightness: 1,000 nits
Always-on display: No
Display detail: 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 protection: Ion-X glass on aluminium; sapphire crystal on stainless steel and ceramic (PhoneArena)

Health and fitness

ECG: No
Blood oxygen: No
Skin temperature: No
Sleep apnoea alerts: No
High blood pressure alerts: No
Body composition: No
Fall detection: No
Crash detection: No
GPS: Single-band
Water resistance: 50 m
Sensors: Optical heart sensor, barometric altimeter, accelerometer up to 16 g-forces, gyroscope and ambient light sensor
Health features: Heart-rate monitoring including resting and recovery measurements; alerts for elevated heart rate while inactive in watchOS 4
Fitness features: 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 hours
Mobile data option: Yes
Works with: iPhone
Chip: S3
Storage: 8 GB
Battery life detail: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; cellular performance depends on coverage and usage
Charging: USB-A magnetic charging cable; Apple lists a USB power adapter for the cellular model only
Connectivity: W2 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
Storage: 8 GB on GPS models; 16 GB on GPS + Cellular models

Design

Weight (lightest version): 26.7 g
Software: watchOS
Case materials: Aluminium 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
Size: Aluminium 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
Bands: Sport 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
Colours: Silver, Space Grey and Gold aluminium; Silver or Space Black stainless steel; White or Grey ceramic
In the box: Watch and band, USB-A magnetic charging cable; cellular models include USB power adapter and Hermès includes an additional Sport Band

Pros and cons

Pros

Cellular option for calls and data away from an iPhone
GPS, swimming workouts and elevation tracking
Aluminium, stainless steel and ceramic case choices

Cons

No always-on display
No ECG or fall detection
Cellular use shortens battery life

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sizes	Movement	Power reserve	Display	Battery	Water	GPS	Weight	Released
AppleWatch Series 1	Smart and sports	38, 42 mm	–	–	OLED	18 h	–	None	25 g	Sept 2016
AppleWatch Series 2	Smart and sports	38, 42 mm	–	–	OLED	18 h	50 m	Single-band	28.2 g	Sept 2016
AppleWatch (1st generation)	Smart and sports	38, 42 mm	–	–	OLED	18 h	–	None	25 g	Apr 2015