Apple Watch SE vs Series 3: Which one should you go for?

Apple launched a bunch of new products at its event earlier this week. It also introduced an affordable smartwatch this time called the “Apple Watch SE”. Like the iPhone SE, the Apple Watch SE also packs high-end hardware but cuts down on the premium features. Apple usually discontinues older generations of its hardware but it is still retaining the Watch Series 3.

There are two affordable Apple watches to pick from now although the Watch Series 3 is evidently cheaper. In comparison to the Apple Watch SE, you would be paying ₹10,000 less for the Watch Series 3. We compare the two smartwatches to find out what are the differences.

Design

There’s no distinct difference in design on the Apple Watch SE and Watch Series 3, and both would look quite similar to anyone. But the display is one area you would probably see a difference. The Apple Watch SE has a 30% larger display than the Watch Series 3. You’ll also notice thicker bezels on the Watch Series 3. The Watch SE also supports haptic feedback on the digital crown.

The sizes are also different with the Watch SE coming in 44mm and 40mm, and the Watch Series 3 in 42mm and 38mm. Both the Apple watches come in silver and space grey but the Watch SE has a gold variant as well. The Watch SE flaunts a ceramic and sapphire crystal back like the Watch Series 6. On the Watch Series 3 you get a composite back.

Performance

The Watch SE is powered by the S5 chip which is also used on the Watch Series 5. Apple says this chip is up to 2x faster than the S3 that powers the Series 3. The battery life is however the same on both the Watch SE and the Series 3 with up to 18 hours of juice on a single charge. The Watch SE also boasts more storage with 32GB on the GPS variant as compared to only 8GB on the Watch Series 3.

Features

The Watch SE comes with international emergency calling, fall detection and it’s equipped with a compass. It also has an always-on altimeter, and cellular connectivity. These are the key features that are missing on the Watch Series 3. Other features like GPS, water resistance, and heart rate monitoring are available on both the Apple watches.

Price

Apple currently has only the GPS model of the Watch Series 3 and this one starts at ₹20,900 in India. The Watch SE is priced at ₹29,900 for the GPS model, and ₹33,900 for the cellular model.

Summing up

Apple’s reason to continue the Series 3 is understandable since it’s still the second-most popular smartwatch globally. If you want more out of your Apple Watch then you should go for the Watch SE. You can still go for the Watch Series 3 if your budget is low since it still gets all the basics done. But you would miss out on some key features, and may face storage issues as well.