Versus Engine
Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple Watch SE 3 against Apple Watch Ultra 3, side by side.
Cheaper to start
Tie
Both start at a similar price.
Rated higher
Apple Watch Ultra 3
9.3 vs 0.0 on our design scale.
Standout
Apple Watch SE 3
S10 chip with 64GB capacity
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch SE 3 with S10 chip and Always-On Retina display
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Supports a wide range of cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity options
- Comprehensive health and wellness features including heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking
- Built-in accessibility features for users with various disabilities
Cons
- Slightly bulkier design compared to more premium models
- Less customization options compared to higher-end models
Specifications
- ChipS10 chip with 64-bit dual core processor 4-core Neural Engine 64GB capacity
- DisplayAlways-On Retina display with OLED and LTPO Tough Ion-X front glass with 4x crack resistance 1000 nits peak brightness 2 nits minimum brightness 326 pixels per inch
- Material and FinishAluminum case Midnight, Starlight
- Operating SystemwatchOS
- Power and Battery LifeAll-day battery life, up to 18 hours of normal use Up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode Up to 7 hours workout tracking Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Fast-charge capable Up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes 15 minutes for up to 8 hours of normal use 8 minutes for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking
- AccessibilityBuilt-in accessibility features supporting vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive disabilities VoiceOver Zoom On/Off Labels Reduce Transparency Increase Contrast Color Filters Text Size Bold Text Reduce Motion Hourly Chimes AssistiveTouch Button Click Speed Touch Accommodations Auto-Answer Calls Type to Siri RTT Support Audio Volume Balance Auto Transcription Live Speech Accessibility Shortcut Mono Audio Taptic Time Personal Voice Live Listen
- Always-on altimeter—
- Antennas (GPS, cellular/satellite)—
- Audio—
- Black—
- Blood Oxygen app—
- Built-in accessibility features—
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery—
- Charge time—
- ConnectivityTDD-5G NR (Bands n38, n40, n41) FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71) TDD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41) Support for Apple Watch For Your Kids International roaming
- Connectivity / 5G—
- Connectivity / Apple Pay—
- Connectivity / Apple Watch For Your Kids—
- Connectivity / Bluetooth—
- Connectivity / GPS—
- Connectivity / GymKit—
- Connectivity / International roaming—
- Connectivity / LTE—
- Connectivity / Ultra Wideband—
- Connectivity / Wi-Fi—
- Controls—
- Customizable Action button—
- Cycle Tracking app with retrospective ovulation estimates—
- Dust resistance—
- ECG app—
- EN13319 recreational scuba diving—
- Environmental RequirementsOperating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Nonoperating storage temperature: –4° to 113° F (–20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 90% noncondensing Operating altitude: 0 feet to 10,000 feet (0m to 3000m)
- Environmental Requirements / Dive operating temperature—
- Environmental Requirements / Non-operating storage temperature—
- Environmental Requirements / On-wrist operating temperature—
- Environmental Requirements / Operating altitude—
- Environmental Requirements / Operating temperature—
- Environmental Requirements / Relative humidity—
- Fast-charge capable—
- FDD–5G NR—
- FDD–LTE—
- Features include—
- Fits wrists—
- Hardware and ButtonsDigital Crown Microphone Side button Band release button Speaker Optical heart sensor Controls: Digital Crown with haptic feedback, Side button, Single tap, double tap, and wrist flick gestures
- Hardware and Buttons / Action button—
- Hardware and Buttons / Digital Crown—
- Hardware and Buttons / Microphone—
- Hardware and Buttons / Side button—
- Hardware and Buttons / Speaker—
- Health and WellnessHeart Rate app High and low heart rate notifications Irregular rhythm notifications Advanced Cycle Tracking app with fertile window estimates, retrospective ovulation estimates, and perimenopause and menopause support Medications app Mindfulness app Noise app Sleep app including sleep stages Sleep score Sleep apnea notifications
- Heart Rate app—
- High and low heart rate notifications—
- High dynamic range gyroscope—
- High-g accelerometer—
- Hypertension notifications—
- Irregular rhythm notifications—
- key_features—
- L1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS—
- Low Power Mode—
- Mindfulness app with state of mind tracking—
- Multiday battery life—
- Noise app—
- Resolution—
- Safety—
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip—
- SensorsSecond-generation optical heart sensor Temperature sensor Compass Always-on altimeter High-g accelerometer High dynamic range gyroscope Ambient light sensor
- Sensors / Accelerometer—
- Sensors / Altimeter—
- Sensors / Ambient light sensor—
- Sensors / Blood oxygen sensor—
- Sensors / Compass—
- Sensors / Depth gauge—
- Sensors / Electrical heart sensor—
- Sensors / Gyroscope—
- Sensors / Optical heart sensor—
- Sensors / Temperature sensor—
- Sensors / Water temperature sensor—
- Siri with on‐device processing—
- Size and Weight / Depth—
- Size and Weight / Depth (40mm model)10.7mm
- Size and Weight / Depth (44mm model)10.7mm
- Size and Weight / Display Area—
