Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: What‘re the Differences? Which to Choose?

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Quick Look

Where to buy Apple watches?

①You can purchase the Apple watches from Best Buy, and don't forget to sign up at Extrabux (What is Extrabux?) , then you can get 0.5% super cashback from Extrabux! Sign-Up Bonus: Free to join it & get $20 welcome bonus!

②You can also purchase Apple watches from places like apple.com, Amazon, Walmart (up to 4% super cashback), and Target. 

Here are the key differences between the Apple Watch Series 7, SE and Series 3.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Display

Apple Watch Series 7 (Always-On Retina display)

• The display never sleeps, so you can always see the time and information that’s most important to you. The viewing area stretches deep into the rounded corners and is nearly 20% larger than the Apple Watch SE display and over 50% larger than the Apple Watch Series 3 display. And it’s up to 70% brighter indoors when your wrist is down.

Apple Watch SE (Retina display)

• Featuring a Retina display that is over 30% larger than Apple Watch Series 3, it lets you see more and use more of the latest watch faces and complications. Just raise your wrist and the display instantly comes to life.

Apple Watch Series 3 (Retina display)

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Chip

Apple Watch Series 7 

• S7 with 64-bit dual-core processor; Up to 20% faster than SE.

• W3: Apple wireless chip

• U1 chip (Ultra Wideband)

Apple Watch SE 

• S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor; Up to 2x faster than S3.

• W3: Apple wireless chip

Apple Watch Series 3 

• S3 SiP with dual-core processor

• W2: Apple wireless chip

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Materials and Finishes

Apple Watch Series 7 

• Aluminum

• Stainless Steel  

• Titanium

Apple Watch Series 7 has the most crack-resistant front crystal yet. Aluminum models have Ion‑X front glass. Stainless steel and titanium models have sapphire front crystals.

Apple Watch SE 

• Aluminum

Apple Watch SE has Ion‑X front glass.

Apple Watch Series 3

• Aluminum

Apple Watch Series 3 has Ion‑X front glass.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Health and Wellness

Apple Watch Series 7 

• Blood Oxygen app

• ECG app

• High and low heart rate notifications

• Irregular heart rhythm notification

Series 7 has the most advanced health and wellness features ever in an Apple Watch. You can measure your blood oxygen levels, take an ECG from your wrist, be alerted if it detects unusually high or low heart rates or an irregular rhythm, and even measure your current heart rate.

Apple Watch SE 

• High and low heart rate notifications

• Irregular heart rhythm notification

Apple Watch SE can alert you if it detects unusually high or low heart rates or an irregular rhythm, as well as measure your current heart rate.

Apple Watch Series 3

• High and low heart rate notifications

• Irregular heart rhythm notification

Apple Watch Series 3 can alert you if it detects unusually high or low heart rates or an irregular rhythm, as well as measure your current heart rate.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Safety and Emergency

Apple Watch Series 7 

• Emergency SOS

• International emergency calling

• Fall detection

• Noise monitoring

With Emergency SOS, you can quickly call for help and alert your emergency contacts. Apple Watch Series 7 can also detect if you’ve taken a hard fall, then automatically call emergency services for you. And it can complete an emergency call while you’re traveling abroad. The Noise app alerts you when decibels reach levels that could damage your hearing.

Apple Watch SE 

• Emergency SOS

• International emergency calling

• Fall detection

• Noise monitoring

With the same safety and emergency features as Series 7 (Emergency SOS and fall detection), you’re never too far away from help if you need it.

Apple Watch Series 3

• Emergency SOS

You can quickly call for help and alert your emergency contacts if you need to.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Cellular Connectivity

• Apple Watch Series 7 (✔)

• Apple Watch SE (✔)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (×)

With cellular connectivity activated on Apple Watch GPS + Cellular models, you can stay connected even when you don’t have your iPhone. Make calls, send texts, stream music, and do so much more using only your Apple Watch. And with Family Setup, you can get an Apple Watch for kids and older adults who don’t have an iPhone. Everyone gets their own phone number, and you manage each watch using the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Bluetooth Connectivity

• Apple Watch Series 7 (Bluetooth 5.0)

• Apple Watch SE (Bluetooth 5.0)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (Bluetooth 4.2)

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Wi-Fi Connectivity

• Apple Watch Series 7 (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)

• Apple Watch SE (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz)

Apple Watch Series 7 vs. SE vs. Series 3: Technology

Apple Watch Series 7 

• Blood oxygen sensor

• Electrical heart sensor

• Third-generation optical heart sensor

• Dual-core S7 SiP

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• GPS

• Compass

• Always-on altimeter

• Second-generation speaker and mic

The back crystal of Apple Watch Series 7 features four clusters of green, red, and infrared LEDs and four photodiodes used to measure blood oxygen levels with the Blood Oxygen app. It has both an optical heart sensor for measuring your heart rate and heart rhythm and an electrical heart sensor that enables the ECG app. The Digital Crown provides haptic feedback when you turn it. The S7 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor is up to 20% faster than the S5 in Apple Watch SE.12 The always-on altimeter detects your elevation in real time.

Apple Watch SE 

• Second-generation optical heart sensor

• Dual-core S5 SiP

• Digital Crown with haptic feedback

• GPS

• Compass

• Always-on altimeter

• Second-generation speaker and mic

Apple Watch SE has an optical heart sensor for measuring your heart rate and heart rhythm. The Digital Crown provides haptic feedback when you turn it. The S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor is up to two times faster than the S3 in Apple Watch Series 3. The always-on altimeter detects your elevation in real time.

Apple Watch Series 3

• Optical heart sensor

• Dual-core S3 SiP

• Digital Crown

• GPS

• Altimeter

• Speaker and mic

Apple Watch Series 3 includes an optical heart sensor for measuring your heart rate and heart rhythm and GPS to pinpoint your location.

Verdict: Which to Choose?

The best Apple Watch for you depends on what you’re looking for out of a smartwatch. If you didn't invest in the original and you've decided the Apple Watch is now something you want, buying the Series 3 over the Watch SE or Series 7 will save you money, but you miss out on some key features and your finish options are much more limited. Either, the Apple Watch Series 3 won't be updated to watchOS 9 and will likely be discontinued this year.

The ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ is an improvement over the previous Series 6 model, offering a larger display, improved durability, and faster charging. With its larger casing, always-on display, advanced health monitoring features, and range of colors and finishes, the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ will be the model of choice for those that want the most out of their wearable. If you are particularly interested in health tracking, the larger display, fast charging, or simply like a particular casing and color combination, the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌ will be the best model for you.

Although the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ is now over a year old, if you are on a budget and are not particularly attracted to the additional features of the Series 7, it is still a compelling option. The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ will be the go-to model for many Apple Watch customers due to its competitive pricing and generous feature set, and it may be the best choice for those new to Apple Watch or users who are coming from a Series 3 or older. As it shares so many features with the ‌Apple Watch Series 7‌, in most cases you should probably choose the more inexpensive model, unless you particularly value features such as the always-on display or advanced health monitoring and can justify the added cost.

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