Apple Watch SE 3 vs Watch Series 11 specs comparison
Apple Watch Series 11 is the better choice if you want the full set of Apple health features, a larger and brighter display, ECG, hypertension notifications and the more premium design. SE 3 gets surprisingly close on the basics, with the same S10 chip, always-on display, temperature sensing, sleep apnea notifications and fast charging, but costs considerably less. For most buyers who mainly want fitness tracking and everyday smartwatch features, SE 3 offers better value; Series 11 makes more sense if the extra health sensors and nicer hardware matter to you.
Full comparison
The full record
77 specifications across 6 areas, with 23 genuine differences.
1. Design & display Mixed
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Release date
2025-09-19
2025-09-19
Physical size
44 x 38 x 10.7 mm; 40 x 34 x 10.7 mm
46 x 39 x 9.7 mm; 42 x 36 x 9.7 mm
Weight
44 mm: 32.9 g (GPS), 33.0 g (GPS + Cellular); 40 mm: 26.3 g (GPS), 26.4 g (GPS + Cellular)
46 mm: 37.8 g (aluminum GPS), 36.9 g (aluminum GPS + Cellular), 43.1 g (titanium); 42 mm: 30.3 g, 29.7 g, 34.6 g respectively
Material
Aluminum case
Aluminum or titanium case
Water resistance
5 ATM; ISO 22810:2010
5 ATM; IP6X; depth gauge to 6 m
Color options
Starlight, Midnight
Aluminum: Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Jet Black; Titanium: Gold, Natural, Slate
Display type
Always-On Retina LTPO OLED
Always-On Retina LTPO3 wide-angle OLED
Display size
40 mm or 44 mm case
42 mm or 46 mm case
Display resolution
40 mm: 324 x 394 pixels; 44 mm: 368 x 448 pixels
42 mm: 374 x 446 pixels; 46 mm: 416 x 496 pixels
Display brightness
Up to 1,000 nits
Up to 2,000 nits
Display protection
Tough Ion-X front glass; 4x more crack resistant than Apple Watch SE 2
Ion-X front glass with 2x better scratch resistance than Series 10 (aluminum); sapphire front crystal (titanium)
2. Battery & charging Apple Watch Series 11
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life
Up to 18 hours; up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 24 hours; up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
Charging
USB-C magnetic fast charging; up to 80% in about 45 minutes
USB-C magnetic fast charging; up to 80% in about 30 minutes, 15 minute charge for 8 hours of use
3. Sensors & positioning Apple Watch Series 11
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
GNSS type
Built-in GNSS
Built-in GNSS
GPS
Yes
Yes
GALILEO
Yes
Yes
GLONASS
Yes
Yes
QZSS
Yes
Yes
Beidou
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Yes
Barometric altimeter
Yes
Yes
Compass
Yes
Yes
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Optical heart rate
Yes
Yes
Electrical heart rate
No
Yes
SpO2
No
Yes
Temperature
Yes
Yes
Galvanic skin response
No
No
Microphone
Yes
Yes
Speakers
Yes
Yes
Vibration motor
Yes
Yes
4. Health & activity Apple Watch Series 11
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Steps
Yes
Yes
Distance
Yes
Yes
Calories burned
Yes
Yes
Floors
Yes
Yes
Sports tracking
Yes
Yes
Sleep
Yes
Yes
Heart rate
Yes
Yes
HRV
Yes
Yes
Stress
No
No
Blood oxygen
No
Yes
Respiration rate
Yes
Yes
Skin temperature
Yes
Yes
ECG
No
Yes
Blood pressure
No
Hypertension notifications (no direct blood-pressure measurement)
Body composition
No
No
Glucose
No
No
Hydration level
No
No
UV exposure
No
No
Calorie intake
No
No
Hyperglycemia risk assessment
No
No
Arterial stiffness detection
No
No
Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
Yes
Yes
5. Smart features No clear edge
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Smartphone compatibility
iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26 or later
iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26 or later
Operating system at launch
watchOS
watchOS 26
Processor
Apple S10, 64-bit dual-core; 4-core Neural Engine
Apple S10, 64-bit dual-core; 4-core Neural Engine
Storage
64 GB
64 GB
Bluetooth
Yes (5.3)
Yes (5.3)
Wi-Fi
Yes (Wi-Fi 4 / 802.11n, 2.4 GHz)
Yes (Wi-Fi 4 / 802.11n, 2.4/5 GHz)
NFC / connected pay
Yes (Apple Pay)
Yes (Apple Pay)
UWB
No
Yes (2nd-generation UWB)
Cellular
Optional (5G RedCap and LTE on supported regional models)
Optional (5G RedCap and LTE on supported regional models)
Smartphone notifications
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth calling
Yes (standalone on cellular models; via paired iPhone otherwise)
Yes (standalone on cellular models; via paired iPhone otherwise)
Smartphone music control
Yes
Yes
On-board music storage
Yes
Yes
Voice assistant
Siri
Siri
6. Navigation & safety No clear edge
Fact
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 11
Maps
Yes (Apple Maps)
Yes
Offline maps
Yes (synced from iPhone)
Yes
Navigation
Yes (Apple Maps turn-by-turn)
Yes
Emergency SOS
Yes
Yes
Satellite SOS
No
No
Fall detection
Yes
Yes
LED flashlight
No
No
Diving
No
No