- Size and Weight / Display area (40mm model)324 by 394 pixels, 759 sq mm
- Size and Weight / Display area (44mm model)368 by 448 pixels, 977 sq mm
- Size and Weight / Fits (40mm model)130–200mm wrists
- Size and Weight / Fits (44mm model)140–245mm wrists
- Size and Weight / Height—
- Size and Weight / Height (40mm model)40mm
- Size and Weight / Height (44mm model)44mm
- Size and Weight / Weight (black)—
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS + Cellular, 40mm model)26.4 grams
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS, 40mm model)26.3 grams
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS, 44mm model)32.9 grams
- Size and Weight / Weight (natural)—
- Size and Weight / Width—
- Size and Weight / Width (40mm model)34mm
- Size and Weight / Width (44mm model)38mm
- Size and Weight / Wrist Size—
- Sleep apnea notifications—
- Sleep app including sleep stages—
- Sleep score—
- Support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks—
- Support for Apple Watch For Your Kids—
- Supports RedCap for 5G—
- TDD–5G NR—
- TDD–LTE—
- Tested to MIL-STD 810H—
- Third-generation optical heart sensor—
- watchOS—
- Water resistance—
- Workouts and ActivityRunning Custom workouts Customizable Workout Views Training Load Heart Rate Zones (customizable) Postworkout heart rate VO 2 max Race Route Pacer Cadence, Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation, and Running Power Automatic track detection Multisport workout Heart Rate Zone, pace, and target alerts Hiking Compass with bearing, incline, elevation, and coordinates Custom waypoints Automatically generated waypoints to cellular connectivity Backtrack GPS data Offline maps with custom route creation Topographic maps for thousands of national and regional parks (U.S. only) Hundreds of curated hikes across all 63 U.S. national parks Cycling Average speed, elevation gained, and distance Connection to cycling accessories via Bluetooth Functional Threshold Power Power Zones Cadence Live Activity on iPhone Swimming Pool swim or open water swim Custom workouts for pool swims Splits and auto sets
- Year introduced—
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple's rugged watch at $799 — the outdoor answer, refined rather than reinvented.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Brightest, most durable Apple Watch
- Excellent multi-day battery life
- Deep integration with iOS
- Dual-frequency GPS
- High dynamic range gyroscope
- Customizable Action button
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
- Support for Apple Watch For Your Kids
Cons
- Too large for smaller wrists
- Only works with iPhones
- Expensive compared to standard series
- Limited accessibility for non-iPhone users
Specifications
- ChipS10 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor 4-core Neural Engine 64GB capacity
- DisplayAlways-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3 1Hz refresh Active area (422 by 514 pixels, 326 pixels per inch) Flat sapphire crystal display Up to 3000 nits peak brightness 1 nit minimum brightness Night Mode for Apple Watch Ultra faces (Modular Ultra, Wayfinder, Orienteering)
- Material and FinishTitanium case, Grade 5 Natural, Black
- Operating SystemwatchOS
- Power and Battery LifeMultiday battery life, up to 42 hours of normal use Up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Fast-charge capable Up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes 15 minutes for up to 12 hours of normal use 5 minutes for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking
- Accessibility—
- Always-on altimeterAlways-on altimeter
- Antennas (GPS, cellular/satellite)L1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)
- AudioThree-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation Dual speakers
- BlackBlack
- Blood Oxygen appBlood Oxygen app
- Built-in accessibility featuresBuilt-in accessibility features supporting vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive disabilities
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteryBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Charge timeUp to 80% charge in about 45 minutes
- Connectivity—
- Connectivity / 5GSupports RedCap for 5G FDD-5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n66, n71) TDD-5G NR (Bands n38, n40, n41, n53)
- Connectivity / Apple PayApple Pay
- Connectivity / Apple Watch For Your KidsSupport for Apple Watch For Your Kids
- Connectivity / BluetoothBluetooth 5.3
- Connectivity / GPSL1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)
- Connectivity / GymKitGymKit
- Connectivity / International roamingInternational roaming
- Connectivity / LTEFDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71) TDD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41, 53)
- Connectivity / Ultra WidebandSecond-generation Ultra Wideband chip
- Connectivity / Wi-FiSupport for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
- ControlsCustomizable Action button, Digital Crown with haptic feedback, Side button, Double tap and wrist flick gestures
- Customizable Action buttonCustomizable Action button
- Cycle Tracking app with retrospective ovulation estimatesCycle Tracking app with retrospective ovulation estimates
- Dust resistanceDust resistance IP6X under IEC 60529
- ECG appECG app
- EN13319 recreational scuba divingEN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40m (±1m accuracy)
- Environmental Requirements—
- Environmental Requirements / Dive operating temperature32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)
