Complete Apple Watch Comparison Chart 2024 (Model, Generation, Size, Band, Price)

The Introduction of Successive Models of Apple Watch

From the release of the first Apple Watch in 2015 to the latest Apple Watch Series 6 today, Apple basically updates an Apple Watch every year. There are currently seven models of Apple Watch: Apple Watch Series 1, Apple Watch Series 2, Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch Series SE and Apple Watch Series 6.

Apple Watch Series 1

• 38mm or 42mm case

• Retina OLED display

• Ion-X glass display

• S1P with dual-core processor

• Digital Crown

• Optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notification³

• Splash resistant

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0

• Built-in speaker and mic

• 8GB capacity

Apple Watch Series 2

• 38mm or 42mm case

• Second-generation Retina OLED display

• Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel and ceramic cases

• GPS model

• S2 with dual-core processor

• Digital Crown

• Optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notification

• Water resistant 50 meters

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0

• GPS/GNSS

• Built-in speaker and mic

• 8GB capacity

Apple Watch Series 3

• 38mm or 42mm case

• Second-generation Retina OLED display, 1000 nits

• Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel and ceramic cases

• GPS model

• S3 SiP with dual-core processor; W2 wireless chip

• Digital Crown

• Optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notification

• Emergency SOS

• Water resistant 50 meters

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2

• GPS/GNSS and barometric altimeter

• Built-in speaker and mic

• 8GB capacity

Apple Watch Series 4

• 40mm or 44mm case; over 30 percent larger display

• Retina LTPO OLED display, 1000 nits

• Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel cases

• GPS and GPS + Cellular models

• S4 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; W3 wireless chip

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• Electrical heart sensor and second-generation optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, and ECG app

• Emergency SOS and fall detection

• Water resistant 50 meters

• LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0

• GPS/GNSS and barometric altimeter

• 50 percent louder speaker; built-in mic

• 16GB capacity

Apple Watch Series 5

• 40mm or 44mm case; over 30 percent larger display

• Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display, 1000 nits

• Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic cases

• GPS and GPS + Cellular models

• S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; W3 wireless chip

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• Electrical heart sensor and second-generation optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, and ECG app

• International emergency calling, Emergency SOS, and fall detection

• Water resistant 50 meters

• LTE and UMTS,Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0

• GPS/GNSS, compass, and barometric altimeter

• 50 percent louder speaker; built-in mic

• 32GB capacity

Apple Watch Series SE

• 40mm or 44mm case; over 30 percent larger display

• Retina LTPO OLED display, 1000 nits

• Ion-X glass display

• GPS and GPS + Cellular models

• S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; W3 wireless chip

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• Second-generation optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications and irregular heart rhythm notification

• International emergency calling,Emergency SOS,and fall detection

• Water resistant 50 meters

• LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0

• GPS/GNSS, compass, and always-on altimeter

• 50 percent louder speaker; built-in mic

• 32GB capacity

Apple Watch Series 6

• 40mm or 44mm case; over 30 percent larger display

• Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display, 1000 nits

• Ion-X glass display on aluminum cases; sapphire crystal display on stainless steel and titanium cases

• GPS and GPS + Cellular models

• S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; W3 wireless chip; U1 chip (Ultra Wideband)

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• Blood oxygen sensor; electrical heart sensor and third-generation optical heart sensor

• High and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, and ECG app

• International emergency calling, Emergency SOS,and fall detection

• Water resistant 50 meters

• LTE and UMTS,Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0

• GPS/GNSS, compass, and always-on altimeter

• 50 percent louder speaker; built-in mic

• 32GB capacity

The three versions of the Apple Watch S1, Apple Watch S2, and Apple Watch S4 are not recommended for purchase currently , and there is no channel to purchase (if there is a channel, you need to pay attention to whether it is a second-hand refurbished machine). The models currently on sale on the official website are Apple Watch S3, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch S6. The Apple Watch S5 was removed from the official website after launching the newly Apple Watch S6, but some e-commerce websites are still available for purchase. So today I will mainly discuss the functions and differences of Apple Watch Series 3, Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Series 6.

Currently Available Apple Watch Model Comparison Chart

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The Differences Bewteen Apple Watch S3, Apple Watch S5, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch S6

Apple Watch Series 3

(Price starting from $199.99+ up to 4% cashback at abt.com)

Apple Watch Series 3 is the version that is still on sale on the official website. With the release of SE and S6, the price has dropped a lot. Although the performance is not the best, it is still acceptable. It is the Apple Watch version with the lowest entry barrier.

Apple Watch Series 5

(Price starting from $349+ up to 4% cashback at walmart.com)

Apple Watch Series 5 is a major upgrade version of the Apple Watch Series 3. The screen becomes larger and the running speed is increased by 100%. In addition, Apple Watch Series 5 adds the function like ECG, screen always-on and the compass.

Apple Watch SE

(Price starting from $279+ up to 2% cashback at adorama.com)

Apple Watch Series SE uses the same CPU as Apple Watch Series 5. But it does not have the EGC and screen always-on functions of Apple Watch Series 5. So in terms of function, it is more like Apple Watch Series 4！

Apple Watch Series 6

(Price starting from $399.99+ up to 5% cashback at staples.com)

The Apple Watch Series 6 is not only the best Apple Watch available, it's the best smartwatch on the market. The Apple Watch Series 6 takes everything that was great about the Series 5, but its CPU upgraded to S6, the speed increased by 20%, and it also added blood oxygen monitoring and the U1 ultra-wide chip.

Bottom Line

What's the Difference Between Apple Watch S3, Apple Watch S5, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch S6?

In summary, the main differences between the four versions are as follows:

1. Compared with Apple Watch S3, Apple Watch S5/SE/S6 has an improvement in the overall configuration. In addition, the screen area of the Apple Watch S5/SE/S6 has increased by more than 30%, and the visual experience is better.

2. Apple Watch SE can be regarded as a product that combines some of the features of the Apple Watch S4 and S5 to fill the $300 price range.

3. Compared with Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch S5 mainly has added the "Always-on screen" function. Although Apple Watch S5  has an ECG function, it is not practical for users with normal cardiopulmonary function.

4. Compared with Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch S6 mainly added the following features:

• Always-on screen function (should be the main difference, the difference in experience);

• Blood oxygen monitoring function (not practical for users with normal cardiopulmonary function);

• Electrode type heart rate sensor (electrocardiogram (ECG) function, not very useful for users with normal cardiopulmonary function);

• The processor is the next-generation S6 processor (20% performance improvement over S5, but it feels like there is not much difference);

• U1 ultra-wide chip ( can improve space perception ability, accurately measure the distance between two ultra-wide devices);

• Fast charge (Apple Watch S6 has a fast charge, which takes 1.5 hours to fully charge, while Apple Watch SE requires 2.5 hours);

• Apple Watch S6 has new colors available ( blue and red).

5. Compared with Apple Watch S5, Apple Watch S6 mainly added the following features:

• Blood oxygen monitoring function;

• The processor is the next generation S6 processor;

• U1 ultra-wide chip;

• Quick charge.

Apple Watch S3, Apple Watch S5, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch S6: Which One is Best for You?

 If you have enough budget, there is no doubt to choose the best Apple Watch Series 6. If you need to measure blood oxygen concentration and pay more attention to health monitoring,  Apple Watch Series 6 is also more suitable for you.

 If you don't need to measure the blood oxygen concentration, but want the screen always-on function, you can buy Apple Watch Series 5.

 If you neither need to measure blood oxygen concentration nor the screen always-on function, Apple Watch SE is a good choice.

If you only need the basic functions like watching notifications, and the budget is small, Apple Watch Series 3 is best for you.

Even if you know which Apple Watch model you want, deciding on the size, case material, color, and strap that's best for you can be a minefield, with dozens of combinations available at dozens of different prices.

Which Apple Watch Case Materials is Better？Aluminum or Stainless Steel?
The stainless steel case will be better than the aluminum case in terms of strength, and is more wear-resistant and slip-resistant. But the stainless steel case is about 10g heavier than the aluminum case, which is obviously perceptible when worn.

In my opinion, the aluminum case is more suitable for users with more sports scenes, because the lighter dial can improve the comfort during sports. The stainless steel case has more advantages in appearance, especially the stainless steel dial can match the metal or leather bands like Milanese, which is more fashionable.

How to Choose Apple Watch Case Size? 40mm or 44mm?

The case size of the Apple Watch S3, S5, SE, and S6 are almost the same. The only difference is that Apple Watch S5, SE, S6 have a larger screen-to-body ratio. The display area of these three modelsextends all the way to the rounded edge, which is officially said to be more than 30% larger than the display area of the Apple Watch S3.

Generally speaking, a thicker wrist chooses 44mm / 42mm for boys, and a thinner wrist for girls chooses 40mm / 38mm. But it's best to try it on before buying one.

Choose GPS version or GPS + Cellular Version?

For most people, it is recommended to buy the GPS version. If you want to use Apple Watch independently, you must choose a GPS + Cellular version, but everyone basically stays with their mobile phones every day, so the Cellular version is not very useful. Moreover, the GPS + Cellular version will cost more, and it consumes more power.

Which Apple Watch Bands to Choose?
The band of the Apple Watch can is rich in choice, with many materials and colors. At present, there are mainly the following types of official bands:

• Solo Loop

• Braided Solo Loop

• Sport Band

• Sport Loop

• International Sport Loop

• Nylon

• Leather

• Stainless Steel

The Sport band is suitable for sports (running, fitness, swimming). The Nylon band is best for everyday leisure. The Stainless Steel band is suitable for formal work occasions. But Apple's official bands are very expensive, so I suggest you buy third-party bands for Apple Watch. Its craftsmanship and design sense are relatively mature, and with many styles. The point is that the price is really good!

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