- Environmental Requirements / Non-operating storage temperature−4° to 113° F (−20° to 45° C)
- Environmental Requirements / On-wrist operating temperature−4° to 130° F (−20° to 55° C)
- Environmental Requirements / Operating altitude−1600 feet to 29,500 feet (−500m to 9000m)
- Environmental Requirements / Operating temperature32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
- Environmental Requirements / Relative humidity5% to 90% noncondensing
- Fast-charge capableFast-charge capable
- FDD–5G NRFDD–5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n66, n71)
- FDD–LTEFDD–LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71)
- Features includeVoiceOver, Zoom, On/Off Labels, Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, Color Filters, Text Size, Bold Text, Reduce Motion, Hourly Chimes, AssistiveTouch, Button Click Speed, Touch Accommodations, Auto-Answer Calls, Type to Siri, RTT Support, Audio Volume Balance, Audio Transcription, Live Speech, Accessibility Shortcut, Mono Audio, Taptic Time, Personal Voice, Live Listen
- Fits wrists130–210mm
- Hardware and Buttons—
- Hardware and Buttons / Action buttonCustomizable Action button
- Hardware and Buttons / Digital CrownDigital Crown with haptic feedback
- Hardware and Buttons / MicrophoneThree-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation
- Hardware and Buttons / Side buttonSide button
- Hardware and Buttons / SpeakerDual speakers
- Health and Wellness—
- Heart Rate appHeart Rate app
- High and low heart rate notificationsHigh and low heart rate notifications
- High dynamic range gyroscopeHigh dynamic range gyroscope
- High-g accelerometerHigh-g accelerometer
- Hypertension notificationsHypertension notifications
- Irregular rhythm notificationsIrregular rhythm notifications
- key_features49mm Titanium case, Always-On Retina display (3000 nits), S10 SiP, Dual-frequency GPS
- L1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPSL1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)
- Low Power ModeUp to 72 hours in Low Power Mode
- Mindfulness app with state of mind trackingMindfulness app with state of mind tracking
- Multiday battery lifeMultiday battery life, up to 42 hours of normal use
- Noise appNoise app
- Resolution422 by 514 pixels
- SafetySatellite connectivity (Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My) Emergency SOS International emergency calling Siren Flashlight Crash Detection Fall Detection Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint Noise monitoring Backtrack
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chipSecond-generation Ultra Wideband chip
- Sensors—
- Sensors / AccelerometerHigh-g accelerometer
- Sensors / AltimeterAlways-on altimeter
- Sensors / Ambient light sensorAmbient light sensor
- Sensors / Blood oxygen sensorBlood oxygen sensor
- Sensors / CompassCompass
- Sensors / Depth gaugeDepth gauge
- Sensors / Electrical heart sensorElectrical heart sensor
- Sensors / GyroscopeHigh dynamic range gyroscope
- Sensors / Optical heart sensorThird-generation optical heart sensor
- Sensors / Temperature sensorTemperature sensor
- Sensors / Water temperature sensorWater temperature sensor
- Siri with on‐device processingSiri with on‐device processing
- Size and Weight / Depth12mm
- Size and Weight / Depth (40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Depth (44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Display Area422 by 514 pixels 1245 sq mm display area
- Size and Weight / Display area (40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Display area (44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Fits (40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Fits (44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Height49mm
- Size and Weight / Height (40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Height (44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Weight (black)61.8 grams
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS + Cellular, 40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS, 40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Weight (GPS, 44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Weight (natural)61.6 grams
- Size and Weight / Width44mm
- Size and Weight / Width (40mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Width (44mm model)—
- Size and Weight / Wrist Size130–210mm wrists
- Sleep apnea notificationsSleep apnea notifications
- Sleep app including sleep stagesSleep app including sleep stages
- Sleep scoreSleep score
- Support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networksSupport for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks
- Support for Apple Watch For Your KidsSupport for Apple Watch For Your Kids
- Supports RedCap for 5GSupports RedCap for 5G
- TDD–5G NRTDD–5G NR (Bands n38, n40, n41, n53)
- TDD–LTETDD–LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40, 41, 53)
- Tested to MIL-STD 810HTested to MIL-STD 810H against subsections for altitude, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze with thaw, ice and freezing rain, and shock and vibration
- Third-generation optical heart sensorThird-generation optical heart sensor
- watchOSwatchOS is the world’s most advanced wearable operating system, with apps and features designed to keep you active, healthy, safe, and connected.
- Water resistanceWater resistance 100m (swim, snorkel, scuba, high-speed water sports) under ISO standard 22810:2010
- Workouts and Activity—
- Year introduced2025